Gardner-Webb Swimming Lands Impressive Recruiting Haul
May 20, 2014 | Swimming
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Gardner-Webb head swim coach Mike Simpson, in conjunction with the University's Athletics Department, are excited to announce to signings of eleven new Runnin' Bulldogs who will continue their athletic and academic careers at GWU beginning in the Fall of 2014.
Simpson and his coaching staff, comprised of assistant coaches Nate Rhoads and Josh Stanfield, brought in four new signees for the women's team (7 total) and seven on the men's side during the Spring signing period.
Hope Saunders, Lexie Stavac, Lili Tóth, and Kaley Tyree join Fall signees Lauren Oglesby, London Schumacher, and Kelsey Williams in signing on with Gardner-Webb's women's swim program.
Hope Saunders (Lakeland, Fla.) competed at George Jenkins High School as a junior and senior and was named as Polk County's 2014 Swimmer of the Year. Saunders, who moved to Lakeland from Bloomington, Illinois the the summer after her sophomore year, is a two-time state finalist in the 200 I.M., 200 free relay, and the 200 medley relay.
Under the watch of former GWU assistant swim coach Mike Blum, Saunders earned NCSA Junior National qualifying standards in both the 200 I.M. and 100 fly. Saunders is set to graduate from George Jenkins H.S. with High Honors and leaves as the school's record holder in the 200 I.M., 500 free, and 100 fly.
Lexie Stavac comes to Gardner-Webb after swimming for one of the premier club teams in the U.S. at NOVA (Richmond, Va.). Stavac was a part of a 400 free relay performance that currently stands as NOVA's all-time record in the event.
A 12-year competitive swimmer, Stavac also competed for Saint Gertrude (Richmond, Va.) High School. Stavac represented SGHS as the team's captain in 2013-14 and was named as the team's Most Valuable Swimmer as a junior and again as a senior. A previous Virginia state record-holder in both the 100 and 200 breast (SC), Stavac was named to the All-LIS Team in 2013 and 2014 and was VISAA Top 8 in all of the events in which she competed during both her junior and senior seasons.
The Runnin' Bulldogs gain a unique athlete in Stavac, who also played varsity Lacrosse all four years of high school. Stavac was named to the Dean's List as a freshman and sophomore at James River (Midlothian, Va.) High School and earned Second Honors her last two years of high school at Saint Gertrude. Stavac plans to major in Nursing at Gardner-Webb with the hope of continuing on to medical school to pursue a career in trauma surgery.
Kaley Tyree is one of five new Runnin' Bulldogs coming to GWU from club powerhouse SwimMac Carolina (Charlotte, N.C.). Tyree competed for the club team for the past eight years and also enjoyed an impressive swimming career at Hickory Grove Christian School (Charlotte, N.C.). Tyree is a four-time All-Conference performer and Conference Champion in both the 100 fly and 100 back as a junior and senior.
Tyree is also a four-time finalist at the North Carolina 3A State Championship Meet and leaves Hickory Grove as the school's all-time leading scorer. Tyree is a member of the National Honor Society.
Lili Tóth (Hungary) took 3rd place in the 100 m breast as well as 4th place in both the 50 m breast and 50 m back at 2014 Open Qualifying Championships. Also in 2014, Tóth recorded 2nd place finishes in the 100 m breast, 50 m back, and 100 & 200 I.M. at National Short Course Rural Championships.
At 2013 National Rural Championships, Tóth won the 400 m I.M., 200 m I.M. and the 100 m breast, and added 2nd place finishes in the 50 m free, 100 m free, and 200 m breast. A versatile student-athlete, Tóth plans to major in Exercise Science upon enrolling at Gardner-Webb.
Manny Avila, Riley Brock, Tyler Gomez, Andrew Knudsen, Cameron Pou, Garrett Simpson, and Austin Toney join Fall signees John Baker, Mason Hutchinson, Zack Key, and Fred Simons to give Gardner-Webb's men's swim team its largest recruiting class (11) since 2007, the program's first year.
Manny Avila was a two-time State Championship finalist while swimming for Grandview Preparatory School (Boca Raton, Fla.) and placed 6th in the 200 I.M. as a senior. At Grandview Prep, Avila was a part of record-setting 200 free, 200 medley, and 400 free relays.
Riley Brock brings talent and athleticism to Gardner-Webb's men's swim team as a sprinter, having won the Big South Conference Championship in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events despite only having swum year-round for one year. Competing for Kings Mountain (N.C.) High School, Brock qualified for 'A' Finals in the 50 free at 2014 N.C. State Championships.
