The Louisville Cardinals are bringing in top recruits by the truck-full this fall, hoping to build out the depth of a program that has already proven its ability to produce quality athletes at the top of its lineup.
The latest grouping is headlined by David Boland out of Michigan. His story is going to sound very familiar to that of one Josh Ehrman, who gave his verbal commitment last week to Purdue. That’s because the two train and compete together both at Saline High School and Club Wolverine in suburban Ann Arbor. That’s now the top three recruits in the state (the above, plus Adam Whitener to Virginia) that have been snatched out from under Mike Bottom’s nose. All three will head out of state despite training with the university-based Club Wolverine.
Boland, like Ehrman, is another outstanding IM’er, and the two have developed a great rivalry. Ehrman broke the Michigan State Record in the 200 IM at last year’s State Championship meet, but Boland came back in finals to snatch the title (though in a slower time).
The future Louisville Cardinals swimmer is not quite as strong of a breaststroker as is his teammate, though still solid in 57.0/2:03.5; what Boland brings to the table though is that he’s much better on his butterfly leg (48.95/1:49.48). That doesn’t necessarily directly show up in their IM’s, though, as Boland tends to take his race out very controlled relative to his top-end speed in the fly.
He does, howevever, save a lot of pace for his closing freestyle leg; the first step going forward for him will be to improve his backstroke, however.
The other three additions all went to the women’s side. MacKenzie Buss out of Shawano, Wisconsin is a 55.2 100 backstroker (who has also been 1:03.4 – an even better time – in long course). That’s a hole on the women’s team plugged, though they have a pretty good senior this season in Eszter Povazsay. Buss will team with Krissie Brandenburg (junior – 54.31) next year atop this group.
Also in the latest round of commitments, Andrea Cottrell from the Greater Columbus Swim Team committed as a 1:02.9 100 yard breaststroker. That’s right in head coach Arthur Albiero’s wheelhouse, as he’s developed a stirling reputation for squeezing the best out of his breaststroke talent; for example, 2012 All-American Gisselle Kohoyda came to the Cardinals as only a 1:04.8 100 breaststroker; and 2012 NCAA Championship qualifier Fanny Lilliestrom (now graduated) was only swimming 1:05’s when she started her career. It will in fact be exciting to see what Albiero can do with a breaststroker who comes in with as much talent as Cottrell.
