Courtesy: Rutgers Athletics
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers swimming and diving has announced the newest members of the roster welcoming 15 new Scarlet Knights to campus for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
Rutgers adds nine freshmen and six transfers – including a sophomore and five graduate students To The Banks”.
MEET THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
IN THE POOL
- Swam at Italian National Championships since 2018
- Gold medal in 200 breaststroke and bronze medal in 50 and 100 breaststroke at 2019 Italian Junior Championships
- Silver medal in 100 breast 2018 Italian Junior Championships
- Gold medal in 200 breat at 2018 Italian junior championships
- Bronze medal with 4×100 medley relay at European Youth Olympic Championships
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Stefano and Monica
- Has one brother, Mattia
- Plans to major in criminal justice
BARTOLONI ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “It’s such a unique environment Everyone is so welcoming and super nice. The team is fantastic in that have everything I wanted in a team and they are like a big family which is the most important thing for me. Furthermore, Rutgers offers so many majors which is really nice.”
IN THE POOL
- Part of India’s talent development programs – Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and Khelo India Talent (KIT).
- Recipient of seven international and 88 national medals.
- Indian record holder in five events
- Received Sports India Award 2022-23 by Sports Champ
- Qualified for finals in 200m fly at 2022 FINA World Swimming Junior Championship marking first time an Indian woman qualified for finals at a junior world championship
- Junior National Aquatic Individual Champion in 2019, 2021 and 2022
- Won 18 Gold and 6 Silver medals in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022 Khelo India Youth Games 2019, 2020, 2021and 2022
- Individual Champion at 2021 Senior National Aquatic Championship
- Set record in 200m short course breast record 2019 South Asian Games
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Baylon and Shalet
- Has one brother, Dayle
- Plans to major in biotechnology
FERNANDEZ ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “I chose Rutgers for its renowned biotechnology program, diverse student population and the swim team.”
IN THE POOL
- Eight-time NJSIAA State finalist in the 200 and 500 free
- 2022 AC Press Swimmer of the Year
- Swam club for the EHT Seahawks
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Bernard and Kathleen
- Both parents rowed in college with father, Bernard, at Rutgers and mother, Kathleen, at Penn
- Has two sisters, Madelyn and Lauren
FOX ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “I chose Rutgers to have the opportunity to swim for an academically strong school. Rutgers also gives me the ability to focus on academics.”
IN THE POOL
- Competed in open water competition at 2023 World Aquatics Championship in Fukuoka, Japan
- Broke a long-standing Israeli record in the 1500 free at the Israeli Nationals in 2021 collecting a time of 16:50.44 breaking the previous record of 17:10.29 set in 1999 by Sydney Olympic swimmer Adi Bichman
- Participated in the 10K women’s open water swim during the Marathon Swimming World Cup
- Placed eighth in the U19 mixed relay at the 2021 and 2022 European Junior Open Water Championships
- Finished 20th in the 5K at the 2022 European Open Water Championships
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Ammon and Odena
- Has two sisters, Neta and Jorden
GABLAN ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “It’s a great university that gives a high level of education along with a professional-run swimming program.”
ELLA HALL
Free/Breast
Edina, Minn. | Edina HS
IN THE POOL
- Two-time All-American
- 2022 and 2019 Minnesota State Champion
- Broke team record in 200 medley relay
- Four-time All-Conference
- Four-time All-State
- Member of the National Honor Society
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Kenneth and Jami
- Has two sister, Madi and Grace
HALL ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “I chose Rutgers because of the amazing team and staff, and for the outstanding academics.”
IN THE POOL
2022-23 (Senior at Missouri)
- Winter Academic Honor Roll
2021-22 (Junior at Missouri)
- Winter Academic Honor Roll
- Ranks seventh all-time in the 1000 free (9:59.37) and tenth in the 1650 free (16:45.74) at Mizzou
- Finished third in the 200 fly against Arkansas
- Placed fifth in the 400 IM at the Mizzou Invite
2020-21 (Sophomore at Missouri)
- Winter Academic Honor Roll
- Ranks 10th all-time at Mizzou in the 200 fly (1:59.73)
- Placed 28th in the 1650 free, 34th in the 200 fly and 36th in the 400 IM at the SEC Championships
- Won 200 fly against Arkansas
2019-20 (Freshman at Missouri)
- First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll
- 400 IM bronze medalist at the 2018 European Junior Championships
- 5K free champion at the 2018 Hungarian Junior Championships
- Claimed the silver in the 400 IM at the 2017 Hungarian Short Course National Championships
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Peter and Judit
- Has one sister, Eszter
- Plans to major in psychology
HORVATH ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “I chose to use my fifth year of eligibility to swim for Rutgers whilst pursuing postgraduate studies. The coaching staff and the team made this a very easy decision and I’m excited for next year as a Scarlet Knight!”
