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The Vermont Catamounts women’s swimming program has reloaded with at least 11 committed athletes in the class of 2021. In addition to the previously-reported Hally Laney, the defending 3rd-place finishers in the America East have also added:
- Emily Rygula – Bartlett High School, Academy Bullets Swim Club, Illinois (Best Times: 50 free – 24.36, 100 free – 53.04, 200 free 1:53.12)
- Samantha Kissi – Patriot High School, Occoquan Swimming Inc, Virginia (Best Times: 100 free – 54.49, 200 free – 1:57.00, 400 IM – 4:38.18)
- Jackie House – Madison Memorial High School, Badger Aquatics Club, Wisconsin (Best Times: 50 free – 24.35, 100 free – 53.81, 200 free – 1:56.78, 500 free – 5:01.56)
- Sarah Hosking – Northampton Area High School, Blue Eagle Swim Team, Pennsylvania (Best Times: 100 breast – 1:05.99, 200 breast – 2:25.99, 200 IM – 2:09.04)
- Charlie Ramey – Fishers High School, Fishers Area Swimming Tigers, Indiana (Best Times: 100 free – 53.70, 200 free – 1:57.15, 500 free – 5:22.94)
- Anna Shoudt – Moravian Academy, Blue Eagle Swim Team, Pennsylvania (Best Times: 50 free – 24.84, 100 free – 54.45)
- Bella Chiulli – Ursuline School, Condors Swim Club, New York (Best Times: 100 fly – 57.34, 200 fly – 2:11.47, 100 free – 57.34)
- Alexis Torykian – Cathedral Catholic High School, Rancho San Dieguito, California Best Times: 50 free – 24.82, 100 free – 54.66, 200 free – 1:57.980
- Lauren McCain – Roosevelt High School, SMAC, Washington Best Times: 100 free – 55.24, 200 free – 1:57.54, 500 free – 5:16.53)
- Ellie Russin – Cardinal Gibbons High School, Marlins of Raleigh, North Carolina (Best Times: 100 fly – 1:00.17, 200 fly – 2:13.25)
The group is very heavy on freestylers, headlined by the Wisconsin High School State Championship 4th-place finisher in the 500 free Jackie House. Her best time in the 500 free would have scored her in the top 6 of the 500 free at the America East Championships – a race that was already freshman heavy last season.
In the other middle-distance freestyle race, Emily Rygula’s best of 1:53.12 in the 200 yard free would have put her in the A final at last year’s America East Championships as well.
It took 54.57 to qualify for the scoring B final in the 100 free at last year’s America East Championships. Rygula, Kissi, House, Ramey, and Shoudt all have best times faster than that.
The diverse class includes swimmers from 10 different states and from coast to coast. The only geographic connections are Anna Shoudt and Sarah Hosking, who both train with the Blue Eagle Swim Team near Allentown, Pennsylvania.
With 17 freshmen listed on the team’s roster for this season, the Catamounts are working hard to rebuild their numbers after a few thin classes. The Vermont sophomore class currently has only 3 members, the juniors have 6, and the seniors have 3.
Vermont finished 3rd out of 7 teams at last year’s America East Championships. Their 493.5 points were well behind 2nd-place UMBC at 759.5 points and champions New Hampshire at 876 points last season. With many of their scoring-team swimmers finishing out of the points at last year’s championship meet, the kind of depth brought by this class, with multiple scoring swimmers, is what Vermont needs to play catch-up with the two teams ahead of them, though the freestyle events weren’t necessarily the team’s biggest areas of need.
In the 100 breaststroke, for example, Vermont didn’t score any points last season. Hosking’s best time in the 100 breaststroke is just a few tenths from an A-final swim Hosking should also be an immediate scorer in the 200 IM, where last season New Hampshire scored 66 points and Vermont scored just 24 points.
By comparison, in the 100 free, where this class is so deep, New Hampshire scored 46 points and Vermont scored 40 points – a much closer gap.
Commitment Photos
Emily Rygula
https://www.instagram.com/p/CHEG96MJHzB/
Samantha Kissi
Jackie House
Sarah Hosking
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGve1JNHSDb/
Charlie Ramey
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFpjWMpAHl_/
Anna Shoudt
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEIBQSUBg1s/
Bella Chiulli
Alexis Torykian
Lauren McCain
Ellie Russin
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFu1Ssmgz26/
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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Go Ellie!!!