Swim & Dive Announces Class of 2023 Signees

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky swimming & diving head coach Lars Jorgensen has announced 21 new additions set to join the program for the 2023-24 season.

The prospects are comprised of 20 incoming freshman and one transfer student and include 14 women and seven men.

The Wildcats will be bringing in 16 swimmers and five divers from a total of 14 states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin) and two countries (United States and France).

“We are extremely excited to have this elite class join our family,” Jorgensen said. “It’s a great mix of developing talent and some immediate impact athletes. We are excited about what the future holds!”

Read more on the signees below.

Men

Name: Lance Johnson

Hometown: Pewaukee, Wis.

Stroke: Breast/IM

High School: Arrowhead High School

Club: Elmbrook Swim Club

• Two-time Wisconsin State Champion
• 2022 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Swimmer of the Year
• Eight-time All-American recipient
• High school swim & dive captain
• Two-time Olympic Trials Qualifier

 

Name: AJ Abram

Hometown: Urbandale, Iowa

Stroke: Free

High School: Waukee Northwest High School

Club: DSMY Marlins

• Two-time individual state champion in the 100 and 200 freestyle
• Holds school record in both 100 free (44.60) and 200 free (1:36.13)
• All-American honoree
• Father, Aaron, played baseball at Wichita State

 

Name: Carter Ruthven

Hometown: Fort Collins, Colo.

Stroke: Fly/Free

High School: Fossil Ridge High School

Club: Loveland Swim Club

• Colorado state champion in the 100 butterfly
• Junior national finalist
• All-American
• Sister Milla swims at the University of Utah

 

Name: Joshua Fisher

Hometown: Chesterfield, Va.

Stroke: Back/Fly/IM

High School: Veritas School

Club: Poseidon Swimming

• VISAA state champion in the 100 backstroke
• Three-time all-state honoree
• All-American
• 2022 Richmond Times All-Metro Swimmer of the Year
• Four-time summer junior nationals qualifier
• High school team captain

 

Name: Justin Péresse

Hometown: Lyon, France

Stroke: Free/IM

High School: Brest

Club: Lyon Natation Metropole

• National runner-up in the 50 free relay SCM
• 2021 French junior champion in the 50 medley relay SCM
• 2021 National runner-up in the 100 and 200 freestyle LCM
• Part of the 2024 Olympic junior collective

 

Name: Devin Naoroz

Hometown: Richmond, Va.

Stroke: Back/Butterfly

High School: Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School

Club: NOVA of Virginia

• Seven-time individual high school state champion
• Won state championship with team during junior year
• High School captain senior year
• Maggie Walker school record holder
• Virginia All-Metro team 2019-2022

 

Name: Gavin Hang

Hometown: Loveland, Ohio

Stroke: 1-meter/3-meter

High School: St. Xavier

Club: Legacy Diving

• High school All-American
• Finished third at Ohio state championships
• All-state honoree
• Six-dive school record holder
• District champion
• Two-time conference champion
• Division 1 Ohio state champion in 2020

 

Women

Name: Elizabeth Tilt

Hometown: Marietta, Ga.

Stroke: Free/IM/Fly

High School: Lassiter High School

Club: Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club

• 2021 winter juniors 400 IM champion
• Nine-time high school state champion
• High school team captain
• National Honors Society member

 

Name: Megan Hutchins

Hometown: Apple Valley, Minn.

Stroke: Back/IM

High School: Eastview High School

Club: Riptide Swim Team

• State-record holder in the 200 IM and 400 IM SCY for girls 11-12
• State-record holder in the 400 IM LCM for girls 13-14
• State champion in 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 back
• Speedo sectional champion in 200 back LCM
• Three-time Scholastic All-American

 

Name: Paige Housman

Hometown: Tucson, Ariz.

Stroke: Free

High School: Pusch Ridge Christian Academy

Club: Eclipse Aquatics

• Arizona freshman swimmer of the year
• 200 Free/500 Free All-American times
• Four-year high school swim team MVP
• Holds high school record in eight events
• High school swim state champion in the 100 free, 200 free and 500 free
• Two-year high school team captain
• Winter junior nationals finalist
• National Honor Society member
• Father, Joshua played football at Northern Arizona University

 

Name: Lauren West

Hometown: Silver Spring, Md.

