Beyond the top twenty-five, several schools stood out for different reasons. They are listed alphabetically.

 

Alabama – CUBU’s Suzanne Schwee is top-20 in fly & back. 

Arizona – The defending NCAA Champions presence here owes primarily to the fac that there’s only two known commitments – but seriously, what do they need to replace.  The two additions are big ones.  Alyssa Anderson is the #2 distance swimmer in the country and 25th-ranked recruit overall.  Genny Konicke is a blue chip sprinter ranked 45th overall. 

Brigham Young – The Cougars keeps the top Utah kids in state.

Cal Poly – Scholarship increases are paying off.  Milich’s club reputation is opening doors and Camille Duckett and Lacey Buck the first two to walk through. 

Clemson - Maddie Tarantolo (breast/fly) and Kelli Kyle (back) help the Tigers gain ground in the ACC.

Colgate – Pre-Junbluth the Red Raiders lacked sub-17:00 MALE milers.  Now they have two (Erica Derlath and Jenna Daly) in incoming women’s class

Columbia – A big class heads to the Big Apple.  They haven’t caught the Ivy’s big dogs yet, but filling holes in fly and adding depth they’re the best of the rest. 

Denver - Jacqueline Leung is good enough to make big boys envious.  They haven’t been getting the blue chippers as much as the men, but they’re getting kids to the meet.

Duke – Duke?  Dan Colella brought in some talent.  Meghan Dwyer and Rose O’Connor and perhaps Niessl can get into the big meet.  For sure Duke’s no longer the laughingstock of the ACC.

Duquesne – Their recruiting footprint grows each year.  Breaststroker Monique Lefort and a host of sprinters strengthen the Dukes.

George Mason – Ashley Danner, the #2 breaststroker and #9 overall opts to stay close to home.  That’s bigger than when the Patriots made the Final Four in ’06.

Georgia Tech – In-stater Jordan Evans highlights best class under Stu Wilson.

Harvard – Meghan Leddy is a NCAA challenger while Margaret Fish, Kristin Korsberg and Alicia Lightbourne could be.  Talent helps at the NCAA meet, but they need depth to keep pace with Princeton a Ivy’s.

Illinois – We knew Ron Zook could recruit, but a 22.35 sprinter?  The Fighting Illini steal the second-fastest sprinter in the country.

Kenyon – Sure, they're Division III, but when you land the #13 breaststroker in the country you're on the list.

Kansas – Abigail Anderson gives Jayhawks another NCAA-caliber flyer while Stephanie Payne – the state’s most versatile swimmer, stays in-state.

Louisville - Sara Hartman is instant Big East scorer, a few more like Aileen Cole and UofL can challenge ND relays.

Marshall – The Hard draws a big class from all over.  It’s not great – yet – but its made up of lots of lots of up and comers.

Maryland – An impressive group considering the coaching situation.  The Terps passed on Jarrod Schroeder for the top job, but his stock is rising. 

New Orleans - Colleen McReynolds has potential to become first UNO qualifier

North Texas – It’s the best class in North Texas history.  That’s not going to make waves at NCAA’s, but four good sprinters will push them up the Sun Belt Standings. 

Ohio – Bobcats outdo the Buckeyes for state’s top class.  Brits Annika Sarah Owen and Petra Chomicz get Ohio back to the big meet, rest of the class keeps MAC trophy in Athens. 

Pittsburgh – Flyer Tamara Lelli leads a talented, albeit small class

Purdue – They add a pair of divers and IMer Lauren Roth.  An aggressive hire could stoke the Boiler’s recruiting future.

Rice – Seth Huston makes inroads with some of the nation’s top clubs.  Alexandra Ernst (top-20 in the 200 breast) leads the group.

South Carolina – A late-year hiring hampers McGee Moody’s early efforts, but Lindsey Olson staying in state is huge. 

Southern Cal and Southern Methodist – Sure they’re different teams but they share more than just the same first name.  Both are have 2-3 studs but taper off quickly.  SC’s – Courtney Kalisz is #31 on our list– ranked 3rd in the 400 IM and 200 Back and Tanya Krisman’s #3 in the 200 fly.  SMU’s Denisa Smolenova is a top-ten flyer while Maroura Mathlouthi’s solid all around.  Another similarity?  Both are rumored to have some post-Beijing additions. 

UC Davis – It’s a sprint-heavy group, but Pleasanton’s Kayleigh Foley is the real deal.

Virginia Tech – Solid breaststroke combo in Katie Priess and Paige Ayers.  IMer Jace Howanitz keep Hokes moving up the conference ladder. 

Washington State – Another Aussie makes the trip, this one’s a sprinter, Canadian breaststroker has a lot of upside.

William & Mary – Molly Emery’s a real talent and could join rising junior Katie Radloff at the national meet. 

Wisconsin-Milwaukee – New staff lands in-stater Sarah Wardecke and adds pieces to potential Horizon League championship run. 

Yale – What is it with Yale landing stud sprinters?  First it was Righi on the men’s side.  Now its Emily Dominski for the women.