MAKAYLA LUDWICK
Distance
Gulf Breeze, Fla./Gulf Breeze/UMBC
IN THE POOL
2022-23 (Senior – at UMBC):
- Second-place finish in the 1650 freestyle at the America East Championships
- Won 1000 freestyle at Howard University
- Fourth-place finish out of 31 competitors in the 1650 freestyle at the ECAC Winter Championships
- Captured the 200 freestyle versus VMI
2021-22 (Junior – at UMBC):
- Finishing fourth in the 1650 freestyle at the America East Championships
- Took fourth in both the 500 and 1650 freestyle at ECAC Winter Championships
- Second-place efforts in the 500 and 1000 at William & Mary
2020-21 (Sophomore – at UMBC):
- Placed third in the 200 backstroke at VMI
- Seventh place in 200 backstroke and eighth in 100 back at America East Championships
2019-20 (Freshman – at UMBC):
- A three-time finalist in her first America East Championship competition
- Finished fourth in the 200 backstroke
- Part of UMBC’s second-place finish in the 800 freestyle relay
- Won the 100 free versus Howard
- UMBC’s top finisher in both backstroke events in fifth in the opener versus Navy
High School:
- Placed third in the 100 back and fifth in the 200 free at the 2018 Florida high school state meet
- Helped her high school team earn third place at their state meet
- Named Pensacola News Journal 2019 co-Swimmer of the Year
- National Honors Society and was an AP Scholar
PERSONAL:
- Daughter of Michele and Michael
- Has one sister, Malia
- Planning to major in organizational change
LUDWICK ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “I chose Rutgers because of the welcoming and warm environment of the team and coaching staff. The opportunity to continue my education while still pursuing a fifth year of competition was a dream come true and I am so excited to continue my journey as a Scarlet Knight!”
SHANNON MEADWAY
Back/IM
Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Uxbridge Secondary/Penn State
IN THE POOL
2022-23 (Senior – at Penn State):
- Placed seventh in the C final of the 400 IM and eighth in the C final of the 200 back (Feb. 15-18)
- Placed third in the 400 IM versus Virginia Tech (Jan. 21)
- Finalist in the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 back at the NC State Invitational (Nov. 17-19)
- Placed second in the 200 back and 400 IM against West Virginia (Nov. 4)
- Won 200 back and placed sixth in 200 IM in tri-meet with Navy and Boston College (Oct. 8)
2020-21 (Sophomore – at Penn State):
- Narrowly missed 400 IM finals at the Big Ten Championships (Feb. 23-27)
- Finished sixth in the 200 IM and seventh in the 100 back and 200 back in tri-meet with Ohio State and Rutgers (Jan. 16)
- Placed fifth in 200 back in tri-meet with Northwestern and Iowa (Jan. 22-23)
- Won 400 IM and placed second in 200 IM and third in 200 back versus Michigan State (Feb. 5-6)
2019-20 (Freshman – at Penn State):
- Placed third in 200 back versus West Virginia (Oct. 11-12)
- Took ninth in 200 back A final, fifth in 400 IM B final and sixth in 100 back B final at the Princeton Invitational (Dec. 6-8)
- Claimed third in 200 back and fourth in 400 IM against Buffalo (Jan. 10-11)
High School:
- Canadian Junior Nationals 200 backstroke gold medalist and 200 IM silver medalist
- Canadian Junior Internationals 200 IM silver medalist
- Canadian Eastern Championships 200 and 400 IM silver medalist
- Swam for Uxbridge Swim Club
- Honor Roll student and Ontario Scholar
PERSONAL
- Daughter of James and Clare
- Mother, Clare, is a swim coach
- Has one brother, Patrick, and one sister, Louise
MEADWAY ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “I felt at home the moment I stepped on campus and met the team. The coaches all have a vision for me and I believe will help me reach my potential as an athlete. This, combined with the excellent facilities and academics made choosing Rutgers easy.”
