As July 1 has descended upon us, college coaches all across the nation are on their phones, communicating with the high school class of 2015 in hopes they can persuade them to be a part of their programs in the near future.
At collegeswimming.com, we have ranked the top 25 best recruiting classes from this past year by using the borda-count method. Who says you don't use math in everyday life? The way we did it is simple. We took the top 250 recruits on our database and matched them with their school. If you are in the top 50, you are considered a five star recruit. If you are ranked 51-100, you are a four star recruit, etc. We then determined who had the better class by taking the number of swimmers in each column and multiplying the sum by their star. (for example, if a school had two x five star recruits, then it would be simply two times five.) This was done in hopes of creating an accurate ranking system.
Now, these rankings really don't mean anything, because anything can happen to these athletes over the next four years. It doesn't matter how good you were in high school, you have to prove yourself in college. Athletes can get homesick, get injured, party too much, or may have already maxed out their potential in high school. Ultimately, these rankings don't mean anything. The athletes need to prove it themselves. But for now, enjoy this list, and look out for these guys and gals in the future.
1. Texas A&M 33
*****Beryl Gastaldello - Marseille, France
*****Bethany Galat- Mishawaka, Indiana
*****Lisa Bratton- Richland, Washington
****Kristin Malone- Shorewood, Wisconsin
****Esther Gonzalez-Medina- Edmonton, Alberta
***Nancy Schuchhardt- Berlin, Germany
***Laura Norman- Keller, Texas
***Caitlynn Moon- DeKalb, Illinois
*Jessica Sloan-Magnolia, Texas
Steve Bultman and the rest of the Aggies have waved goodbye to perhaps the most successful class in A&M history. Led by U.S. Olympians and multi-time NCAA champions Cammile Adams and Breeja Larson, NCAA 100 back champ Paige Miller, and All-Americans Caroline McElhany and Erica Dittmer, the Aggies have probably the biggest shoes to fill out of any of the schools on this list. Thanks to an 11th-hour addition -- one who ranks as their top recruit in our rankings -- they have climbed from No. 4 to No. 1 on our team list. While the Aggies don't have as many five-star talents as a few teams below them, they have signed the deepest class according to our ranking system with nine swimmers ranked among our top 250, eight of them amongst the top 150. Beryl Gastaldello, who will represent France at the European Championships next month, is our top-ranked international recruit in the Class of 2014, and was the recruit to put the Aggies over the top in our team rankings. Gastaldello, who has best times in the fly of 26.36/59.51 LCM, 28.73/1:02.37 in the back and 25.49/55.63 will make a huge impact on A&M's fortunes as they try to replace their all-star senior cast of 2014. The Aggies lose an all-timer in Larson but add the top-ranked 100 breaststroker in the nation to help fill the massive void. Bethany Galat swam a 59.6 in the 100 breast to set an Indiana high school state record, a time that would have placed her in the top 16 at NCAA's last March. Galat also swims a 22.5 in the 50, 50.6 in the 100, and 1:57 in the 200 IM. She was also the 2013 Junior National Champion in the 100 Breast. Lisa Bratton has been 1:58 in the 200 IM and 1:53 in the 200 back. She would have been 12th at NCAA's with that time in the 200 back. Bratton has also been 53.6 in the 100 back. Kristin Malone boasts a 49.4 in the 100 free and a 1:47 in the 200. Gonzalez-Medina swam for Mexico at the 2013 World Championships alongside former Aggies Dittmer, Lili Ibanez, and Rita Medrano. She has been 1:02 in the 100 breast and 2:13 in the 200. Nancy Schuchhardt could be the steal of the class of 2014. A German product, she boasts a 4:50 400 IM LCM and 2:16 200 fly LCM. She is a very versatile swimmer capable of scoring at the NCAA and SEC level. Norman is an in-state product from the North Texas Nadadores and has been 54 in the 100 back and 2:01 in the 200 IM. Caitlynn Moon, who has been racking up golds at YMCA nationals this past week, is a distance freestyler and has been 4:47 in the 500 and 16:26 in the 1650, as well as 1:49 in the 200. Jessica Sloan is another in-state product from Magnolia Aquatic Club. She has been a 4:49 in the 500 and 1:49 in the 200. Steve Bultman has been known to rapidly improve good swimmers to elite swimmers. Breeja Larson was a virtual unknown coming into her freshman year, but under the guidance of Bultman, became an Olympian after her sophomore year. I'm not going to make any predictions or say Bultman has "the magic touch" (though others might) but don't be surprised if one of these girls turns a few heads at the SEC and NCAA meet in the next few years. Even though Bultman has arguably his best class ever out the door, with this top-ranked class, it may feel like they never left.
