SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College men's and women's swim teams will be looking to build on a solid season from a year ago, with the men's team finishing sixth and the women taking fifth at the 2023 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships last February.
Leading the way on the women's side will be Sammi Thiele, who is coming off of an historic year last season in which she became the first ever 'Roo swimmer for either the men's or women's teams to earn a spot at the NCAA Championships after breaking the SCAC record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.22. That time earned Thiele the conference title in that event, and was one of multiple All-Conference performances for the senior last year.
Thiele will be the lone senior on this year's team that's comprised of almost entirely freshmen and sophomores, with Jordan Armstrong, Lola Barcus-Shafer, and Cassidee Levine as the other returners, with Reese Richmond also joining the sophomore class as a transfer. Levine had a big impact in her first collegiate season, including being part of the 400 free relay team that placed fourth at last year's championship meet. The 'Roos welcome a strong group of first-year swimmers this season as well, including Katherine Jackson, Jazlynn Lomax, Madison Mitchell, Isabelle Schultze, and Amelia Stewart.
On the men's side, head coach Dan Snow will be looking to Cody Dean for senior leadership as the lone fourth-year competitor on the squad, though the 'Roos will be bringing back plenty of talent and experience from a year ago. Alex Lai has been one of the program's most consistent performer during his first two years at Austin College, and will be looking to challenge for All-SCAC accolades in his junior campaign. Last season, he teamed with fellow returners Jonas Eaton and JonAustin Blaine to place fifth at the conference meet in the 400 medley relay, while also helping the 'Roos to a fourth place finish, again alongside Eaton and Blaine, in the 200 free relay.
While Dean and Lai are the only two upperclassmen on this year's team, a strong group of sophomores will help bolster the roster, including Blaine, Eaton, Gabriel Fulton, Tim Smith, and David Stanford, as well as transfer Caelan Sutton. The 'Roos will also feature a deep and talented class of first-year competitors, with Jonah Cowles, Zane Eklund, Rayce Johnson, Tyler McDermott, Kamil Murugan, and Gavin Ryan all in line to make a splash during the upcoming season.