Lindenwood’s head swimming and diving coach, Jason Owen, assistant coach, Jonathan Lau, and diving coach, Chris Pape, are pleased to announce the signing of eleven swimmers and two divers to National Letters of Intent. Jared Thornton, Cade Bains, Christopher Holmes, Andrew Workman, and Brady Coughlin make up the signees that will be joining the men’s team in the fall of 2015. For the women’s team, McKenzie Murphy, Morgan Fischer, Erin Sutton, Kate Stauffer, Victoria Harmon, Jenny Talbert, Shelby Quinn, and Alexandra Steinhauser will be joining the program next fall.
“This class of swimmers and divers is full of the type of well-rounded student athletes that we are looking for. They will be a catalyst in increasing momentum towards our goal of becoming a nationally competitive program.” Jason Owen
Jared Thornton | Fly/Free | Hudsonville, MI | Hudsonville HS
Jared is a three-time Division 1 All-State selection from Michigan and will be looking to help bolster our men’s team in the sprint freestyle and butterfly events. He placed 3rd in the 100 fly (50.58) at MHSAA Boys State last year. Jared is a versatile aquatic athlete who also excels in water polo. His sister, Audra, is currently on the women’s team and is a team captain.
Lau on Thornton: “The Thornton family has been one of the most supportive and enthusiastic families in Lion Swimming & Diving Nation. We are excited to have another Thornton on the team next fall. Jared is laid back, but knows exactly what he wants to accomplish in the pool. The entire coaching staff is eager to challenge Jared and mentor him into a vital sprinter on the team.”
Cade Bains | IM/Back/Free | Monument, CO| Lewis-Palmer HS | Woodmoor Waves
Cade is a multi-discipline swimmer out of Monument, Colorado. At the 2014 Colorado 5A High School State Championships he placed 9th in the 100 Back (53.30) and 8th in the 200 IM (1:54.86). He kept his successful spring going at the 2014 Speedo Sectional Championships where he performed best times in his other premier events, the 200 back (1:54.44) and 400 IM (4:03.22). His 400 IM is already under the NCAA B standard. Cade also has an older brother and sister who both swim at the NCAA Division II level.
Owen on Bains: “Cade is a student of the sport. His enthusiasm and commitment excite us as coaches and we can’t wait to work with him. He fit in very well with our team while visiting and should contribute immediately “
Christopher Holmes | Distance Free | Tallahassee, FL | Chiles HS | Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club
Chis will bring some added depth to our distance free squad. He is a three-time Florida Class 3A High School State qualifier, recently placing sixth in the 500 freestyle, while helping his team to a fourth place finish. Chris had a strong summer at the Florida Senior Championships putting up personal best times in the 1500m, 800m, and 400m freestyle, earning him a selection to the Florida Southern Zone Championship Team where he was able to perform another best time in the 1500m, all while swimming with a broken finger.
Lau on Holmes: “Chris was one of our first early verbal commitments. He was very interested in exploring the opportunities at Lindenwood early on, as he recognized that we have one of the fastest rising distance freestyle training groups in the country. I know Chris is excited to join that group and see how much he can improve.”
Andrew Workman | Free | Springfield, MO | Kickapoo HS | Springfield Aquatics
Hailing from Springfield, Missouri, Andrew recently had an outstanding showing at the Missouri High School Boys State Championships placing 3rd in the 200 free (1:44.18) and 4th in the 500 free (4:40.98), while helping Kickapoo High School to a 5th place team finish.
Owen on Workman: “Andrew had amazing time drops this year at the state meet. His momentum is moving in the right direction and we hope to capitalize on that. I think he is just getting warmed up and will have a great college career at Lindenwood.“
Brady Coughlin | Diving | Fargo, ND | Fargo North HS
Brady looks to add power and depth to the rising men’s squad. As five-time state qualifier and two-time State Champion in North Dakota (448.10 points, 1m, 11 Dives), he looks to repeat a third time this coming season. His abilities and attitude towards diving will allow him to make an immediate impact for the Lions and join the other national level divers.
Pape on Coughlin: “We are very fortunate to have Brady join the team next year. He brings a lot of energy and talent to our squad. Being from North Dakota myself, I am very excited to work with him and have him learn from our older divers. I believe his talent will not only push our other divers to do bigger and better things, but also rank him among the top divers in Division II.”
McKenzie Murphy | Back/Fly | Dallas, TX | Flower Mound HS | Dallas Mustangs
Kenzie is a three-time Texas 5A State High School qualifier from Dallas, Texas and will bring added firepower to the Lions butterfly and backstroke lineup as she already has NCAA B cuts in the 100 fly and back. She currently holds five school records at Flower Mound High School. Kenzie’s older brother was an accomplished collegiate athlete as he was a finalist at the NCAA Division 1 Swimming Championships.
Owen on Murphy: “We are excited to have McKenzie join us next season. She has the ability to immediately impact our team in multiple events. We always look for versatility in the recruiting process and McKenzie was a perfect fit. Fortunately for us, she felt the same way.”
