Courtesy: Mean Green Sports
DENTON – UNT head swimming and diving coach Brittany Roth and diving coach Stephanie O’Callaghan added three new student-athletes to the program, it was announced on Wednesday evening – the first day of the fall early signing period.
All three are set to join the program in August for the 2023-24 season, as the Mean Green will add Sydney Guidara, Michaella Rhodes and Ashley Van Milligan to an accomplished group of divers.
Guidara, who hails from Reno, Nevada, placed second in both the regional meet and state meet and was named first-team All Region in both 2021 and 2022. She also excels in the classroom and has won numerous academic awards while making all As except for three Bs total from first grade through her junior year of high school.
Rhodes will join the Mean Green from Allegany, New York, where she dove for Allegany-Limestone High School and the Wings Diving club. She was the 2021 CCAA Division II champion, second place in the Class C Championships and third place in the Section 6 Championships and holds multiple school diving records. She has been on honor roll throughout high school and is a National Honor Society member.
Van Milligan is from Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she dove for Liberty High School and the Thunderbird diving club. She holds multiple school records and is coming off a 2022 sixth-place finish at the state championships. She also has a ninth-place finish at the AAU Nationals in the 1-meter springboard under her belt. She’s also earned an academic letter in all four years of her high school tenure with GPAs of at least 3.8 in each year.
“The current team of divers have created such an amazing culture of support, passion, hard work, perseverance and fun, and I think our three incoming divers really felt that,” O’Callaghan said. “I am thrilled to have each of these three wonderful young ladies join us next year. We will have a big and mighty squad! I am grateful that they will have a year to learn under some fantastic leadership with our three fifth-year seniors next year showing them the ropes, guiding them and helping them. But I am also excited what they will bring and add to this team. They’re talented athletes, great students and good people with ambitious goals – everything that I look for when trying to find the right fit to join our UNT family. I can’t wait to see what the future brings for Michaella, Sydney and Ashley and this team!”
Fans can follow the program throughout the year on Twitter and Instagram @MeanGreenSD.