Little Rock swimming and diving completed its 2016-17 roster with the addition of seven new swimmers, bringing the total number of new signees and additions to 12.
The Trojans will tout a roster of 25 for the upcoming season, the largest in program history.
"We could not be more excited about our incoming class," head coach Amy Burgess said. "It is a large, determined group that is going to help continue to take our program to the next level and move up the conference ranks."
The sixth signee is KateLin Carsrud from Campbell County High School in Gillette, Wyo. Carsrud will compete in the breaststroke and freestyle events. At Campbell County, Carsrud helped her team win three state championships while she won one individual state championship. She also earned All-State honors in the breaststroke and individual medley.
"Katie has a lot of untapped talent," Burgess said. "She is very versatile and will help strengthen our distance and breaststroke groups."
The seventh signee is Saidya Kistow from Lawrence E. Elkins High School in Houston, Texas. Saidya has qualified for the Texas state championships and was a member of Houston Cougar Aquatics. She also holds the Elkins High record in the 400-yard free relay.
"Saidya is going to come in and add great depth to our freestyle events, from the 100 to the 500," Burgess said. "She has a lot going for her and lots of room to improve."
The eighth signee is Rachel Maradyn from Harry Anilay High School in Edmonton, Alberta. Maradyn will compete in the butterfly, freestyle and individual medley events. She has earned several provincial and national medals and has competed at the Canadian Olympic Trials and the Commonwealth Trials.
"We are very excited to have Rachel join the Trojan family," Burgess said. "She will play an immediate role in our distance free events and the 400-yard individual medley. Rachel has great experience at the national level that will help throughout the season."
The ninth signee is Alexis McCauley from Mount St. Mary Academy in North Little Rock, Ark. McCauley will compete in the Trojans' freestyle events. At Mount St. Mary, she was named to the Arkansas All-Region Team. She was also a state qualifier and finished in the top 16 in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events.
"We have had the pleasure of watching Alexis grow up swimming, and we welcome the opportunity to help her reach her potential in and out of the water," Burgess said. "As a distance swimmer she will continue to represent our great city."
The 10th signee is Ashley Strohmeyer from Round Rock High School in Round Rock, Texas. Strohmeyer will compete in the backstroke and butterfly events. She was a regional finalist in Texas and also competed with Nitro Swimming where she was named club MVP for two consecutive years.
"Ashley will be one to watch and will make an impact in our backstroke and butterfly groups," Burgess said. "She is a strong trainer and is going to help push her teammates in the pool."
The 11th signee is Charis Won from Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas. Won will compete in the backstroke, freestyle and individual medley events. At Seven Lakes, Won lettered all four years and was a captain for three years. She earned All-District and All-Region honors while competing as a finalist all four years in the 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley and the 200- and 400-yard free relay events. As a freshman, she earned a spot on the All-State Team in the 200-yard medley relay.
"We are excited to see what Charis will do in the pool," Burgess said. "A strong student and swimmer, she will add depth to our backstroke and sprint free events. She also has great energy we are excited to have in the water."
The final addition to this year's roster is Vasiliki Falaina from Athens, Greece. Falaina comes to Little Rock as a transfer from Lindenwood University at Belleville and will compete in the Trojans' freestyle events. At Lindenwood-Belleville, Falaina was named a College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) All-American in 2016 and earned All-Mid-South Conference First Team honors. Academically, Falaina earned a spot on the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team for achieving a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and having participated in the NAIA Championships.
"Vasiliki is going to have an immediate impact in our sprint free events," Burgess said. "We are excited to develop upon her experience at Lindenwood and have her as part of Little Rock's team."
With the roster set, the Trojans will field three seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores and 11 freshmen.
"With our current upperclassman, who have already made huge waves in the Missouri Valley, it's going to be a great combination and exciting times ahead for Little Rock swimming and diving," Burgess added.