2. Michigan 32
*****Gillian Ryan- Kutztown, Pennsylvania
*****Clara Smiddy- Miami, Florida
*****Hannah Moore- Cary, North Carolina
*****Carolyn McCann- Federal Way, Washington
*****Emily Kopas- Davie, Florida
****Samantha Yeo- Singapore
***Gabby DeLoof- Grosse Pointe, Michigan
The Michigan women have been relatively dormant compared to their men's program lately, but Mike Bottom has reeled in five recruits ranked in the top 50, as well as two of the top five, to go with a big international pick-up to make this class perhaps better than A&M's at the top end of the recruiting spectrum. Our No. 4 recruit Gillian Ryan is a distance swimmer from North Baltimore Aquatic Club that will train with legendary distance coach Josh White. She was the 2011 national champion in the 800 free when she was only 15. She has a best time of 4:36 in the 500 and 15:49 in the 1650. Both those times would have scored in the top eight at NCAAs this year. Clara Smiddy won 2013 Juniors in the 100 back and has a best time of 51.7 and 1:50.5 in the backstrokes as well as a 1:57 200 IM. Hannah Moore is another distance swimmer who has been 4:40 in the 500, 4:10 in the 400 IM, and 1:54 in the 200 back. Carolyn McCann is a breaststroker who has been 1:00.9 and 2:14 in the breaststrokes. She has also been 1:59 in the 200 IM. Emily Kopas is another breaststroker who has been 1:01.9 and 2:12 in the breast events. Samantha Yeo is yet another breaststroker posting times of 1:10 and 2:32 LCM as well as a 2:19 LCM 200 IM. Gabby DeLoof will join her sister on the Maize and Blue this fall and she has times of 55.1 and 1:59 in the backstroke events. With the graduation of Courtney Beidler and Angie Chokran, Mike Bottom has pulled together a studly class of freshman in Ann Arbor for this fall and they will help the team build on their fifth place Big Ten finish from last year.
3. Stanford 29
*****Janet Hu- Vienna, Virginia
*****Ally Howe- Portola Valley, California
*****Simone Manuel- Sugar Land, Texas
*****Lindsey Engel- Trabuco Canyon, California
*****Alexandra Meyers- Fox Point, Wisconsin
****Heidi Poppe- Danville, California
The Stanford Cardinal are coming off their NCAA runner-up finish with a power-packed recruiting class from a five-star standpoint. Four of the top 11 recruits in the country, including the No.2 and No. 3 ranked swimmers, will be moving into Palo Alto this fall to train with Greg Meehan at Stanford. No. 2 ranked Janet Hu hails from Nation's Capital Swim Club, boasting a 22.1 50 free, 48.6 100 free, and 52.0 100 fly. No. 3 ranked Ally Howe is a local girl from Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics, boasting a 53.1 100 fly, 22.8 50 free, 49.5 100 free, and 1:58.6 200 IM. Texas speedster Simone Manuel has swum a 22.0 50 free and 47.0 100 free as well as a 1:43 200 free. She swam for the United States in the 50 free at the 2013 World Championships where she finished seventh as well as swimming on the 4x100 free relay. Lindsey Engel is a sprinter from Irvine that has been 22.2 and 48.9 in the sprint events. She has also been a 53.3 in the 100 fly. Alexandra Myers is a sprinter from Schroeder YMCA and she has been 23.2, 49.8, and 1:46.2 in the freestyle events. Heidi Poppe is a breaststroker who has been 59.8 and 2:13. Despite waving goodbye to two very successful swimmers in NCAA champions Felicia Lee and Maya Dirado and All-American Andie Taylor, Greg Meehan has signed one of the most impressive classes to date. With this slew of sprinters along with Maddy Schaefer and Lia Neal returning, expect the 200 and 400 free relays to challenge the NCAA records.