Morgan Fischer | Free/IM | Hubertus, WI | Divine Savior Holy Angels HS | Menomonee Falls Swim Club
Morgan is a Spring NCSA Junior National qualifier and the first swimmer from Wisconsin to join our program. She recently placed 13th in the 200 free and 19th in the 100 free at the 2014 WIAA Girls Division 1 State Meet. Morgan earned a berth to the big dance at the Cedarburg Sectional Meet where she was 2nd in both the 200 (1:55.26) and 100 (53.76). She is following in the footsteps of her father Jim who has been swimming for 38 years and competes at the Masters level.
Lau on Fischer: “Don’t be fooled by Morgan’s achievements in the freestyle events, she is actually a very versatile athlete and we look forward to grooming her into a well-rounded swimmer that will be able to step up in a multitude of events. She has a strong club background and is prepared for the task at hand.”
Erin Sutton | Free/IM | Houston, TX | Cinco Ranch HS | Katy Aquatics
Erin is a key signee who qualified for the 2014 Texas 5A State High School Championships this past season. Her versatility will prove invaluable as the Lions set up their lineup for competitions. She is already under the NCAA B standard in the 200 IM and is very close in several other events. Erin had an outstanding summer going lifetime bests in the 50m free, 100m free, 200m free, 400m free, 200m breast, and 200m IM at the NCSA Junior National Championships.
Owen on Sutton: “Erin also is extremely versatile and has had periods of improvement in literally every stroke. This has made her a very strong IM swimmer, be we are excited about the possibilities all around.”
Kate Stauffer | Breast/IM | Joplin, MO | Joplin HS
Kate is a versatile swimmer specializing in breast and IM who will help to strengthen our women’s team in those respective areas. She is a two-time Missouri High School State qualifier who is looking to do some damage at this meet in February. Last year she placed 12th in the 200 IM (2:12.50) and 9th in the 100 breast (1:07.94), which were new school records for Joplin High School. She is following in the footsteps of her sister Ali who was a four year Division 1 swimmer.
Lau on Stauffer: “We could not be more excited to work with Kate next season. She is a student-athlete with tremendous upside who has been improving into one Missouri’s best up and coming breaststrokers. We know that the best is yet to come for her in college.”
Victoria Harmon | Distance Free | Springfield, MO | Glendale HS | Springfield Aquatics
Tori specializes in distance freestyle and will help to add depth to the Lion distance group. She has competed in the Missouri High School State championships in the 500 free for the State Champion Glendale Falcons. She is also the number one student in her class with a perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average.
Owen on Harmon: “I started coaching Tori as a summer league swimmer over 10 years ago. I learned to coach as she learned to swim, so we definitely have a strong history. It was a pleasure to work with her and I am excited to work with her again.”
Jenny Talbert | Distance Free | Dallas, TX | Southlake Carroll HS | Lakeside Aquatic Club
Jenny will be a key addition adding depth to our distance freestyle corps on the women’s team. At the 2014 North Texas District 5 – 5A Meet she went 1:56.43 and 5:09.36 in the 200 and 500 freestyle respectively. She is also excited to sharpen her skills in the 200 butterfly next fall.
Lau on Talbert: “Jenny was our first official verbal commitment of the season, bleeding black and gold from the very beginning of the recruiting process. She has shown that she has the ability to train at a high level and will raise the bar in practice with our distance training group. Jenny has an unwavering positive attitude that will affect the team in a great way.”
Shelby Quinn | Breast/IM | Mesa, AZ | Desert Ridge HS | Mesa Aquatics Club
Shelby is an experienced breast and medley swimmer who will score valuable points in those events during the dual meet season and our conference championships. She is a three-time Arizona Division 1 High School State qualifier and top 16 scorer. Shelby has been coached very well at the Mesa Aquatics Club where she is a member of their National Training Group.
Owen on Quinn: “Shelby will help to add depth to our breaststroke group. Her personality definitely stood out on her recruiting trip and will add to our team dynamic. We really enjoyed having her on campus and look forward to having her long term in the fall.”
Alexandra Steinhauser | Diving | Blue Springs, MO | Blue Springs South HS
A three-time Missouri State qualifier and returning Conference Champion, Allie will add to the already thriving Lady Lions diving team. Her work ethic both on the boards and in the classroom will make her a welcome attribute and allow her to excel throughout the next four years. With personal best scores (425.70 points, 1m, 11 Dives) that would already qualify her for the national meet and a sense of team unity she will be a diver to watch in the coming years.
Pape on Steinhauser: “Allie was a very early commitment and surprised most of our team with doing so because of her quiet nature, but that’s just how she is. She will quietly go about her task and in the end I believe she will be right up there with our other divers. Her long lines and grace will make for some very pretty dives to watch.”
College Swimming News courtesy of Lindenwood swimming and diving.