ELYSHA PRIBADI
Breast/IM
Jakarta, Indonesia/Saint Peters Lutheran College
IN THE POOL
- Set Indonesian short course 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke records in 2020
- Competed at 2022 Queensland Short Course Championships winning the 50 breast and runner-up in the 100 IM.
- 2022 Team Captain
- 2022 Gold Sport Award
- 2022 Academic Improvement GPA Award
- 2021 Silver Sports Award
- 2021 Clean Up Australia Day
- 2020 Bronze Academic Award
- 2019 Gold Sport Award
- 2019 Silver Ironbark Award
- Swam 120 km in 28 days to raise money for children and famlies in need
- Member of BycapitalE, a small business creating jewelry with proceeds going to Feed Bali
- Swam with UQ Swim Club
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Reza and Jacqueline
- Has one brother, Ryland, and one sister, Emily
- Plans to major in communication
PRIBADI ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “I chose Rutgers because of its Olympic-first swimming program, great coaches as well as amazing facilities.”
ALENA ROZOVA
Free
St. Petersburg, Russia/School of The Olympic Reserve
IN THE POOL
- World Junior Record 4×50 freestyle relay winner
- “Reserve of Russia” Russian champion in 4×100 relay freestyle
- Junior Russian Cup medalist
- Winner of St. Petersburg’s Cup
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Oleg and Elena
ROZOVA ON CHOOSING RUTGERS:: “Rutgers is a great opportunity to swim with good coaches, a close-knit team, great support surrounding the program and gives me the ability to get a high-quality education.”
AMELIA SCOTT
Dive
Sheffield, England/Tapton School
IN THE POOL
- British Junior Elite 3M synchro champion
- British Junior Elite finalist – 3M and platform
- Two-time Roma Cup gold 3M synchro and platform
- Roma Cup silver 1M
- Roma Cup bronze 3M
PERSONAL
- Daughter of David and Amanda
- Has one brother, Sam, and one sister, Sheridan
SCOTT ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “Rutgers’ academic and sporting opportunities are excellent and friends already there recommended it to me.”
IN THE POOL
- Belgian relay record holder
- Placed first in the 200 back and third in the 50 free and 50 back at the 2023 Open Belgian Championship
- Finished 19th in the 50 back at the 2022 FINA World Cup in Toronto, Canada
- Was 28th in the 50 back, 30th in the 200 back and 37th in the 100 back at the 2021 LEN European Championships
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Serge and Nadia
- Mother, Nadia, was member of the Belgium National Basketball and Volleyball Teams
- Grandmother was member of Belgium National Basketball Team of basketball and was named player of the year
- Plans to obtain a master’s degree in communication
SMITS ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: ” I love the swim team and that they feel like a family. I also like the vibe.”
EMMA SOLSENG
Free/Breast
Banbridge Island, Washington/Banbridge
IN THE POOL
- 2021 WIAA state team champion
- High school team record holder in 100 breast, 200 medley relay & 200 free relay
- Multiple club record holder
- Four-time state champion
- 2019 High School All-American
- 2023 High School Academic All-American
- 2019 Scholastic All-American
- Bainbridge High School valedictorian
- National Honor Society
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Joe and Jen
- Has two brothers, Ben and Gabe, and one sister, Jaxen
SOLSENG ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “I chose Rutgers because of the fantastic team environment and culture I picked up on right away. The coaches seem invested in swimmers’ well-being and seem very committed in making you both a better person and a better swimmer. Additionally, the academics are very high and I was drawn to the business school.”
IN THE POOL
- 11-time World Deaf Swimming Championship medalist
- Deaflympic medalist winning five gold and three bronze
- Won gold at the 2023 World Deaf Swimming Championships in 100 back and 4×100 mixed free relay
- Also picked up silver in 50 free, 200 back and 4×100 mixed medley relay at 2023 World Deaf Swimming Championships
- Earned bronze in 100 fly, 400 free and 50 back at 2023 World Deaf Swimming Championships
- Won gold at 2019 World Deaf Swimming Championships with 4×100 free relay
- All-State in 50 free as a junior and senior
- All-State in 100 free as a sophomore and junior
- All-State in 200 free as a sophomore
- Hold five individual school records in 50, 100 and 200 free, 100 fly and 200 IM
- MVP as a freshman and sophomore year
- Team captain
- Academic All-American
- Member of the National Honor Society and International Baccalaureate candidate
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Michael and Kimberly
- Has one brother, Quinn
- Plans to major in biomedical engineering
THOMPSON ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “I chose Rutgers because as soon as I stepped onto the campus I felt at home. I loved the academic and athletic resources that are available for the student-athletes and felt that they were well supported.”
