Less than a month after finishing a program-best sixth and ninth at the NAIA Men's and Women's Championships, the Wayland Baptist men's and women's swim teams have added seven freshman recruits to a program that will lose no Seniors next season.
Most of WBU's class comes from in-state, but did extend its pipeline into Columbia with the signing of breaststroker Hector Ruiz.
Joining the Pioneers' men's team are:
--Alex Santarriaga, from El Paso, will be coming from dominant Cathedral High which has won 29 state championships (25 consecutive) and is nationally ranked. "He's right at (NAIA) national cuts as an incoming freshman, so we're excited to see what he comes in doing," WBU coach Alyson Hannan said.
--Brayden Goebel, of Burleson, will add to the breaststroke for the Pioneers. "With his contribution, we're hoping to continue to add more depth to our breaststroke program," Hannan said.
--Hector Ruiz, of Bogota, Columbia, also is a breaststroke specialist who can make an immediate impact. "He will also help with our IM (individual medley relay), which is something we lack," Hannan said. "He's already at national times."
--Richmond Spencer, of DeSoto, "is going to add to our sprints," Hannan said.
Joining the WBU women's swim team will be:
--Jessica Gryder, of Granbury, is a 200- and 500-meter swimmer: "We're really excited to have a swimmer of her caliber with us," Hannan said.
--Andrea Bond, of Russellville, Ark., is an all-around swimmer and will add more versatility to the team. "She has a lot of raw talent and is one of the best athletes to come out of Arkansas in that aspect," Hannan said.
--Megan Harp, of Plainview, is the daughter of WBU golf coach Tom Harp. "We're hoping with a stricter practice schedule she will shine in our program," Hannan said.
In its third year, the Pioneer swim program finished eighth overall at NAIA nationals, with the men placing sixth and the women 10th.
