The William & Mary women’s swimming team will add seven freshmen to its roster this fall, head coach Matt Crispino ’02 announced today. The two-time CAA Champion Tribe took a big step towards another title defense with the recruitment of this class, which comes into college with times that would have won two events at the 2017 CAA Championships, as well as place in eight more “A” finals and 14 “B” finals.
“This group of seven women is as talented a group as we’ve ever recruited,” Crispino stated. “We are elated that they have chosen to join the Tribe. In addition to being fast swimmers, we believe they embody the values and character traits that are at the core of our program. They will strengthen our team immediately, help us increase our standing at the national level, and will most importantly form a rock-solid foundation for our future.”
Megan Bull – 5-6.5, Free/Breast/IM
Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough
High School Bests
500 free – 4:49.01
400 IM – 4:19.27
100 free – 51.13
200 free – 1:48.19
200 breast – 2:14.12
200 IM – 2:02.85
100 breast – 1:04.49
Prep: Seven-time finalist at the YMCA Long Course Nationals … Includes a silver in the 200 IM and sixth in the 400 free in 2016 … Seven more finals appearances at the YMCA Short Course Nationals … As a senior, took third in the 200 breast, fifth in the 200 free, and eighth in the 500 free … Fifth in the 200 breast and sixth in the 400 IM as a junior … Helped lead Hillsborough to the state sectional team championship each of the last two years … Earned three automatic Prep All-American cuts and nine All-America consideration times … Won the New Jersey State Meet of Champions 200 IM as a sophomore … Runner-up in that event as a freshman and junior, before moving to the 200 free and taking second in that event as a well as a senior … Also took third in the 400 free relay each of the last two years and the 200 medley relay as a junior … Won three relays and second in three more during her first two seasons … … NISCA Scholar All-American as a senior … Member of the National Honor Society … Also a member of the Spanish Honor Society.
Personal: Daughter of Linda and Kenneth Bull … Mother, Linda (Burke), ran track at W&M before graduating in 1987 … Father played soccer at Ursinus … Cousin, Thomas Bull, played soccer at Amherst … Cousin, Griffin Bull, played soccer at Washington College … Cousin, James Burke, played lacrosse at Boston University … Cousin, Miranda Bull, rowed at Syracuse … Enjoys biking, reading, and spending time with family and friends … Undecided as to her collegiate major.
Jasmine Harper – 5-8, Breast
Richmond, Va./Collegiate
High School Bests
100 breast – 1:04.58
200 breast – 2:20.37
100 back – 59.00
Prep: NCSA Junior National qualifier in both the 100 and 200 breast … Earned Virginia Swimming All-Star status in both the 15/16 and 17/18 age groups … State record-holder as part of the 200 medley relay … Helped Collegiate to five straight Virginia Indepedent Schools’ State Championships … Earned all-league honors every year since seventh grade … Four-time All-State honoree … Earning USA Swimming Scholastic All-American honors in both 2015 and 2017 … Member of the School Orchestra from 9th-11th grade … Concert Master as a junior.
Personal: Daughter of Fongsanith and Ben Harper … Father played basketball at Christopher Newport before going on to earn his MBA from William & Mary in 1982 … Enjoys reading, playing video games, watching anime, and cosplaying … Plans to major in business.
Madeline High – 5-6, Fly
Raleigh, N.C./Ravenscroft
High School Bests
100 fly – 54.45
200 fly – 2:03.65
100 back – 56.96
400 IM – 4:27.50
Prep: State record-holder and three-time North Carolina State Champion in the 100 fly … Earned all-state honors each of the last five years … Led Ravenscroft to the state 3A team championship each of the last four years … NCSA Finalist in both 2015 and 2017 … Named All-Met all four years of high school … Finalist in the 100 fly at the 2015 Winter Junior Nationals … Scholastic All-American each of the last three years … Also named an NISCA All-Academic pick in the 100 fly as a senior … Member of the National Honor Society … Member of the Cum Laude Society … Member of the Science Olympiad team each of her last three years … President of the Classics Club … Spent three years on the Student Athlete Leadership Team.
Personal: Daughter of Alyse and Rhett High … Enjoys volunteering at the local animal shelter, baking, and traveling … Plans to major in biology.
Caroline Rhodes – 5-6, IM/Back
Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman
High School Bests
400 IM – 4:30.66
100 back – 58.47
200 back – 2:04.59
Prep: Finalist at the Maryland State Championships as a senior, finishing eighth in the 500 free … Also a two-event finalist as a junior, taking sixth in both the 500 free and the 200 IM … Won the 100m back at the 2016 NCSA Long Course Championships … Qualified for the NCSA SCY Junior Nationals in three events, the 500 free, 400 IM, and 200 back … AP Scholar with Honors … Media Director of Whitman’s school podcast.
Personal: Daughter of Laura and Jeff Rhodes … Mother swam at Michigan … Enjoys running, cooking, and reading … Plans to major in kinesiology.
Tess Ruona – 5-6, Free/Back
Medford, N.J./Shawnee
High School Bests
500 free – 5:00.93
100 back – 58.59
200 back – 2:04.46
Prep: Junior Nationals qualifier … Finalist at the New Jersey State Meet of Championships … Earned All-South Jersey honors each of the last three years … Member of the National Honor Society … Volunteer at the local children’s hospital.
Personal: Daughter of Mary and Eric Ruona … Mother swam at Harvard … Father ran cross country at Portland … Grandfather played basketball at St. Mary’s … Had an aunt run cross country at St. Mary’s … Enjoys cooking, reading, and art … Undecided as to her collegiate major.
Tara Tiernan – 5-8, Free/Fly
West Hartford, Conn./William Hall
High School Bests
200 free – 1:49.86
100 free – 51.98
200 back – 2:02.47
100 fly – 56.33
200 fly – 2:05.16
400 IM – 4:27.61
Prep: Earned all-state honors all four years of high school … Won the Connecticut state title in the 200 free as a sophomore … Scholastic All-American … Scholar All-State award each of the last three years … Member of the National Honor Society … Also a member of the Chinese National Honor Society.
Personal: Daughter of Karen and John Tiernan … Mother swam at Connecticut … Enjoys all sorts of water activities (wake boarding, kayaking, stand-up paddleboard, tubing, etc.), skiing, and reading … Plans to major in biology in the pre-med track.
Diana Tramontano – 5-5, Breast/Fly
Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich Academy
High School Bests
200 breast – 2:20.81
200 fly – 2:06.10
100 breast – 1:05.31
100 fly – 57.74
Prep: Captained Greenwich to the back-to-back league championships … Earned Prep All-America honors in 2015 in the 400 medley relay … As part of Greenwich’s 200 medley relay, earned All-New England honors as a junior and won the New England Championship as a senior … High Honor Roll every semester … Three-year captain of the Swim Across America team, helping to raise more than $25,000 for cancer research … Member of the Arts Board.
Personal: Daughter of Francie and Paul Tramontano … Enjoys drawing, reading, traveling, and skiing … Undecided as to her collegiate major.
Swimming news courtesy of William & Mary Athletics.
Great additions to the Tribe! Congratulations ladies!