PARKLAND – With back-to-back Northwest Conference Championships on the women's side and three top-three finishes in the past four years on the men's side, the Pacific Lutheran swimming programs have been on the rise for the past several years. A 2015 recruiting class of 15 top student-athletes – seven women and eight men – will look to contribute to the raising of the bar beginning this fall.
"This class of new Lutes is chalk full of talent and potential," PLU head coach Matt Sellman said. "The team and I are very excited to welcome them to campus this fall and see them jump in with our family in the pool. After graduating a large class of very talented seniors, we really had to bring in a class like this: hard working, motivated, committed, fun and FAST!"
PLU set a combined 21 school records during the 2014-15 season and scored the most combined points at the Northwest Conference Championships, with 101 top-10 program times established during the season. The 15 newcomers will have a chance to come in and join a unit that has established a tradition of success in the pool and in the classroom, as both PLU teams have also earned Scholar All-America recognition in recent years. Sellman expects the makeup of this recruiting class to fit right in.
"The class has a great mix of enthusiasm, focus and competitiveness, and will help make us better right away," he said. "They are great students, and I anticipate them being active and beneficial members of the Lute Community."
PLU Swimming 2015 Women's Recruits:
Taylor Bingea was a four-year letter winner at Woodinville High School, where she competed at state in the 500 free all four years, while serving one year as team captain and MVP. She was a member of a school record-setting 200 medley relay team. She chose PLU "because of the close-knit community on campus, the faculty-to-student ratio with small class size, top-ranked nursing program, and first-class swim team."
"Taylor's enthusiasm is infectious, and she will help us in a lot of areas, primarily freestyle and fly," Sellman said. "I know she will be a great, supportive teammate."
Sydney Bishoff graduated from Holy Names Academy in Seattle after a prep swimming career that included three varsity letters, top-10 state finishes all four years and a freestyle relay school record. In the classroom she was an AP Scholar and National Honor Society member while commuting from Port Orchard to Seattle each day for school. She chose PLU "because of the amazing pre-med program along with spectacular professors who care about the students' well-being, as well as a close-knit community that really enhances the learning environment. I also chose the school because of the strong swim program and because two of my teammates from high school (Sarah Ameny and Melissa Dean) have been telling me how amazing the team has been. When it came down to making a decision PLU had all the requirements I wanted in a college and that is why I am now calling it my home for the next four years."
"Sydney will improve our fly and Sprint freestyle core," Sellman said. "She is another great teammate from Holy Names in Seattle."
Keiko Inouye earned three varsity swimming letters at Prairie High School and was also named team MVP all three years. After joining the team as a sophomore, she was a three-time all-league swimmer and earned league Swimmer of the Year honors as a senior. She is a two-time district champion and three-time state finalist. She chose PLU because the "small and close-knit community, high academic standards and unique pre-med program are exactly what I was looking for in a college to achieve my future goals."
"Keiko is a sprint butterflyer and backstroker who will compete for top spots right away," Sellman said. "Her love of the sport will bring great energy to the pool."
Luna Kim comes to PLU from Hawaii, where she was a three-time varsity letter winner in swimming and also played water polo. She graduated as one of the valedictorians at Kaiser High School, where she broke relay records in three straight years and placed fourth in state in the 100 backstroke as a senior. She plans to major in pre-medicine and chemistry and chose PLU "because of the small class sizes and the close knit environment. That way, I will be able to have more opportunities to learn closely from my professors."
"Luna is a strong backstroker who can swim any distance, and she's also a very good individual medley swimmer," Sellman said.
Sarah Stafford comes to PLU from Colorado Springs, where she was a four-year varsity letter winner and two-time team MVP at Coronado High School. She helped lead her team to three top-eight finishes at state, while competing at the state meet all four years. A multi-sport athlete, Stafford turned to swimming after a knee injury in eighth grade ended her time playing soccer, basketball and volleyball. She continues to golf run cross country and compete in triathlons. She plans to major in kinesiology and chose PLU "because of the Pre-PT program, the small size, great location and swimming program."
"Sarah is a great all-around freestyler and will be able to do a lot of things on the team," Sellman said. "She is a tough athlete who will help make her teammates tougher as well."