IN THE POOL
2022-23 (Junior) – at Minnesota:
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Outstanding Student-Athlete Award (GPA of 3.50+) at team banquet
- Took seventh in the 100 breast and 200 breast, fourth with 200 medley relay and eighth with 400 free relay at Northwestern/Purdue/Iowa Quad-Dual Meet
- Won the 200 breast, placed third in the 100 breast (1:04.07); runner-up in 200 medley relay and fourth with 400 free relay that was fourth at Iowa Dual Meet
- Claimed fifth in the 100 breast, seventh in the 200 breast, fourth with 400 free relay that claimed fourth and fifth with 200 medley relay at Wisconsin Dual Meet
- Took second in the 100 breast and 200 medley relay at St. Thomas/South Dakota State Tri-Dual Meet
- Finished third in the 200 breast, fifth in the 100 breast, fourth with 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay, and fifth with the 200 free relay at SMU Dual Meet
2021-22 (Sophomore) – at Minnesota:
- CSCAA Second Team Scholar All-American
- Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
- Academic All-Big Ten honoree
- Earned Hardest Worker and Iron Fish (going above and beyond in performance training) awards at team banquet
- Finished 13th in the 200 breast finals and 19th in the 100 breast finals at the Big Ten Championships
- Came in fourth in the 200 breast and seventh in the 100 breast in a tri-dual against Northwestern and Iowa
- Earned seventh in both the 100 breast and 200 breast and sixth with 200 medley relay in a tri-dual versus Wisconsin and Michigan
- Finished 10th and posted a ‘B’ cut in the 200 breast finals and placed 11th in the 100 breast finals at the Minnesota Invite
- Took fifth in the 200 medley relay, sixth in the 200 breast and eighth in the 100 breast against Wisconsin
- Touched second in the 200 breast and third in the 1000 free and 200 medley relay versus St. Thomas
- Finished fourth in the 200 breast, sixth in the 200 medley relay and seventh in the 100 breast versus Nebraska
- Placed third in the 100 breast and fourth in the 200 breast at Iowa
2020-21 (Freshman) – at Minnesota:
- Named “Most Improved” by team at the end-of-season team award banquet
- Touched 18th in the 200 breast at the Big Ten Championships
- Placed second in the 200 breast and sixth in the 100 breast during the Iowa/Nebraska Tri-Dual
- Finished eighth in the 100 breast at the Wisconsin/Purdue Tri-Dual
High School:
- 2017 All-American in the 200 & 400 free relays
- Three-time finalist at the 2020 Minnesota Senior State Championships, touching third in the 200 IM, fifth in the 200 breast & sixth in the 100 breast ·
- Finished fifth in the 200 breast & sixth in the 100 breast at the 2020 USA Swimming Futures Championships in Des Moines, Iowa
- Placed fourth in the 100 breast & fifth in the 200 IM at the 2019 MSHSL Girls Class AA State Championship
- Four-time All-Conference & All-State honoree
- Holds school records in the 100 breast, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay & 400 free relay
- Competed for the Blackline Aquatics swim club
- Holds club team records in the 100 breast & 100 IM
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Brian and Lori
- Has one sister, Grace, who swims for the University of St. Thomas, and one brother, Anthony
- Working towards a graduate degree in psychology
URKIEL ON CHOOSING RUTGERS: “I chose Rutgers because it is the best fit for me and my future goals.”
omg st thomas mention!!!!
I am finding it interesting how a lot more mid major schools have been recruiting. Between this article and the one before for St. Bonaventure, both schools have over half of there incoming women’s team as international. It looks as if it is trending much more in women’s programs. Are women’s programs enrollment down? I feel as if decades ago teams would recruit an international to fill a need, now it is becoming much more popular to fill enrollment roster spots. Are internationals a coaches preference? Does it come down to resources? Or is college women’s swimming in the Northeast becoming less popular? I hope this is not the case but would anyone have any thoughts or research on this?
Big 10 is not mid major.
No disrespect to St. Bonaventure, but Rutgers is a very highly ranked, flagship state university in the Big 10. Yeah, it’s not at the same athletic level as Michigan and Ohio State, but it’s also not comparable to mid-Majors.
mmmmm, no. Very comparable to mid-majors.