Stroke: Free

High School: Albert Einstein High School

Club: All Star Aquatics

• Three-time Maryland state champion
• Two-time junior national qualifier

 

Name: Madi McGlothen

Hometown: Charleston, W. Va.

Stroke: Free/IM

High School: George Washington High School

Club: YMCA of Kanawha Valley

• All-American
• Six-time state champion in West Virginia
• Holds two state records
• Two-time scholastic All-American
• National Honors Society member
• Mother, Melissa, swam at UK

 

Name: Libby Grether

Hometown: Dublin, Ohio

Stroke: Back/Free

High School: Dublin Jerome High School

Club: Dublin Community Swim Team

• Four-time individual and relay state qualifier
• Four-time NISCA High School All-American
• Finished second at the 2021 Ohio Senior Championships in the 500 free, 200 back and 100 back
• 2021 winter junior nationals participant
• 2022 summer junior nationals participant
• Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American

 

Name: Cassie Howell

Hometown: Madison, Miss.

Stroke: Back/Free

High School: Madison Central High School

Club: Mississippi Makos

• Two-time Max Preps Clarion Ledger Swimmer of the Year
• High School team captain
• Six-time Clarion Ledger first-team all-state
• Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American
• Six-time MHSAA Class II team state champion
• 22-time MHSAA Class II individual state champion
• 40-time Mississippi swimming state record holder
• Three-time MHSAA Class II state record holder
• National Merit Semifinalist
• 2022 AP Scholar with Distinction Award
• Sister, Maddie Howell, currently swims at LSU

 

Name: Lillie Boggs

Hometown: Aspen, Colo.

Stroke: Breast/IM/Free

High School: Baylor School

Club: Baylor Swim Club

• Three-time high school team state champions in Tennessee
• Individual state champion in the 500 free
• Three-time winter junior nationals participant
• USA Swimming Scholastic All-American
• 2019-20 NISCA Girls High School Swimming All-American in the 500 free
• Mother, Emily, played soccer at the University of Denver
• Father, Kelly, played soccer at Drury University

 

Name: Marie Belli

Hometown: Gahanna, Ohio

Stroke: Breast/Fly/IM

High School: Gahanna Lincoln High School

Club: New Albany Aquatic Club

• Multi-event High School All-American
• Owns five school records
• State relay champion
• Sister, Morgan, swam at UK, graduating in 2018
• Mother, Amy, ran for Ohio University.

 

Name: Lily DeLong

Hometown: Nicholasville, Ky.

Stroke: Free/Back/Fly

High School: West Jessamine High School

Club: Highbridge Aquatics

• Kentucky state champion in the 100 and 200 free
• Two-time Kentucky state champion in the 2×200 free relay
• Winter junior nationals qualifier
• Two-time region record holder
• National Honors Society member

 

Name: Kristy Pfaff

Hometown: Mount Airy, Md.

Stroke: 1-meter/3-meter

High School: Saint John’s Catholic Prep

Club: Montgomery Diving Club

• Finished first on the 1-meter and third on the 3-meter at regionals in 2021
• Placed third on the 1-meter and fourth on the 3-meter at zones in 2022
• 2022 Nationals qualifier

 

Name: Devynn Bishop

Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.

Stroke: 1-meter/3-meter/Platform

High School: Franklin Central High School

Club: Indiana Int’l School of Diving

• Two-time nationals’ qualifier in platform
• National qualifier in 3-meter and 1-meter
• Two-time Marion County champion
• Two-time sectional champion
• High school conference champion
• Regional champion
• Finished fifth at states junior year
• All-conference and all-county honoree
• Student-body Vice President

 

Name: Emma Chandler

Hometown: Chandler, Ariz.

Stroke: 1-meter/3-meter

High School: Hamilton High School

Club: Clavadista del Sol Dive Club

• Three-time high school team captain
• Two-time high school team MVP

 

Name: Maya Belanger *transfer

Hometown: San Diego, Calif.

Stroke: 1-meter/3-meter

Previous School: University of Denver

Club: Aztec Divers

• 2022 All-Summit League
• Placed first in the 3-meter dive at the 2022 Summit League Championship
• Finished fifth in the 1-meter dive at the 2022 Summit League Championship
• Diving team captain for high school program

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