Kylie Webb swam with the Hood River Valley Swim Team for more than 10 years and was a four-year varsity swimmer for Hood River Valley High School. She plans to major in biology while focusing on marine biology and environmental studies. She chose PLU "because of the caring students and staff that I met during my campus visits, the size and location of the school and the opportunity to continue participating in a sport that I love."
"Kylie is a fantastic IM'er and Breaststroker and will compete at the top levels of our division," Sellman said. "Her positive personality will allow her to be a strong leader within the team."
Alex Weeks comes to PLU from Alaska, where she served as captain of the swim and dive team at Soldotna High School as a senior and finished the year as state runner-up in the 50 freestyle. She also earned Scholastic All-America honors. She chose PLU "because of the incredible experiences I can imagine happening to myself over the next four years, the welcoming atmosphere I felt when visiting campus and the great academics."
"Alex is a top-tier Sprinter; she could help put our relays over the top; she could be one of the best we have seen," Sellman said. "She is energetic and full of excitement!"
PLU Swimming 2015 Men's Recruits:
Bryson Baligad was a three-time team captain and MVP while lettering all four years at Kapaa High School in Lihue, Hawaii. He earned all-star recognition and competed at state all four years and was heavily involved in student leadership serving as freshman and sophomore class president, student body second vice president and student body president during his time in high school. He plans to major in engineering and chose PLU "because of the smaller class sizes, location and the majors they had available."
"Bryson can pretty much swim anything well and will be a very fun addition to the team," Sellman said.
Jackson Curtis comes to PLU from Gig Harbor, where he was captain of the Gig Harbor swim team and won a state title in the 200 freestyle relay in 2014 and finished as a state runner-up in the 400 freestyle relay. He was a three-year state qualifier in the 200 and 500 freestyle. He plans to major in business and finance and chose PLU "because my grandma, mom and dad all graduated from PLU. Also, the campus is 45 minutes from home and I had an awesome overnight stay with the swim team."
"Jackson is a very good freestyler with tons of potential," Sellman said.
Jacob Goodman joins the PLU squad from Los Angeles, where he broke the 200 medley school record at Crespi Carmelite High School three times in the past two years. He earned the team's perseverance award as a senior after serving as a co-captain in his fourth season with the varsity program. He chose PLU "because of the atmosphere of the school and the amazing athletic and academic opportunities."
"Jacob is an accomplished sprinter, and we expect him to continue to improve and compete at the top of the NWC," Sellman said.
Gabriel Hanaoka swam for Assets High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, and competed at Senior Sectionals in 2013 and Western Zones in 2012. He chose PLU "partially because my grandfather liked this school from when his son Byron attended the university, and also because of my school's recommendations for a college to best fit me and friends that also attend PLU."
"Gabriel is another great sprinter from Hawaii and will immediately make that group stronger," Sellman said.
California native Bradley Jerome was a four-year swimming letter winner at Junipero Serra High School, where he competed in the long distance events. He earned all-league honors twice and qualified for sectionals three times during his prep career. He plans to major in business at PLU.
"Bradley is a very good freestyler and can swim any distance," Sellman said. "He will be a strong competitor in the distance events."
Sam Kawakami comes to PLU from Prosser, advancing to state all four years. He also competed in football and track at Prosser. He chose PLU "because when I visited, I felt very welcomed. I feel like PLU is the best fit for me as a student, swimmer and as a person. I loved all of my visits to PLU and meeting some of the swimmers and the students while I was there."
"Sam is a good breaststroker and athlete who will see a lot of improvement right away," Sellman said.
Elijah Singstad was a three-sport athlete at Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, playing football and lacrosse along with swimming. He swam for three years at Lake Washington after taking a few years off and was part of a school record-breaking relay squad his junior and senior seasons, with the relay team taking first at state during his junior year. His brother Kris plays football at PLU, and Elijah chose the school "because it's close to home, has small classes, and my brother also attends." He plans to study business.
"Elijah is a very good all-around athlete, which will lead to great improvement to some already very good times in the freestyle events," Sellman said.
Seth Villeda comes to PLU from Whittier, Calif., where he was a four-year swimming letter winner in high school and a two-time team MVP while competing in the 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle. He was a top finisher at the league meet his senior season and plans to major in nursing. He chose PLU because "it's a great school that is full of kind-hearted and committed people that I would love to be a part of."
"Seth is good at everything and will help us across the board," Sellman said. "He will primarily swim fly and freestyle."
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