TCU Announces Recruit Signees

FORT WORTH, Texas, November 23. TCU coach Richard Sybesma announced Tuesday the signing of National Letters of Intent for five swimmers and one diver to the women's swimming and diving team.

"They are all a great fit for our program," Sybesma said. "We have a versatile women's class that can swim several events and our diver recently won the Illinois state championship. We're looking forward to having them on campus."

The women's class once again hails from numerous different parts of the country. The class features athletes from California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska and Ontario.

Diver Lauren Mikulecky last week won the Illinois State Diving Meet. Ariel Bond, a freestyler/backstroker from Oxford, Conn., is a Speedo Section Qualifier and Finalist, as well as a YMCA National Qualifier and Finalist.

Kyra Lindholm is a Nebraska state high school champion in the 100-backstroke and 200-individual medley. Backstroker Kenzie Miller has been to the U.S. Jr. Nationals on four occasions and once to U.S. Nationals, placing 25th.

Mackenzie Schuler and Victoria Thicke-Rattray round out the class. Schuler is an All-American in the 200-free and 500-back, while Thicke-Rattray has qualified for the 2010 Canadian Olympic Trials.

Ariel Bond; Freestyle/Backstroke; Oxford, Conn.; Lauralton Hall Academy
Bond is a freestyler and backstroker from Oxford, Conn. She holds top times of 1:53.34 in the 200-free, 5:03.06 in the 500-free, 17:30.86 in the 1650-free, 59.08 in the 100-back and 2:07.59 in the 200-back. A member of the Wilton Y Wahoos club team under the direction of Coach Randy Erlenbach, Bond is a Speedo Section Qualifier and Finalist. She is also a YMCA National Qualifier and Finalist. The daughter of Carey Bond and Denise Brady, Bond is a four-time honor roll student and plans on majoring in psychology.

Kyra Lindholm; Backstroke; Omaha, Neb.; Marian High School
Lindholm comes to Fort Worth from Marian High School in Omaha, Neb. She competed for Coach David Anderson in high school and Coach Tom Beck at the Greater Omaha Aquatic Leopard-Sharks swim club. She boasts top times of 58.88 in the 100-backstroke and 2:06.49 in the 200-backstroke. She also has clocked a personal-best 2:09.98 in the 200-individual medley. Lindholm is the 2009-2010 Nebraska High School state champion in the 100-backstroke and 200-IM. She is a member of an All-American 200-medley relay team and a senior-athlete representative for the Midwestern Swimming Board. Academically, the future Frog is a 2009-2010 Metro Conference All-Academic Award recipient, a 2007-2008 Nebraska All-State Academic Award Recipient and a member of the National Honor Society. Lindholm is the daughter of Jeff and Marya Lindholm and hopes to major in secondary education.

Lauren Mikulecky; Diving; Naperville, Ill.; Neuqua Valley High School
A native of Naperville, Ill., Mikulecky is a diver. She recently claimed first-place honors at the Illinois State Diving Meet. Her lifetime bests on the 1-meter springboard are 238 points for six-dive events and 451.25 in 11-dive events. She is a 2010 All-America selection and placed 12th at the state meet in 2008 to go along with an 11th place finish in 2009. Mikulecky attended Neuqua Valley High School and trained at Dupage Diving Academy. Coach Gerry Petit mentored her at her high school and her diving academy. The daughter of John and Therese Mikulecky, she plans on masajoring in education.

Kenzie Miller; Backstroke; Plymouth, Ind.; Plymouth High School
Miller is a backstroker from Plymouth, Ind. The soon-to-be graduate of Plymouth High School holds top times of 56.64 in the 100-backstroke, 2:01.59 in the 200-backstroke and 2:05.33 in the 200-individual medley. The 5-foot-8 Miller competed at Plymouth High School for Coach Chelsea Bramfield, where she holds school records in every stroke except for the breaststroke and all but one pool record. In high school competition, Plymouth is a four-time state qualifier. She swam at the club level for Irish Aquatics and Coach Will Bernhardt II and she has been a medalist at state competitions each year. On the national stage, Miller has been to Jr. Nationals on four occasions and once to U.S. Nationals, placing 25th in the 100-backstroke. Miller is the daughter of Rod and Judy Miller and is looking to pursue a degree in nursing.

