John Klinge and Adam Soldati have unveiled Purdue women’s swimming and diving’s 2014-15 recruiting class, a group of 10 swimmers and two divers set to join the program in the fall.
Swimmers Anne Butts (Lafayette, Ind.), Alex Ford (The Woodlands, Texas), Julianne Heyde (Carmel, Ind.), Rachel Ho (West Lafayette, Ind.), Abby Jagdfeld (Mukwonago, Wis.), Kaersten Meitz (Waukesha, Wis.), Sarah Pushis (Leo, Ind.), Emmy Rawson (Muncie, Ind.), Annie Spalding (Mishawaka, Ind.) and Caroline Weigand (Fort Wayne, Ind.), and divers Anna James (Midland, Texas) and Samantha Reese (Granger, Ind.) have committed to attend Purdue and compete for the Boilermakers.
James is a Texas high school state champion who has also competed internationally with USA Diving. She’s headed to China this summer for the FINA Diving World Cup.
Freestyle specialists Jagdfeld and Meitz were high school teammates on the Waukesha South/Mukwonago co-op where they helped lead their team to three straight Wisconsin state titles. Jagdfeld was a two-time individual state champion in the 100 free and also won the 200 free as a junior. Meitz was a two-time individual state champion in the 500 free.
Pushis and Weigand hail from the Fort Wayne area where they were standout performers in the backstroke and breaststroke, respectively. They won conference titles in the 100 back and 100 breast on their way to becoming state finals qualifiers.
Ford and Rawson specialize in the butterfly events. Ford was an All-American in her native Texas and Rawson was a four-year state qualifier at Muncie Central High School.
Spalding and Reese hail from Northern Indiana. Spalding is a breaststroke specialist who was a four-year first team all-conference honoree in four different events. Reese was a sectional and regional diving champion as well as a state finals qualifier. James and Reese will join Mary Beth Dunnichay and MacKenzie Tweardy to complete Purdue’s diving lineup in 2014-15.
Heyde comes to Purdue from the powerhouse Carmel High School program that has won 28 straight Indiana state titles. She excels in freestyle events.
Butts (McCutcheon HS) and Ho (West Lafayette HS) are local products from Greater Lafayette. Butts established new butterfly records with her Maverick Aquatics club team. Ho (backstroke) helped WLHS win four consecutive conference titles and is also an accomplished golfer.
The following is an alphabetical listing of recruit info, including hometown, top events and other notable accomplishments.
Anne Butts
Hometown (High School): Lafayette, Ind. (McCutcheon HS)
Club Team: Maverick Aquatics
High School Coach: Amanda Cox
Parents: Travis & Tami Butts
Best Events (Top Times): 100 Fly (58.80) & 200 Fly (2:07.19)
Notable: Holds teams records in 100 and 200 fly with Maverick Aquatics… four-year varsity swimmer has ranked among the Top 20 in her class academically every year… helped McCutcheon win sectional title in 2010-11… four-year member of the academic wall of fame… served as the president of the Future Business Leaders of America and student council… also a member of National Honor Society, Spanish quiz bowl team and Fellow of Christian Athletes.
Alex Ford
Hometown (High School): The Woodlands, Texas (The Woodlands HS)
High School Coach: Kent Kirchner
Parents: Dean & Ellen Ford
Best Event (Top Time): 200 Fly (2:19.31, Long Course Time)
Notable: Four-year All-American and All-State honoree at The Woodlands in suburban Houston… two-time Academic All-American as an upperclassman… graduated summa cum laude.
Julianne Heyde
Hometown (High School): Carmel, Ind. (Carmel HS)
Club Team: Carmel Swim Club
High School & Club Coach: Chris Plumb
Parents: Scott & Wendy Heyde
Best Event (Top Time): 200 Free (1:53.37)
Notable: Two-time varsity letter-winner helped lead Carmel High to IHSAA state titles in 2013 and 2014, part of CHS’s record 28 straight Indiana state titles.
Rachel Ho
Hometown (High School): West Lafayette, Ind. (West Lafayette HS)
High School Coaches: Debbie Fruitt & Chris Pfaff
Parents: Chester & Jane Ho
Best Event (Top Time): 100 Back (1:00.25)
Notable: Four-year varsity swimmer helped West Lafayette High win four consecutive conference titles… two-time recipient of the Keller Memorial Leadership Award and also won the William Wood Memorial Award as a junior… four-year varsity golfer was a three-time team MVP and regional qualifier… runner-up at the conference meet as a senior… HOBY Leadership Conference representative… both parents as well as numerous family members on her mom’s side are Purdue alumni.
