Swimming & Diving Team Adds Ten Recruits

Jan. 6, 2000

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson head swimming and diving coach Bruce Marchionda announced today that the team has signed ten athletes to national letters of intent.

Ali Gjervold of Plano, TX, will compete in the distance freestyle events. She won the 1650 free at Junior Nationals in 1997 and has placed in the 400 IM, the 800 free and the 1650 free at Junior and Senior nationals each of the last four years. Gjervold helped Plano Senior High to the state championship in 1998. Her brother, Todd, swam at Florida from 1993-97, and her sister, Christie, is currently a member of the Maine swimming and diving team.

Lindsey Kroeger is a backstroker from Cincinnati, OH, who swims for the Cincinnati Marlins club team. She attended the 1996 and 1997 USA Swimming National Select Camps and qualified for senior nationals in the 100 back and 50 free. Kroeger was the state runner-up in the 100 back as a sophomore and junior and was named a high school All-American both seasons. The Southwest District Record Holder in the 100 back, she holds five records at Oak Hills High.

Valerie Langley of The Woodlands, TX, will compete in the sprint freestyle events. She was chosen district and regional female swimmer of the year in 1999 and was named a High School All-American and a Scholastic All-American. The district record holder in the 50 free, Langley was the state silver medalist in both the 50 and 100 free as a junior. She was a finalist in both events at Junior Nationals.

Kensey Morris is a middle distance freestyle athlete from Ellicott City, MD. She was the Eastern Zone Champion in the 100 meter and 200 yard freestyle and holds zone records in both events. Morris was a qualifier in the 200 free for the Southeast Junior Championships and was named Maryland Zone Team Outstanding Swimmer in 1997 and 1998.

Morgan Perry of Jacksonville, FL, will compete in the IM events. She was a high school All-American from 1996-98 and was a state finalist all three seasons. Perry lettered in swimming four consecutive seasons at the Bolles School and was chosen team captain as a senior, while helping the team to four consecutive state championships.

Ryan Cassella of Cheshire, CT, will compete in the breaststroke and IM events. He was chosen the state MVP in 1999 and set the school record in the 200 IM. Cassella has lettered four seasons at Cheshire High.

John Dean of Raleigh, NC, will compete in the butterfly and middle distance freestyle events. Dean was the high scorer at the 1996 North Carolina State Championship Meet then earned conference MVP honorable mention in 1997 and 1998. A four-year letterman in swimming, he set five school records at Wake Forest-Rolesville High. Dean won the 4A championship in the 100 fly in 1997 and 1998. His personal-bests include 46.90 in the 100 free, 1:44.4 in the 200 free, 51.34 in the 100 fly and 1:52.90 in the 200 fly.

Brent Hitchcock is a freestyle athlete from The Woodlands, TX. A three-time all-state and All-American selection, Hitchcock helped his team to the National High School Public School Championship in 1998 and 1999. He was a member of the 200 free relay team that ranked first in the nation among high school athletes. Hitchcock lettered in swimming four seasons and water polo three seasons.

James Stoffer of West Chester, OH, will compete in the middle-distance and distance freestyle and IM events. He attended the zone distance camp in Ann Arbor, MI, and the All-Star Distance Camp in Colorado Springs, CO. A member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society, Stoffer has recorded times of 16:10.86 in the 1650 free and 4:29.06 in the 500 free. He has personal-bests of 1:55.92 in the 200 IM and 4:06.11 in the 400 IM.

Travis Taylor of La Crescenta, CA, will compete in the distance freestyle events. A five-time NISCA All-American, Taylor won the CIF Southern Section Individual Title in the 500 free with a time of 4:31.64 in 1999. He has won two Pacific League individual titles and was chosen team MVP as a junior. Taylor set the Crescenta Valley High record in the 500 free in 1999, and set five school records at Saugus High as a freshman.