Indiana Announces Women’s Signing Class

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana, January 19. INDIANA University head swimming coach Ray Looze and head diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber announced today that Stephanie Armstrong (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West), Sara Delay (Concord, Calif./Northgate), Cristina Gonzalez (Portage, Ind./Portage), Kate Hillman (Middletown, Ind./Shenandoah), Brenna MacLean (West Vancouver, British Columbia/Collingwood), Bronwyn Pasloski (Whitehorse, Yukon/Vanier Catholic), Laura Ryan (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) and Lindsay Vrooman (Baden, Pa./Ambridge Area) have decided to continue their swimming/diving careers at Indiana University beginning in the fall of 2010.

Armstrong is a three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and was a member of the 2006 and 2007 all-state team, as well as an All-America honoree both seasons. She was the Classic 8 Conference 2007 Swimmer of the Year and was named the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Preps Plus Most Outstanding Student Athlete. Armstrong is the school record holder in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events and the conference record holder in the 100 and 200 free. She is the Wisconsin state record holder in the senior 200 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay, as well as the 15-18 national age group record holder in the 200 free relay.

"Stephanie will help us in the 50,100, and 200 freestyle and like Delay is our kind of sprinter," said head swimming coach Ray Looze. "She loves to work hard and has great range. Look for Stephanie to have a strong impact on relays and individually at Big Tens and NCAAs next season."

Delay is about to enter her senior season at Northgate High School where she is an 11-time All-American in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay. She finished second in the 50 free and 200 free relay at the North Coast Section Championships as a sophomore and second in the 100 free and 200 free relay as a junior. Delay is a three-time first team All-League selection and has been named team MVP each of her three seasons at Northgate. She holds school records in the 50 free, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.

"Sara is one of the nation's top high school sprinters," Looze said. "Freestyle sprinting has been an area of need here at IU the last few years and Sara is the perfect sprinter for our program. She is hard-working, talented, and passionate. Look for her to contribute in the 50, 100, 200, and 500 freestyles."

Gonzalez is a two-time sectional champion in the 100 free out of Portage High School and was named a Scholastic All-American in 2009. In 2007-08 she ranked fourth in the 50 free and 100 free among the top-10 times in Indiana. As a freshman she ranked fifth in the 50 free and 10th in the 100 free, while earning a National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association top-16 award. Gonzalez is also a two-time MVP for the Indians.

"Cristina is going to help us next year in the 50, 100, and 200 freestyle," Looze said. "She has a good kick and a large amount of potential. I expect her to be one of the top high school swimmers in Indiana by the conclusion of the state meet. We are lucky to have her join the Hoosier family."

Hillman has finished in the top-10 at the Indiana state meet each of her last two seasons, taking seventh on the 1-meter as a sophomore and fourth as a junior. Entering her senior season at Shenandoah she is a two-time sectional champion and is the reigning regional champion. Hillman has been named to the Indiana All-State Swimming/Diving team and is a NISCA Diving All-American. She was the Madison County Herald Bulletin Diver of the Year in 2009, as well as the Delaware County Athlete of the Year. In 2009 she set state records for six dives (302.65) and 11 dives (465.55).

"Kate is experienced and competitive in all three events and qualified for senior nationals last summer on three meter," said Indiana head diving coach Dr. Jeff Huber. "She is strong, fit, optimistic, positive, and a good student. She has all the qualities I look for in an athlete that I believe correlate with success. Like our other recruits, she is a great kid and I look forward to working with her."

MacLean holds the Canadian National Age Group 15-17 record in the 200-short-course meter butterfly, swimming a time of 2:09.09 in March 2009. She also holds British Columbia age-group records in the 100 short-course meter butterfly (15-17), 200 short-course meter butterfly (15-17), 100-meter butterfly (15-17) and 50 short-course meter free (11-12). She earned a silver medal at the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival as a member of the 400-meter medley relay and a silver in the 200-meter butterfly in 2008 as a member of the Swim Canada Senior B Team.

"Brenna is one of Canada's top butterfly swimmers," Looze said. "She will contribute to IU on medley relays and both the 100 and 200 fly. We are excited about her potential in middle distance freestyle as well. Canadian coaches have told me Brenna is one of the most talented swimmers in their system and our staff is looking forward to helping her develop this potential."

Ryan was the bronze medalist on the 1-meter springboard at the 2009 Junior Pan American Championships and took home a silver on the platform at the 2009 Junior Nationals. Ryan is a four-time senior nationals finalist and a three-time AAU National Champion. She was the 2007 Minnesota high school state champion and a three-time Academic All-State honoree. Ryan holds a total of eight school records across diving, swimming and track.

"Laura, in my mind, is the top high school female athlete in the country for several reasons," Huber said. "She is experienced and highly competitive in all three events, particularly the ten meter platform event. She is an outstanding student. And she is a strong athlete and good competitor. I had a chance to coach her at my camp and I love working with her. She is very coachable, extremely hard working, and wants to be great. I can't wait to work with her next fall."

Pasloski earned a silver in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke as a member of Team British Columbia at the 2009 Paul Bergen International and a bronze in the same events, as well as the 200 individual medley, at the 2009 Canadian Age Group National Championships. At the 2009 Canadian World Trials, Pasloski was fourth in the 50-meter breaststroke, sixth in the 200-meter breaststroke, eighth in the 200-meter breaststroke and eighth in the 200-meter individual medley. She holds 15-17 British Columbia age group records in the 100-short-course meter breaststroke, 100-meter breaststroke and 200-meter individual medley. Over her career she has set 26 short-course meter club/territorial records and 16 long-course meter club/territorial marks.

"Bronwyn is one of the top Canadian breastrokers," Looze said "The great thing about her is she can also swim IM and sprint freestyle. I expect Bronwyn to contribute on relays and to be an impact freshmen at both the Big Ten and NCAA meets. She is certainly one of the top recruits in the nation."

Vrooman is a four-time Pennsylvania state champion in the 200-yard freestyle (twice) and the 500-yard freestyle (twice), despite the fact that her high school has no swim team and she must compete as an individual. She is the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) record holder in the 200 free and 500 free, and holds nine individual Allegheny Mountain Swimming records. A four-year letterwinner, Vrooman is also a Scholastic All-American and member of the National Honor Society.

"Lindsay will swim the 200, 500, and 1650 freestyles as well as the 200 fly for the Hoosiers," Looze said. "She is very versatile and loves to compete. Her great work ethic is also a perfect fit for IU. She will have a strong impact at the Big Ten level and possibly the NCAAs."

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