Tanja Killiainen made it clear last weekend that the Cardinals are working hard in the water this season, but the swimmers aren’t the only ones putting time in. The coaching staff has been extra busy as well! Louisville gained FIVE verbal commitments this week; four for the women’s team and one for the men’s.
The men will be graduating their NCAA Champion Joao De Lucca. De Lucca has been a huge asset over the last three years and is expected to make waves as a senior. Coach Albiero has been working hard to bring in the next group of freestylers to fill out their relays and more specifically, the hole the De Lucca will leave.
Louisville’s most recent commitment is Jonathan Zoucha from Tualatin Hills Swim Club in Portland, Oregon. Zoucha’s best event is the 200 freestyle. He has been 1:37.88 and he adds a 45.06 100 freestyle and 4:29.63 500 freestyle. Outside of the freestyle events, he has been 1:50.13 in the 200 IM and 49.95 in the 100 butterfly.
Their other commitment on the mens side was from local Louisville freestyler Thomas Cooper.
The women gained four verbal commitments this week!!! Emily Sarratt, Hannah Magnuson, Paige Ezell, and Ashley LeClair have decided to join the Cardinals next season.
Emily Sarratt, from Duke Aquatics in North Carolina, and Paige Ezell from Wildcat Aquatics in Lexington, Kentucky, will both add to the breaststroke groups. In the 100 breaststroke, Ezell has been 1:08.37 and Sarratt will add her 1:02.86. Last season, Gisselle Kohoyda was their top breaststroker at 1:01.88, but she will be graduating after the end of this season. Sarratt has also been 2:18 in the 200 breaststroke and 2:04.12 in the 200 IM.
Ashley LeClair and Hannah Magnuson are both local swimmers for Lakeside Swim Team and Triton Swimming, respectively. LeClair’s strengths are the backstrokes and sprint freestyle. Her best backstroke swims were long course, where she clocked a 1:04.2 and 2:18.5 in the 100m and 200m. She will also bring a 23.82 and 52.00 50 and 100 yard freestyles to the team. Magnuson has been 54.66 in the 100 yard backstroke, which is probably her best event. She is very well-rounded, however. Her other times include 51.18 100 freestyle, 55.16 100 butterfly, 1:49.55 200 freestyle, 1:58.41 200 backstroke, 23.76 50 freestyle, 2:04.15 200 IM, and a 2:00.19 200 butterfly. Magnuson will have a lot of different possibilities which could make her a huge threat in dual meets. She is very versatile and with a little more development, could become a big asset to the team.
These four women will be joining IMer Lauren James, freestyler Rachel Grooms, and distance freestyler, Mara Pugh, who verbally committed earlier this fall, in Louisville next year.