4. Georgia 28
*****Kylie Stewart- Acworth, Georgia
*****Meaghan Raab- Hershey, Pennsylvania
*****Megan Kingsley- Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
*****Courtney Weaver- Davison, Michigan
****Stephanie Peters- Acworth, Georgia
****Anna McKenzie- Tuscaloosa, Alabama
The two-time defending national champions have not taken any breaks in terms of recruiting. Kylie Stewart is ithe top-ranked recruit in the country on our list coming from in-state Dynamo Swim Club. She won the 200 back at the 2013 FINA World Juniors and has been 51.9 in the 100 back and 1:49 in the 200 back (which would have won NCAA's this past season). Georgia's lack of an impact backstroker last season will be immediately rectified by Stewart. She also is versatile in freestyle events and will be a factor on all the relays. Meaghan Raab comes from Hersey Aquatic Club. Raab has been 49.0 in the 100 free and 1:45 in the 200 free when she was a sophomore. This past year she also went 1:57 in the 200 IM. Kingsley is No. 1 in the country in the 200 fly, having gone 1:54 which would have gotten her in the big girl final at NCAAs. She has also been a 4:10 in the 400 IM and 53.2 in the 100 fly. Weaver is another butterflyer who has been 52.5 in the 100 and 1:56.5 in the 200. She also boasts a 1:47.8 in the 200 free. Peters will add to the legacy of the Georgia distance program. She has been 1:48.7 in the 200 free, 4:45 in the 500, and 16:46 in the 1650. McKenzie comes from a fellow SEC town as she has been a 23.3 and 50.4 as well as a 1:02.8 in the 100 breast. The Bulldogs are losing IMer Melanie Margalis and Olympian Shannon Vreeland as well as diver Laura Ryan, but they are gaining a big class that will more than help them in their quest for a three-peat.
5. Indiana 25
*****Kennedy Goss- Toronto, Canada
*****Grace Vertigans- Plymouth, England
****Marie Chamberlain- Cape Cod, Massachusetts
***Kaitlin Kitchens- Atlanta, Georgia
***Alexandra Rockett- Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania
***Delaney Barnard- Tallahassee, Florida
*Reagan Cook- Fort Wayne, Indiana
*Gabriela Rajic- Urbana, Illinois
Ray Looze has been known over the years as a master recruiter, but he has really nailed it with this class. He managed two of the hottest international recruits on the market in Kennedy Goss and Grace Vertigans. Goss, No. 13 in our rankings, is a Canadian who has been 55 in the 100 free SCM (49.6 SCY) and 1:01.9 in the 100 back LCM as well as a 2:01 200 free LCM. Vertigans comes from across the pond in England. She has been 25.4 in the 50 LCM and 55.4 in the 100 LCM. She has also been 2:00 in the 200 LCM free and 1:01.7 in the 100 LCM fly. Marie Chamberlain is a versatile swimmer who has been 23.2 in the 50 and 53.5 in the 100 back. Kaitlin Kitchens comes from the Dynamo Swim Club and is another versatile sprinter. She has been 23.4 in the 50, 50.5 in the 100, and 1:49 in the 200. Alexandra Rockett is a sprinter who has been 23.1 and 50.7 when she was a sophomore. Yet another sprinter, Barnard has been 23.4 and 50.2 when she was a freshman as well as a 1:48 200 free. Gabriela Rajic, a fourth solid sprinter in this class, has been a 23.6 and a 51.4 in the 50 and the 100. All these sprinters are going to be a treat for legendary sprint coach Dennis Dale when he walks on to the pool deck this fall in Bloomington. Reagan Cook is the only in-state product headed to Bloomington from up north. She has been a 55.9 100 fly, 2:01 200 fly, and a 4:17 400 IM. Ray Looze has notched another top recruiting class for 2014. The Hoosiers are losing All-Americans Lindsay Vrooman, Bronwyn Pasloski, and Brenna Maclean, but are gaining some valuable points in their quest to take down Minnesota as the top Big Ten team.