Abby Jagdfeld
Hometown (High School): Mukwonago, Wis. (Mukwonago HS, Swam for Waukesha South/Mukwonago team)
Club Team: Waukesha Express
High School Coaches: Blaine Carlson & Andy Schaser
Best Events (Top Times): 100 Free (49.52), 200 Free (1:46.66) & 500 Free (4:46.40)
Parents: Aaron & Christy Jagdfeld
Notable: Four-year Wisconsin state qualifier… two-time state champion and All-American in the 100 free as an upperclassman… also won the 200 free with a state record time as an All-American in the event as a junior... Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Girls High School Swimmer of the Year as a junior… helped lead Waukesha South High to three straight Wisconsin state titles… three-year scholastic All-American… qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 200 free.
Anna James
Hometown (High School): Midland, Texas (Midland HS)
Club: City of Midland Aquatics
Club Coach: John Proctor
Parents: Steve & Christy James
Best Event: Diving
Notable: Accomplished diver will compete at the FINA Diving World Cup this summer in China after placing second from the 10-meter platform at the 2013 USA Diving Winter Nationals… also won the 10-meter synchronized event at Winter Nationals with Jessica Parratto of Indiana University… synchronized 3-meter champ at the 2012 Junior Nationals… 2013 5A high school state champion in Texas, becoming the first swimming and diving athlete from her school district to win a state title in more than 40 years… competed with Purdue’s Mary Beth Dunnichay in synchronized Diving at the 2011 World Championships in Spain.
Kaersten Meitz
Hometown (High School): Waukesha, Wis. (Waukesha South HS, Swam for Waukesha South/Mukwonago team)
Club Team: Waukesha Express
High School Coaches: Blaine Carlson & Andy Schaser
Parents: Curt & Kristel Meitz
Best Events (Top Times): 200 Free (1:49.45), 500 Free (4:49.22) & 1650 Free (16:33.20)
Notable: Two-time Wisconsin state champion in the 500 free as an upperclassman… member of 400 free relay team that set a new national public school record in the 400 free relay… helped lead Waukesha South High to three straight Wisconsin state titles… All-American in the 200 and 500 free as a senior… four-year WSHS scholar-athlete… 2013 NCSA long course national champion in the 800 free… set a new 400-meter free state record for 17 and 18 year olds.
Sarah Pushis
Hometown (High School): Leo, Ind. (Carroll HS)
High School Coach: John Gibson
Parents: Glenn & Kathey Pushis
Best Events (Top Times): 100 Back (57.84) & 200 Back (2:05.68)
Notable: Moved to Carroll High in time for her junior year and set new school records in the 100 back, 200 medley relay and 400 free relay… two-time state qualifier, including a two-time state finalist in the 100 back and 400 free relay… won the conference title in the 100 back as a senior… attitude award winner as a junior… won a gold key award for excellence in writing… National Honor Society… her parents are Purdue alumni.
Emmy Rawson
Hometown (High School): Muncie, Ind. (Muncie Central HS)
High School Coach: Steve Spradlin
Parents: Greg & Amy Rawson
Best Events (Top Times): 100 Fly (55.83) & 200 Fly (2:05.80)
Notable: Four-year state qualifier in the 100 fly, All-North Central Conference honoree and team’s most valuable swimmer… established five new school records and a new conference record in the 100 fly as a senior... helped lead Muncie Central High to four straight sectional titles and three conference championships… also a varsity letter-winner in golf and track and field… NCC academic team in swimming and golf… USA Swimming Scholastic All-American on the club circuit… finished among the top seven in the 100 and 200 fly at the state meet… Delaware County Youth Leader of the Year honoree.
Samantha Reese
Hometown (High School): Granger, Ind. (St. Joseph’s HS)
Club Team: Double Dragon Diving
High School Coach: Bonnie Schrems
Parents: Don & Janie Reese
Best Event: Diving
Notable: Two-time sectional and regional diving champion as an upperclassman took eighth at the state meet as a junior and ninth as a senior.
Annie Spalding
Hometown (High School): Mishawaka, Ind. (Penn HS)
Club Team: Irish Aquatics
High School Coach: Jess Preston
Parents: Andy & Jan Spalding
Best Events (Top Times): 100 Breast (1:03.16) & 200 Breast (2:19.30)
Notable: Four-time first team all-conference swimmer in four events helped Penn High finish among the top three at state as a sophomore and junior… most valuable swimmer and team record holder with her club team… Kiwanis athlete of the month and WHME athlete of the week honoree as a senior… also a member of the varsity track team as a freshman… brother David is currently a Purdue student and her uncle John is an alumnus… mother is the owner and editor of the RacePlayMichiana newspaper.
Caroline Weigand
Hometown (High School): Fort Wayne, Ind. (Homestead HS)
High School Coach: Chad Englehart
Parents: Laurence & Monica Weigand
Best Event (Top Time): 100 Breast (1:02.34)
Notable: Four-year All-American and first team all-conference swimmer… broke the state record in the 100 breast as a freshman… individual conference and sectional champion in the 100 breast… also helped Homestead High win conference and sectional titles all four years… four-year honor roll student… also played with the school orchestra and was a member of prom court.
