Little Rock Swimming and Diving Adds Nine Talents to Roster

Courtesy: Little Rock Athletics

LITTLE ROCK – The Little Rock swimming and diving team has officially added nine swimmers for the 2021-22 season, bolstering a young and talented team with yet another loaded group of newcomers.

“This year’s incoming class is taking our development to a whole new level,” said head coach Amy Burgess, noting that nearly every swimmer brings a race that would already make it onto the Little Rock top times list. “We see a lot of untapped potential and look forward to seeing what they will bring in and out of the water.”

Join the Trojans in welcoming Lara Alsader (Allen, Texas), Gillian Boggs (Bloomington, Ind.), Jaelle Carlson (Weatherford, Texas), Lauren Gray (Baytown, Texas), Olivia Henderson (Columbia, Mo.), Lucy Jahn (Maitland, Fla.), Caitlin Romprey (Washington, Utah), Devin Trammell (Greenwood, Ind.), and Lauren Pieniazkiewicz (South Bend, Ind.) to Little Rock.

Read more about each incoming student-athlete below:

Lara Alsader (Allen, TX)

A member of the club team Metroplex Aquatics, Alsader is the sole distance specialist of this incoming Trojan class. The Texan native had a solid year of competition in 2020, posting new best times in all of her primary events. Most likely to be in her collegiate lineup are the 500 free (5:03.55), 1650 free (17:18.80), and 400 IM (4:37.22). All three would have scored, but her mile time would have made the podium at conference this year.

Coach Burgess on Alsader – “Showing that a pandemic cannot stop a distance swimmer, Lara showed great improvements over the past year despite the early restrictions. We are looking forward to continuing that development and adding a great new member to our distance group.”

Gillian Boggs (Bloomington, IN)

Boggs should make an immediate impact for the Trojans with solely her 200 individual medley. Her time of 2:03.72 is already two seconds under the school record and would have also finished within the top four at conference this year. However, Boggs does have depth and brings a strong mix of IM, breaststroke, and backstroke to the table. For example, her times of 56.72 in the 100 back, 2:21.72 in the 200 breast, and 4:29.32 in the 400 IM are all within scoring range.

Coach Burgess on Boggs – “Gillian brings in great diversity and will be an instant player in the IM and backstroke events. She is going to turn some heads and will greatly help in continuing our move up in the MVC.”

Jaelle Carlson (Weatherford, TX)

A strong freestyler, Carlson should be a key piece to several relays during her time at Little Rock. Her times of 23.81 in the 50 free and 51.31 in the 100 free would have both qualified for the A final at this year’s conference meet, already showing the depth needed for a collegiate sprinter. Meanwhile, both her 56.64 100 fly time or recently developed 200 free time of 1:53.40 are B-final marks.

Coach Burgess on Carlson – “Jaelle will make an immediate impact in our sprint free and fly groups. With a strong training background she will be able to come in ready for action and make moves in our conference.”

Lauren Gray (Baytown, TX)

Gray is a graduate transfer from the University of Incarnate Word that will use her remaining two years of eligibility at Little Rock after scoring at the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association Championships (CCSA) championships the past three years. Her 100 free (52.26), 100 butterfly (56.57), and 50 free (23.99) would all make the B final at the MVC Championships with confidence. Gray also has the added bonus of relay depth on her resume, which will be especially helpful for the sprint free relays.

Coach Burgess on Gray – “Lauren will be our first-ever Post-Grad transfer. A very successful student athlete in and out of the classroom and pool, we are excited to have Lauren’s experience at Incarnate Word help elevate our program. She is a great addition and we look forward to seeing what she can do these next couple of years.”

Olivia Henderson (Columbia, MO)

From the Columbia Swim Club, Henderson’s freestyle and backstroke are her strong suits, with a 200 backstroke mark of 2:02.69 that would not only be the second-best time in school history, but would have been just outside the A final of the 2021 conference meet. Her 100 back (57.24) and 100 free (52.69) would place her comfortably in the B final, but she has also seen recent improvements in her 200 free to round out her impressive resume.

Coach Burgess on Henderson – “Olivia is going to be a big help and add great depth to our backstroke and sprint free groups. She has shown great improvement over the past year and we are looking forward to continuing that development.”

Lucy Jahn (Maitland, FL)

A sprint freestyler at first glance, Jahn added another card to her hand just last fall with Winter Park High School, posting huge drops multiple times in the 100 butterfly. While her marks of 57.63 in the 100 fly and 53.47 in the 100 free would have been just outside the scoring B final, her 24.02 50 free time is poised to collect team points as well as become an immediate asset for the sprint relays.

Coach Burgess on Jahn – “Strengthening our sprint free and fly group, Lucy is someone else who saw success this season despite the pandemic. Lucy will be one to keep an eye on during her time at Little Rock.”

Caitlin Romprey (Washington, UT)

Romprey is primarily a backstroker, but one with high value, as both her 100 back (56.48) and 200 back (2:02.06) would have been good for the A final of the 2021 MVC Championships. Those times also put her just out of reach of both backstroke school records, slotting her second in the Little Rock top times list. While Romprey is likely the main contender for an open backstroke leg in the medley relays, she also has a decent 50 freestyle in her back pocket.

Coach Burgess on Romprey – “Caitlin will make an instant impact in the backstroke events and add some good depth in sprint free. As our first student athlete from Utah she will be one to watch over these next four years, and will make waves in the MVC.”

Devin Trammell (Greenwood, IN)

Trammell is a butterfly and IM specialist with Center Grove Aquatic Club, and has burst onto the scene as late as this spring. She slashed three seconds from her in her 200 butterfly in March, down to 2:06.45. That makes it her most valuable event by far, as that time would have been A final material at the MVC Championships this past year. Trammell has seen more recent drops in the 100 fly and 200 IM, but don’t be surprised to see the 400 IM in her repertoire, as her 4:39.92 would also have scored points.

Coach Burgess on Trammell – “Devin is on the rise and will add needed depth to our fly and IM groups. She has a lot of potential and we see her being a big contributor in and out of the pool for the Trojans.”

Lauren Pieniazkiewicz (South Bend, IN)

A strong sprint freestyler with promising times in the short axis strokes rounds out the group. Pieniazkiewicz is another that has had success this past season, posting lifetime bests in all four of her best events. Her 23.79 50 free may be the most valuable, as the mark would have just made the A final at conference, while her 52.63 100 freestyle and 1:05.02 100 breaststroke could easily make the B final. Don’t count out her 57.85 butterfly wild card.

Coach Burgess on Pieniazkiewicz – “Lauren will be another contributor in our sprint free, and breaststroke groups. With a great attitude and work ethic, Lauren will be a big help both individually and with relays.”