Nine Freshmen to Join Women’s Swimming and Diving

Nine freshmen will help Harvard in its fight for the 2010-11 Ivy League title (David Silverman).

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard women’s swimming and diving team announced nine freshmen will join the team for the 2010-11 season. Two divers and seven swimmers representing six different states will bolster the Crimson roster.

The group of incoming freshmen will join a squad that recorded second-place finishes at both the 2010 ECAC and Ivy League Championships, led by Stephanie Wriede Morawski, The Costin Family Head Coach for Harvard Women's Swimming & Diving. Eight members of the 2009-10 squad earned All-Ivy status at the league championship meet and seven of those student-athletes are returning this season.

“We have a very talented class of 2014 that has yet to reach its full potential,” said Morawski. “They will be a  tremendous addition to the team in terms of both speed and enthusiasm.  We look forward to a great four years with them.”

Here is a look at the women’s swimming and diving class of 2014:

Deirdre Clute, Free/Back, Alamo, Calif./Carondelet
Four-year member of the Carondelet swim team and captain of the team as a senior … Junior national qualifier in four events … Four-time All-American, six-time all-league first team nominee and all-league second team nominee … League champion in 100 backstroke and 500 freestyle in 2008 … Four-year NCS/CIF Distinguished Scholastic Team member and Scholar Athlete Award recipient freshman through senior year … Scholastic All-American as a senior … Undefeated in three of four years of high school swimming … Seven-year national charity league member and student council treasurer all four years of high school … Recipient of the Bank of America Award for Outstanding Achievement in Art … Cousin, Paul Koss, pitched for USC and was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2007.

Taylor Foster, Freestyle, Eden Prairie, Minn./Breck
Four-year member of Breck swimming and diving team and captain as a junior and senior … Three-time individual All-American … Four-time Minnesota Class A swimmer of the year nominee and two-time award recipient … Athena Award winner for top female athlete at Breck … Voted team MVP twice and named all-state and all-conference freshman through senior years … Four-time Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) individual champion … Competed in the short course national championships in 2008 and 2009 … Five-time qualifier for NCSA junior nationals … Three-year Scholastic All-American and member of the Chinese National Honor Society … Special Olympics volunteer coach for three years … Father, Steve Foster, played football and baseball at St. John’s University and captained both teams as a senior … Mother, Renee Foster, was a member of the Pompom squad at University of Wisconsin Madison.

Jenna Gregoire, Sprint Free, Colorado Springs, Colo./Rampart
Four-year letterwinner on Rampart swim team and captain as a senior … Named Colorado Division 5A and Colorado Spring Metro League swimmer of the year as a senior … Eight-time All-American … Named to the all-city team all four years and all-state squad as a sophomore and junior … Colorado Springs Rotary Champions Foundation Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2010 … Two-time state champion in the 100 freestyle and Colorado 5A state record holder in the event … Led team to three Metro League Championships … All-area record holder in four events and school record holder in six events … Class valedictorian and part of International Baccalaureate Program … DECA President and National Honor Society Vice President.

Petra Janney, Free/Fly, Edgecomb, Maine/Phillips Exeter Academy
Swam three years at Phillips Exeter Academy after spending freshman season on North Yarmouth Academy squad … Named 2010 MVP of Exeter girls swimming and diving team … NEPSSA top 20 in 100-yard butterfly, 200 individual medley, 200 freestyle and 400 free relay … Exeter school record holder and All-American as part of 400 free relay team … Holds 10 team records and was named MVP as a freshman at Yarmouth Academy … Holds 10 club and four Maine state individual swimming records and helped club team to state and national championships … Led Exeter swim team to a state championship as a senior … Presidential Scholar and National Merit Scholar semifinalist … Top performer in national German test in 2009 and outstanding academic performance in French in 2008 … Noted for excellence in English composition in 2007 … Volunteers at animal shelters and the Make-A-Wish Foundation … Enjoys reading, music, movies and baking … Brother, Niall Janney, is a member of the Harvard men’s swimming and diving team and grandfather, Henry James McTighe II ’37, was a member of the swimming and diving and boxing teams while at Harvard.  

Sara Li, Free/IM, Longmeadow, Mass./Longmeadow
Swam for four years and ran cross country for one at Longmeadow … Served as captain of the swim team as a senior and captain of ultimate Frisbee team as a junior and senior … Named to the Western Massachusetts All-Scholastic first team all four years of high school … Massachusetts state record holder in the 200 individual medley … Nine-time All-American and a junior national qualifier … Undefeated in high school career … National Honor Society member and scholastic All-American as a junior and senior … Harvard Book Award recipient in 2009 … Mother is a professional swimmer in China and father is professional basketball player.

Schuyler Moore, Diving, Los Angeles, Calif./Harvard Westlake
Three-year member and captain of the diving team at Harvard Westlake … Junior nationals qualifier in 2009 … Placed fifth at nationals for age group in the one meter competition in 2009 … Took second in the three meter event at AAU nationals and sixth in the one meter in 2008 … Graduated Summa Cum Laude … National Latin Exam Award in 2008 and 2009 … Cum Laude Society as a senior … Involved with People to People leadership in 2009 … Sister, Merritt Moore ’11, is a member of the Harvard Ballet Company. 

Paige Newell, Freestyle, Highlands Ranch, Colo./Arapahoe
Four-year member of the swim team at Arapahoe … Colorado High School State Finalist in 2007 and 2008 … U.S. Open qualifier and 20-time sectional finalist … Ranked eighth nationally for 16-17 year old females in the 1,000 freestyle … Class valedictorian  and graduated with high honors … Kaiser Permanente Health Fair volunteer in 2005 and 2006 … Club team and community swim instructor … Brother, Robert Newell ’12, is a member of the Harvard men’s swimming and diving team.

Danielle Schulkin, Butterfly, Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman
Lettered four years on the Walt Whitman swim team, serving as captain  as a senior … Three-time All-American … Named Montgomery County Gazette swimmer of the year and Washington Post All-Met first team as a senior … 2010 recipient of Walt Whitman Chichester Sportsmanship Award … Montgomery County Gazette first team as a junior … Metro champion in 100 butterfly in 2009 and 2010 and county record holder in the event … Led team to Metro championship as a senior … U.S. Senior Nationals qualifier … Giant Athletic and Academic Achievement Award recipient … Scholastic All-American from 2008 to 2010 … AP Scholar with distinction … Athlete representative for Potomac Valley Swimming … Member of Maryland all-state chorus in 2008.

Alex Stanton, Diving, Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill
Four-year letterwinner on Winston Churchill diving team and two-year letterwinner on outdoor track and field team … Captain of the diving team as a senior … Honorable mention All-Potomac Gazette in 2008 … Helped team to division, county and metro championships in 2009 and a runner-up finish at metro championships in 2008 … A Speedo junior national qualifier in 2008 … AP Scholar and National Hispanic Scholar … Brother, Michael Stanton ’13, is a member of the Harvard men’s diving squad.