Buffalo Swimming Announces Six Recruits

BUFFALO – As 2014 comes to a close, Buffalo swimming and diving head coach Andy Bashor has added add six newcomers to the roster. Joining the women’s team in fall of 2015 are Julia Box, Mallory Buha, Kerry Giovanniello and Else Piseczny. Mason Miller and Zach Towers have signed with the men’s team.

“I want to thank my staff for the time and energy they put into help signing this outstanding class,” Bashor said. “Also, I want to thank each new UB family member for trusting their future in us. Each swimmer and diver will make an immediate impact on this team and in the conference. We have strengthened our team to continually compete for MAC Championships.”

Box is from Boulder, CO and has been swimming since she was one year old. In high school Box has been an All-American as well as the Colorado State Champion in a number of events and is the 10th fastest recruit out of the state this year. Box is also a national qualifier in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke as well as a Junior National qualifier in the 200 butterfly.

“I chose UB because I loved the campus, team, and coaches,” Box said. “On my recruit trip I had felt so welcomed by the whole team. On my flight home I had a feeling that that was the place that I belonged. I knew that I could be happy and succeed in many different ways there. I am so excited to be a Bull next year and be able to swim at a collegiate level.”

“From the start of the recruiting process we knew Julia would be a great fit at UB,” Bashor said. “Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious. Another thing that we value in Julia is her ability to swim many different events. She will impact our team in the butterfly, backstroke, freestyle and relay events.”

Buha is a scholar-athlete coming to UB from Novi, MI. In the two years she swam high school, Buha was an All-American in the 100 backstroke and collegeswimming.com ranks her 12th fastest in the state of Michigan. She is also a national qualifier in the 100 and 200 backstrokes.

“I chose UB because of the great academic support they have for their student-athletes,” Buha said. “Their swimming and diving program is really on the rise and they have a great program for my major as well. The school itself is great all around, but knowing I have all the support I will need both in and out of the pool is an incredible feeling. The team is very close which is exactly what I wanted.”

“Mallory is going to be a great addition to our UB family,” Bashor said. “She has a great outlook on her swimming and what she wants to accomplish at UB. Throughout the recruiting process, we knew we needed to sign a backstroker that will compete at the highest level in the MAC and impact our medley relays. We are confident that Mallory will bring this to our team.”

Giovanniello is a native of New York living in Bellmore. Not only has Kerry been a scholastic All-American twice but is also a member of the National Honor Society. In the pool she has been listed as the ninth top recruit out of New York this year.

“UB has the perfect academic program I had been looking for in a school with an equally amazing swim program, making my college decision easy,” Giovanniello said.

“We are looking forward to having Kerry on our team next year,” Bashor said. “We really like how she attacks her swims. She comes from one of the best club teams in New York and will be ready to take her swimming to a new level. Traditionally we are very strong in the freestyle events in the MAC and she will help us continue this tradition.”

Piseczny is a diver from Schenectady, NY. She is a talented and versatile diver earning a letter five years (8-12 grade) and has not only diving records at her school but was also on the record-setting 200 freestyle relay. She has earned awards as a Scholar Athlete, Honors Student and Academic Letter Awardee. In 2012, Piseczny was the state champion in Section 2 and the runner up in 2014.

“I chose UB for several reasons,” Piseczny said. “I want to be a doctor of physical therapy and UB has a nationally-recognized Physical Therapy program. UB has an amazing pool facility and coaching staff. Coach Helder competes in diving internationally which makes her a very relevant coach and I believe she will help me be successful at the college level and beyond. I attended dive camp at UB for three years, so I already feel at home here. Also, the icing on the cake is that my sister attends UB and she will be a tremendous support to me in many ways.”

“Elyse has been a regular attendee to the UB Dive Camp and through the years we have watched her develop into a strong and independent diver,” UB diving coach Karla Helder said. “She has learned to explore the outer boundaries of fortitude, tenacity and resiliency, as well as being a supportive teammate throughout camp. We are ready to welcome such a ready and willing athlete who expects not only the best of herself but that of staff and team.”

Miller hails from Westerville, OH and is ranked third in the state and top 100 in the country this year by collegeswimming.com. Mason was the Ohio State Champion in both the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Mason is a Junior National qualifier in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly.

“I chose Buffalo because I really liked the team and I felt that they were a family that I could instantly be part of and be friends with them my whole life,” Miller said.

“Early on in the recruiting process, we identified Mason as someone that we needed because of the impact he will make on our team,” Bashor said. “He is one of the most talented young man we have recruited to UB. We believe he has only begun to realize his full potential in swimming. Right away, he will be a contributor to our sprint and relay events.”

Towers is from Huntington, NY and the 10th fastest male recruit from the state. Zach has been the Saint Anthony’s High School swimming MVP two years in a row. Zach is a Junior National qualifier in the 200 butterfly.

“I chose UB because I liked the campus, the location and most importantly the swim team,” Towers said. “After meeting the team, I knew UB was the place I’d spend the next four years of my life.”

“During Zach’s recruiting visit, we knew he fit well on our team and UB would be a great place for him to grow,” Bashor said. “We have a great tradition of developing the talent from New York and he will be no different. We look forward to him solidifying our butterfly events and strengthening our mid-distance freestyle events.”

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World. To reach our audience, contact us at newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com.

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Judy

9 years ago

Congratulations, Julia! We are so proud of you!