Mackenzie Schuler; Freestyle; Fresno, Calif.; Clovis West High School
Schuler is a freestyler from Fresno, Calif. Her top times are as follows: 100-free – 52.02, 200-free – 1:50.59, 500-free – 4:57. The 5-foot-8 Schuler attended Clovis West High School where she competed for Coach Steve Baxter. She was also a member of the Clovis Swim Club, where she was under the instruction of John McGough. Schuler has earned All-America honors in the 200- and 500-free, as well as the 200-free relay and 400-free relay. She is a three-time all-conference selection, three-time all-valley selection and recipient of her school's Varsity Swimming Character Award. Schuler is the daughter of David and Charisse Schuler and plans on pursuing a major in kinesiology. She was a USA Swimming Academic All-American is 2009 and 2010, a California Scholastic Federation Member and has been named to the principal's honor roll on three occasions.

Victoria Thicke-Rattray; Backstroke; Brampton, Ontario; Brampton Christian School
Thicke-Rattray is a backstroker from Brampton, Ontario and will be the third member of the women's team from North of the Border. She has qualified for the 2012 Canadian Olympic Trials as well as qualifying for the 2010 Canadian Nationals in the 100-backstroke, 200-backstroke and 200-individual medley. She finished 22nd in the 200-back and the 200-IM. Her long-course times in the 100-back and 200-back are 1:06.12 and 2:22.52, respectively. She won the TAG (Top Age Group Time) Award in the 100-back, 200-back, 200-breast, 200-IM and 400-IM from 2007 to 2010. The 5-foot-11 Thicke-Rattray is a member of the COBRA Swim Club, where she competed for Coach Bill O'Toole. The soon-to-be-graduate of Brampton Christian School, Thicke-Rattray is the daughter of Joanne Thicke and Terry Ratray. She plans to pursue a degree in the field of science.

TCU coach Richard Sybesma announced Tuesday the addition of five swimmers and one diver to the men's swimming and diving team.

"This is the most athletic class we have recruited," Sybesma said. "We signed some talented athletes who will help with our quality and depth of our program. We feel that every swimmer and diver will really excel in the college atmosphere."

Mitchell Adshead, a breaststroker from Staffordshire, England, headlines the group. He is a member of the English Junior Team and has won the Great Britain Nationals in the 400-IM each of the last three years.

Two of the signees have family ties to TCU. August Van Allen, a freestyler from Indianapolis, is the younger brother of current TCU swimmer Ross Van Allen. Ryan Hall, an IMer from Colleyville, Texas, is the son of TCU Letterman's Association Hall of Famer and two-time women's swimming All-American Becky Brill-Hall. His father, Chris, is TCU's Director of Sports Medicine.

Diver Ricky Bradley, breastroker Matt Korman and backstroker Cooper Robinson round out the six future Horned Frogs.

Mitchell Adshead; Breaststroke; Staffordshire, England; Plymouth College
Adshead is a breaststroker, and also competes in the individual-medley, from Staffordshire, England. He holds the English Junior Record in the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:16.74. He also boasts short-course meter times of 1:05.90 in the 100-breaststroke, 2:05.69 in the 200-IM and 4:22.30 in the 400-IM. Adshead is a member of the English Junior Team and has won the Great Britain Nationals each of the last three years in the 400-IM. Overall at the Great Britain Nationals, he was won 11 medals, including six golds. He has qualified for more than 30 finals at the national meet in his age and also in the senior field, including for the first time in a senior final at age 15. The 5-10 Adshead is the son of Dennis and Trudy and hopes to major in Health and Fitness Science.