Brock, who competed at QB and as a track & field athlete at Kings Mountain H.S., also swam for Sharks Aquatic Club (Shelby, N.C.), where he was a multi-Championship finalist at 2014 Blue Ridge Swim League Championships, including both the 50 and 100 freestyle events. Brock was awarded "Most Improved" at Kings Mountain as well as at Sharks Aquatics in 2012-13 and was named as Kings Mountain's co-MVP as a senior.
Brock is a member of the National Honor Society and intends to major in Exercise Science upon enrolling at Gardner-Webb.
Tyler Gomez (Charlotte, N.C.) was a four-time All-Conference at J.M. Robinson High School under coach Beverly Kopelic. Gomez was named as the South Piedmont Conference (3A) Swimmer of the Year as a junior and the MECKA Conference (4A) Swimmer of the Year as a senior.
Gomez currently holds the 3A Western Regional 50 free record as well individual school records in the 50 & 100 free, 100 back, 100 fly, and 200 I.M. Gomez earned Scholar-Athlete designation all four years of high school.
Gomez also competed for SwimMAC Carolina under Senior 1 coach Pam Swander. During his time with the club, Gomez qualified for both Long Course and Short Course Junior Nationals, swimming the 100 & 200 fly at both meets. Gomez also qualified to compete in the 50 & 100 free at Short Course Junior Nationals.
Andrew Knudsen, the 2013 All-Metro Swimmer of the Year in New Orleans, La., became a four-time State Champion while swimming at Fontainebleau High School. Knudsen raced to State titles in the 200 I.M. in both 2012 and 2013 and was a part of 400 free relay triumphs at State Championships as a freshman and sophomore.
A four-time Honor Roll student and member of the 2013-14 All-Academic Division I Team, Knudsen also swam for Franco's Fins club team. Knudsen gave his club a championship in the 100 breast at 2013 Southern Zones as as Short Course State Championships in both the 200 I.M. and 100 fly in 2013. Knudsen holds Winter Junior Cuts in the 200 free (SC), 100 fly (SC), and 100 breast (LC).
A tremendous student and swimmer, Knudsen was awarded the Edward Kelly Memorial Award for Outstanding Swimmer for Division I in 2013. He is a Scholastic All-American for the 100 & 200 free, 100 & 200 breast, 100 fly, and 200 I.M and plans to major in Biology (Pre Med) upon arriving at Gardner-Webb this Fall.
Cameron Pou (Greenville, N.C.) swam for East Carolina Aquatics and Junius H. Rose High School. As a member of East Carolina Aquatics, Pou helped his team to a 1st place men's team finish at 2014 Senior Champs. Pou sprinted his way to 1st place finish in the men's 400 free relay at the meet.
Pou is also a two-time N.C. High School State Champion as part of the men's 400 free relay. Pou helped J.H. Rose's men's 400 free relay win state titles in both 2013 and 2014.
Garrett Simpson swam at nearby Crest (Shelby, N.C.) High School, where he was a two-time High School State Champion in the 100 back, winning the event as a junior and defending his title as a senior. Simpson gave the Chargers seven Conference Championships during his four-year high school career.
A Junior & Senior National qualifier, Simpson swam for club powerhouse SwimMac Carolina and was a part of the former National Age Group Record 15-16 200 free relay while swimming for the club. Gardner-Webb gains another tremendous student-athlete in Simpson, who will figure immediately into the Runnin' Bulldogs' aspirations to contend atop the CCSA.
Simpson is a Gardner-Webb University Fellows recipient and received the National Beta Club's John W. Herris Leadership Award. A High School Scholastic All-American, Simpson was also awarded the Cleveland County FCA Honor Award in 2014.
Austin Toney qualified for both the 100 and 200 breast at 2013 Speedo Winter Junior National Championships while competing for SwimMac Carolina. Toney also competed at ESSZ Speedo Championship Series from 2011-14, swimming the 100 & 200 breast as well as the 200 & 400 I.M. and qualified to competed at SZ ES Speedo Sectional Series from 2012-14.
At Kings Mountain (N.C.) High School, Toney won the 3A N.C. State Championship in the 100 breast and finished 3rd in the 200 free. Toney qualified for the State Championship meet all four years of high school.
The hard-working student-athlete is a member of both the Beta Club and National Honor Society and was named as a North Carolina Scholar. Additionally, Toney was named as an NCHSAA Scholar Athlete all four years of high school, received the Dover Foundation Scholarship, Kings Mountain's Academic Award, the Duke Tip award, and the Cleveland County FCA Honor Award (2014). Toney plans to major in Exercise Science.
