DENVER – The University of Denver swimming and diving program has added women’s swimmers Kylie Cronin (Marblehead, Mass.), Molly Kuettel (Lake Jackson, Texas), Sarah Lingen (Maple Grove, Minn.), Taylor Stoll (Hartland, Wis.), Josie Valette (Boulder, Colo.) and Blair Williams (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) to its 2016-17 roster, head coach Brian Schrader announced on Tuesday.
“We look forward to seeing what this group, that individually have accomplished a lot at the youth, club and high school levels, can bring to our program at the NCAA Division I level,” Schrader said. “I think we have a good group of young women in this class, and I know they can’t wait to get in the pool at El Pomar to represent the University of Denver over the next four years.”
A captain of her high school team her senior year, Cronin helped lead Marblehead to a Division II Massachusetts State Championship while earning All-America consideration in the 100 fly, and winning state titles in the 100 fly (three-time champion), 50 free (two times), 200 medley relay (four times) and 400 free relay (three times).
“It was a nice surprise to have Kylie commit this spring to Denver,” Schrader said. “She is new to elite level swimming, but has a great background as an athlete, having played lacrosse at a high level, while developing into quite a racer and well-rounded swimmer in a pretty short span of time. She is versatile and I can see her helping us in sprint fly, sprint free and IM events. Kylie is not shy about competing well, having won a few state titles and All-America honors in high school swimming in Massachusetts, as well as earning some USA Junior National standards. I like that she came onto the national scene making 50 fly finals at the NCSA meet this past season, and I like that we are getting someone who is a leader on her own team as team captain. We hope she can bring those skills to help our squad as well. NCAA standards are on her radar, and ours.”
Kuettel also captained her high school team in 2015-16. In her high school career, the two-time Scholastic All-America selection reached the Texas 6A B Finals in the 50 free (10th) and 100 free (9th), and broke school records in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 100 back, 200 medley relay and 200 free relay.
“I would like to say Molly was a great find for us, but I think she was the one who did the finding,” Schrader said. “We are going to benefit from having a leader and a great student-athlete as part of this incoming class. We feel she will be a freestyler that will continue to help keep our relays on a national level. Molly has been a competitive qualifier in one of the toughest states for high school swimming at the Texas 5A and 6A State Swimming Championships. She will help us immediately in freestyle events, and I think her butterfly may be an event that will be fun to develop. She is tall and athletic and has been an MVP on her high school volleyball team. I like that she is going to study engineering here and has been developing some great leadership skills in high school (president of her NHS chapter) that will only translate to helping our team culture.”
Lingen was a three-time All-Minnesota selection and a member of her three-time high school state championship team, a squad she captained in her senior year. The Wayzata High School product was a two-time All-Conference pick and a 2015 Academic All-America selection. In 2015, Lingen finished fourth at the state meet in the 200 free and eighth in the 100 free.
“Minnesota has one of the best high school swimming events in the country, and Sarah Lingen has been racing well there in her high school career,” Schrader said. “We are excited to have her be a part of things here at Denver, because I think she has a lot to contribute to our squad in the freestyle events and will help immediately in dual meets and with our sprinting depth. We want a corps group of women supporting our goal for relays at NCAAs. I know she will help our relays keep competing at a high level and help our team do the same.”
Stoll was an all-state finisher in the 100 breast and 200 medley relay during her high school career at Arrowhead High School. In her high school career, Stoll was a six-time state qualifier for the Wisconsin State Championships, and was awarded the Arrowhead High School Stacy Meyer Scholarship.
“Taylor is coming to Denver from Wisconsin with some great high school and club experience from Schroeder Y,” Schrader said. “She has been in the top-eight at the Wisconsin State High School and Club Championships in the breaststroke events as well as the 200 medley relay. I think she is going to thrive collegiately and be able to help us immediately with dual meet depth and in finals at the Summit League Championships. Taylor is the type of athlete that will just rise to the level she is exposed to and keep getting better. She will be fun to watch.”
Valette was a three-time Colorado State Swimming Championship qualifier during her high school career at Boulder High School. The lone Colorado product in the group of six, Valette most recently finished fourth at state in the 100 fly and 50 free, receiving All-America consideration for her performances in the 100 fly. Valette was also a Junior National Qualifier in the 100 fly during her swimming for Rallysport Aquatic Club.
“Josie is coming to Denver from RallySport and has been very well coached and prepared for Division I by coach Grant Holicky,” Schrader said. “She has a great feel for the water, does well with under water kicking and has an intuitive sense of racing. She will help us immediately in the 50, 100 and 200 free, and her backstroke and butterfly may well challenge for our A relay spots immediately. She is on a rapid improvement curve and has USA Jr. National standards in a few events that I feel will be translating pretty quickly to NCAA standards. She had a great sectional meet in Austin this spring, finishing in the top-eight in several events, including top-three finishes in the 100 free and 100 fly.”
Williams was a New York State Championship qualifier in 2015, is a 50 free and 200 medley record holder at Albany Academy and was a NCSA Junior National Qualifier while swimming for the Schenectady Saratoga Swim Club. In the classroom, Williams is also a USA Swimming Scholastic All-America selection.
“Blair was our first commitment last fall and we could not have been more excited for it to happen,” Schrader said. “She is coming from Schenectady Swim Club and her coach Jerry Adams has done a great job of getting kids prepared for Division I collegiate swimming. Blair comes with a great work ethic and will be competing right away for spots on our A relays, while helping immediately with freestyle sprint depth. She competed at NCSA juniors this spring and is coming off of a fun state high school season setting some of her school’s records. She is another athlete that I feel is going to rise to the level of the challenge and competition she is seeing in practice and improve to her high goals as well as make our team better. We hope that challenge is NCAAs.”
Earlier this offseason, Denver announced its 13-member incoming men’s swimming class and its three-member incoming diving class for the 2016-17 season.
University of Denver contributed this report.