Ricky Bradley; Diving; Racine, Wis.; J.I. Case High School
Bradley is the lone diver in TCU's Fall 2010 signing class. He comes to the Horned Frogs from J.I. Case High School in Racine, Wis., where he competed for Coach Jackie Schwani. Bradley is also a member of the Schroeder Swim and Dive Team and was under the instruction of Coach Todd Hill. The 6-foot-0 Bradley holds personal best scores of 447.50 for 11 dives on the 1-meter springboard and 254.15 for six dixes on the 1-meter springboard. In 10-dive events on the 3-meter springboard, Bradley has scored a 434.65. In 2010, he was an all-state selection, a conference champion, a sectional champion and the Racine County Athlete of The Year. Bradley is the son of Keith and Peggy Bradley; he was a Wisconsin finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman and plans on majoring in business.

Ryan Hall; Individual Medley; Colleyville, Texas; Colleyville Heritage High School
Ryan Hall is an individual medley specialist from Colleyville, Texas. He holds personal bests of 1:55.00 in the 200-IM and 1:00.00 in the 100-breaststroke to go along with five of his high school's records. Hall attended Colleyville Heritage High School, where he was coached by Daniel Jau and is a member of the North Texas Natadores, under the direction of Bill Christen. Hall's family has multiple ties to TCU. His mother, Becky, was a two-time All-American for the Horned Frogs in 1981 and 1982. She was inducted into the TCU Letterman's Association Hall of Fame in 2008. His father, Chris, is the Director of Sports Medicine for the TCU Athletics Department. Hall intends to pursue a pre-med major.

Matt Korman; Breaststroke; Magnolia, Texas; Magnolia High School
Korman, the 33rd-ranked swimmer in Texas, is a breaststroker from Magnolia, Texas, who has also swam the individual medleys in his high school and club career. The 5-foot-11 Korman has top times of 59.21 (100-breast), 2:08.11 (200-breast), 1:55.55 (200-IM) and 4:08.84 (400-IM). He was an all-state selection in the 200-IM and 100-breast after recording state runner-up finishes in both events. He was also a USA Swimming Junior Nationals qualifier and team captain for two years. He is a member of The Woodlands Swim Team, where he competed for Coach Tim Bauer. While at Magnolia High School under the direction of Coach Randee Billips, Korman was his class president and the vice president of the National Honor Society. The son of Dawn and Erwin Korman plans on seeking a degree in business.

Cooper Robinson; Backstroke; Katy, Texas; James E. Taylor High School
Robinson is a 6-foot-4 backstroker from Katy, Texas and is the sixth-ranked swimmer in the state of Texas. He is a sixth-time All-America selection and in 2009, he placed seventh in the 100-backstroke at the Junior Short Course Nationals to go along with an eighth-place finish in the 200-back. He holds times of 49.00 in the 100-back, 1:48.05 in the 200-back and 23.45 in the 50-back. He swam for Coach Rick Barker at Taylor High School, where he is the school-record holder in the 100-back. While competing for Power Aquatics and Coach Sharon Power at the club level, Robinson claimed the club records in the 50- and 200-back. He is also the Katy Aquatics record holder in the 50-, 100- and 200-back. He won his region in the 100-back in 2009 and 2010 and went on to finish second in the 100-back at the Texas UIL State Meet. Robinson is the son of Chris and Rhonda Robinson and plans on pursuing a degree in kinesiology.

August Van Allen; Freestyle/IM; Indianapolis, Ind.; North Central High School
August Van Allen is the younger brother of current Horned Frog Ross Van Allen. A versatile swimmer, Van Allen is a state champion in the 400-freestyle and was a county champion in the 100-breaststroke twice, the 400-freestyle three times and the 200-freestyle twice. In 2010, he was the conference champion in the 100-free and runner-up in the 200- and 400-free. In 2009, he claimed the 400-free conference title. While at North Central High School, he competed for Coach Charlie Fry and was a USA Swimming Academic All-American in 2009 and 2010. He is also a member of the Carmel Swim Club, where he is under the direction of Coach Chris Plumb. Van Allen is the son of Mark and Jeannie Van Allen and is looking at a major in mechanical engineering.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use