FORT MYERS, Fla. – Coming off his first year as the head coach and the program’s eighth CCSA Championship in a span of nine years, reigning CCSA Coach of the Year Dave Rollins and the FGCU swimming and diving program have announced the addition of seven student-athletes for the upcoming 2017-18 season.
Five of the seven newcomers including Antonia Baerens (Ottobrunn, Germany/Nevada/Max-Josef-Stift Gymnasium), Izzi Clark (Wildwood, Mo./Fort Zumwalt West HS), Petra Halmai (Dombovar, Hungary/Lanczos Kornel Secondari Grammar School), Rebecca Moynihan (Palmerston North, New Zealand/Waiopehu College) and Hannah Soutar (Edinburgh, Scotland/Broughton HS) are swimmers, while Melissa Novak (Frederick, Md./Oakdale HS) and Megan Wakefield (Guelph, Ontario, Canada/Centennial CVI) join the Green and Blue as divers.
Clark, Halmai, Moynihan, Novak and Wakefield all come to FGCU in their first years of eligibility. Baerens is a junior transfer from the University of Nevada, and Soutar rejoins the team as a graduate student after being a member of the team for three years of undergraduate studies.
“Since day one we have been working tirelessly as a staff to identify and recruit the young women we believe will help us achieve our goals both in the classroom and in the pool,” Rollins said. “I believe we have been able to attract an incredible group of young women to FGCU who will make an immediate impact not only on the conference level, but also on the national stage. We are very excited to have (Antonia), Melissa, Megan, Izzi, Rebecca, Petra and Hannah join us this fall and cannot wait to get to work.”
Below is more information on each signee:
Antonia Baerens
Hometown: Ottobrunn, Germany
High School: Max-Josef-Stift Gymnasium
Previous School: Nevada
Year: Junior
Events: Free/Fly
Bio Blast: Named a 2016 All-Mountain West Conference performer in the 200 free, 500 free and 1,650 free … her time of 16:36.47 in the 1,650 free was good for fourth-best in Nevada history and would stand third-best in FGCU history … helped lead the Wolf Pack to an undefeated season (10-0), the first Mountain West Championship in program history and a top-25 CSCAA national ranking … tabbed a 2016 CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention and member of the Mountain West All-Academic Team … broke the Bavarian age record in the 25 free … competed in multiple German National swim meets.
Top Times:
100 Free – 51.51
200 Free – 1:47.69
500 Free – 4:49.34
1650 Free – 16:36.47
Izzi Clark
Hometown: Wildwood, Mo.
High School: Fort Zumwalt West
Year: Freshman
Event: Back
Bio Blast: Rated as the 15th best female swimmer in the class of 2017 in Missouri … her top times in the 100 back (56.05) and 200 back (2:03.97) would have qualified for the ‘B’ Final at the 2017 CCSA Championships … finished sixth in the 100 back at the 2016 USA Swimming Futures Championships held in Austin … placed eighth in the 100 back with a time of 57.54 seconds at the 2017 Speedo Sectionals – Central … also competed in the 2017 NCSA Spring Junior National Championships and the 2017 Arena pro Swim Series – Mesa … has earned both all-state and all-conference honors … member of the honor roll.
Top Times:
100 Back – 56.05
200 Back – 2:03.97
Petra Halmai
Hometown: Dombovar, Hungary
High School: Lanczos Kornel Secondari Grammar School
Year: Freshman
Events: Fly/Breast/IM
Bio Blast: Selected as the best swimmer in her region five times … member of the first-place 400 medley relay at the 2015 World Cup … also placed second in both the 50 and 100 LCM back at the event … earned Olympic ‘B’ times in the 100 back, 200 breast and 200 IM … finished third in the 50 breast at the 2016 Hungarian Championships.
Top Times (Converted to Yards):
200 IM – 1:59.28
100 Fly – 53.84
200 Fly – 1:58.30
100 Breast – 1:01.46
200 Breast – 2:13.63
100 Back – 54.80
200 Back – 2:00.00
Rebecca Moynihan
Hometown: Palmerston North, New Zealand
High School: Waiopehu College
Year: Freshman
Events: Free/Back
Bio Blast: Named the Sportsperson of the Year for three years running (2014-16) … won the gold medal and set the Wellington Regional record in the 50 free with a converted time of 23.33 seconds at the 2016 New Zealand Short Course Championships … also finished third in the 100 free, sixth in the 200 free, seventh in the 100 back and ninth in the 50 back at the event … placed fourth in the 50 free and 13th in the 100 free at the 2016 New Zealand Open Championships, which serves as the nation’s Olympic Trials … earned academic honors after finishing top of her class in 2014-15.
Top Times (Converted to Yards):
50 Free – 22.99
100 Free – 50.60
200 Free – 1:53.00
Melissa Novak
Hometown: Frederick, Md.
High School: Oakdale
Year: Freshman
Event: Diving
Bio Blast: Crowned the 2017 Maryland State Champion with a score of 420.05 … finished runner-up the previous year with a total of 428.15 … three-time County Champion (2015-17) and three-time First Team All-County Diver (2015-17) … recently qualified for the USA Diving Senior National Championships, which will take place August 10-12 at Ohio State … first diver in program history to qualify for the meet … placed eighth in the 3m dive at the 2017 Zone A Diving National Championships … finished in the top-50 in the 3m dive at the 2016 ATT Diving National Championships … turned in top-20 finishes in both the 1m and 3m dives at the 2016 Region 2 Diving Junior Championships.
Hannah Soutar
Hometown: Edinburgh, Scotland
High School: Broughton
Year: Graduate Student
Events: Breast/IM
Bio Blast: A three-year member of the Green and Blue, she returns for her final year of eligibility after sitting out the 2016-17 season … turned in a NCAA ‘B’ cut with a preliminary time of 2:15.75 in the 200 breast at the 2016 CCSA Championships … finished fourth in the event … won the 100 breast and 200 IM in a dual meet against UNF … named a 2016 CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention and is a three-time member of the CCSA All-Academic Team.
Top Times:
100 Breast – 1:03.82
200 Breast – 2:15.75
200 IM – 2:03.82
Megan Wakefield
Hometown: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
High School: Centennial CVI
Year: Freshman
Event: Diving
Bio Blast: Competed at Canadian Nationals on three occasions … excels as a platform diver, where she turned in a personal record of 334.35 (nine dives) … holds a personal-best 3m score of 214.50.
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date coverage of FGCU women’s swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_WSWIM and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available.
HEAD COACH DAVE ROLLINS
First-year head coach Dave Rollins became the program’s second head coach in program history on Sept. 1, 2016. In his first year with the program, Rollins led the Eagles to its eighth CCSA Championship in a span of nine years and guided the Eagles 200 free relay team to All-American honors. FGCU registered points at the NCAA Championships for the fourth straight season and ultimately turned in its third-best finish all-time (T-41st). Prior to FGCU, Rollins was the associate head men’s swimming coach at The Ohio State University and brought 10 years of coaching experience at the club, high school and collegiate levels. A standout collegiate athlete in his own right, Rollins was a nine-time NCAA All-American and national champion as a member of the University of Arizona swimming & diving team from 2002-06.
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics’ charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
Florida Gulf Coast contributed this report.
Colleges need to Stop taking scholarships from american swimmers and giving them to international students! Let them pay their own wsy! Lovevto have them swim but not at expense of our kids!!
I agree Mp…so much swimming talent not only in the U.S., but in Florida!