University of Connecticut Athletics
Swimming Inks Seven to Class of 2024
12/23/2019 9:26:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
STORRS, Conn. – Head coach Chris Maiello has announced the addition of seven student athletes to the Class of 2024 for the UConn swimming and diving team.
"Our coaches have worked hard to put a strong class together to continue our efforts to develop our program holistically," said Maiello. "This class is made up of great students, young men and women, and talented athletes. We are really encouraged and excited for the future of our program both in the long term and the near future."
The class consists of four female swimmers and three male. Meet our future Huskies!
Niamh Hofland | Newport, Wales | Freestyle
Quote from Niamh: I am so happy to announce my verbal commitment to UConn. I like the balance between academics and swimming. I felt a good connection between myself and the coaching staff from the beginning. I cannot wait to be part of the 'Huskies'.
Quote from Maiello: Niamh brings international diversity to our roster. She will come in and immediately compete for several conference championships and strive towards NCAA time standards during her freshman year. We are excited to have her train alongside our middle and distance freestyle groups.
Tidbits:
- Hofland ranks 81st in the latest CollegeSwimming.com 2020 class rankings.
- Part of the Dutch National Junior team.
- Her 1500 Free times of 16:41.79 in the SCM and 16:52.81 in the LCM, along with her 400 Free marks of 4:14.56 (SCM) and 4:18.38 (LCM) stack up very well within the Big East and NCAA.
Angela Gambardella | North Haven, Conn. | Breast/IM
Quote from Maiello: Angela is a great pick up for our program. We are always trying to keep elite Connecticut athletes in state. We are thrilled she chose to stay in state and attend UConn. Her times in her prime events will score significant points for our team in dual meets and more importantly at our conference championships. Not only will she score points for our team, she add depth and diversity in conference events for our program.
Tidbits:
- Set multiple high school state records in the 200 IM (2:04.62) and 100 Breaststroke (1:02.27)
- Two-time champion at 2019 CIAC Class M Championship in the 200 IM and 100 Breaststroke
- Won the 200 Breaststroke at USA Swimming Futures Championship in Geneva, Ohio in August.
Melissa Lowry | Bridgeton, N.J. | Sprint
Quote from Melissa: I am beyond excited to announce my commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut! Their outstanding academic reputation and team dynamics between both swimmers and coaches really made me feel like I was at home. I cannot express enough how extremely thankful I am for this opportunity and for my family, coaches, and teammates for making this possible. GO HUSKIES!
Quote from Maiello: Melissa provides great depth in our sprint events. Sprinters are vital in recruiting because they not only have individual events but also comprise a large portion of our relays. Relays play a vital role to grab points in our quest to win a conference championship. We feel Melissa has a lot of room to develop and we are excited to work with her and have her contribute.
Tidbits:
- Lowry ranks as the No. 12 recruit out of the state of New Jersey courtesy CollegeSwimming.com
- Her 23.50 in the 50 Free already falls within the all-time top ten times at UConn.
- Her 100 (51.36) and 200 Free (1:51.99) marks are just outside all-time top 10 times for the Huskies.
Kayla Mendonca | Madison, Conn. | Backstroke
Quote from Kayla: I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut! I chose UConn because of the welcoming team and coaching staff, as well as the amazing opportunities provided by the program. Huge thanks to my family, friends, and coaches for helping me get to where I am today! Proud to be a Husky
Quote from Maiello: Kayla is another CT athlete that we are excited to work with. She will come in with times that score in several events at our conference championships. She also will help replenish a hole in our backstroke events due to graduation. Kayla is a tough racer, trainer and a strong student. She will have a dynamic impact on our program from day one. We look at her development here at UConn that will advance our program on a conference and hopefully NCAA level.
Tidbits:
- Mendonca is the No. 13 ranked recruit out of the nutmeg state according to CollegeSwimming.com
- Champion in the 100 Back (56.37) at 2019 CIAC Class M Championships. Placed second in the 100 Fly.
- Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-America
Justin Heimes | Quakertown, Pa. | Backstroke
Quote from Justin: I'm proud to announce my commitment to the University of Connecticut! I chose UConn because of the incredible team atmosphere, outstanding academics, and beautiful campus. Go Huskies!
Quote from Maiello: Justin is a backstroke recruit who will impact our team at the conference level. His times in his backstroke events will score at our conference championships during his freshman season. He will significantly add to our depth in our backstroke events. He has good size and is talented. We are excited about his development and consider him a top prospect for us.
Tidbits:
- Heimes is ranked the No. 22 recruit of Pennsylvania via CollegeSwimming.com
- Champion in the 50 Back (26.93) at the 2019 YMCA Long Course National Championships. Captured runner-up finish in the 100 Back (57.40).
- 2019 Swimming Scholastic All-America.
Ethan Batko | Buffalo Grove, Ill. | Sprint
Quote from Maiello: We are really excited for Ethan to join our program. We feel he is an up and comer in the sport and will quickly develop into a strong conference scorer in the short term. Our expectations of Ethan are to come in and compete for relay opportunities and conference scoring swims. He will be on our sprint relays and he is an important part of our sprint program in the future.
Tidbits:
- The No. 25 ranked recruit out of the state of Illinois. (CollegeSwimming.com)
- Participated in the 2019 Speedo Winter Junior Championships
- 50 Free (20.95) and 100 Free (46.17) times are just outside all-time top 10 times at UConn.
Ryan Murray | Merrick, N.Y. | Distance
Quote from Ryan: I'm so proud to announce my commitment to continue my athletic and academic career at the University of Connecticut. I'd like to thank my parents and coaches for helping me get this far as well as Coach Maiello and the team for welcoming me. GO HUSKIES!"
Quote from Maiello: Ryan is a highly ranked distance recruit that will have an impact on distance events from both a dual and conference meet perspective. His best times can score in the top 8, equating to big potential points for the Huskies. Ryan will provide front line depth in freestyle events. Ryan comes from a club program which had developed many talented distance swimmers who have gone onto successful college careers.
Tidbits:
- Ranked No. 154 in the Class of 2020 and No. 5 in the state of NY. (CollegeSwimming.com)
- His 1000 Freestyle time of 9:17.26 would rank second in the all-time top times at UConn.
- His 1560 Freestyle time of 15:18.17 would rank second in UConn history
