July 7, 2010

ST. LOUIS - Saint Louis head swimming and diving coach Jim Halliburton announced today that 13 student-athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University and compete for the Billikens beginning this fall. Each will have four years of eligibility starting with the 2010-11 campaign. The class, which includes four state champions, is comprised of 11 swimmers and two divers from nine states.

"To the women's team, we added more depth and have several swimmers who will immediately make an impact on our relays," Halliburton said. "Our women's squad will be much stronger in the breaststroke and the butterfly events than we've been in a few years. We didn't get the large numbers for the men's team, but all three of our signees have the ability to come in and help us right away. We added another diver, and we were able to replace some of the legs in the relays that we lost to graduation. Plus we added a distance swimmer who already has times faster than our school records in the 500 and 1650 free."

Ann Marie Christensen (Quincy, Ill. / Quincy Senior) helped the Blue Devils to two sectional titles during her career. As a sophomore, she finished first in the 100 breast and the 500 free at the conference meet. Christensen was a member of the sectional champion 200-medley relay and competed in the 100 breast at the state meet in 2006 and 2007. The Sheridan Swim Club member was the salutatorian of her graduating class.

Kyle Dupuis (Plano, Texas / Bishop Lynch) won the one-meter diving competition at the state meet in 2007 and guided the Friars to a second-place finish overall. As a senior in 2010, Dupuis repeated as state champion with a state-record breaking performance and once again led his team to runner-up honors. Dupuis, who also qualified for the state meet as a sophomore in 2008, was a member of the Mustangs in the Sun club squad.

Christiana Eltiste (Omaha, Neb. / Westside) turned in top-five finishes on the one-meter board at the last three state meets. The 2009 Omaha Metro diving champion came in second as a sophomore, third as a junior and fifth her senior year. Eltiste, who earned All-America Academic Diver plaudits in 2010, received the Zone 16 Top Diver Award in 2009 and 2010. She was also a standout on the track team, placing among the top six 100-meter hurdles finishers three times at the state meet. Eltiste, who competed with the Midwest Diving Academy, was a four-time member of the 4.0 Honor Roll.

Marissa Gill (Sterling, Ill. / Newman Central Catholic), who earned team MVP honors all four years, holds every girls' swimming record at her school. She qualified for the state meet during her final two seasons and is a four-time Academic All-Conference selection. Gill, who competed with the Sterling Stingrays club team, helped her club's 400-medley relay place 12th at the Senior Championships. The two-year National Honor Society member was ranked among the top 10 percent of her class all four years.

Ellie Lorenzi (Lake Geneva, Wis. / Badger) twice earned All-America honors as a member of the 200-medley relay and is a five-time All-State selection. In 2008, she led the 200-medley relay to the state title. Lorenzi has been a member of five relays that have finished among the top four at the state meet since 2007. The four-year honor roll member competed with her club team, the Geneva YMCA, at the 2010 YMCA Nationals.

Patrick Merlihan (Yorba Linda, Calif. / Esperanza) captured USA Swimming Scholastic All-America honors as a junior. He placed second in the 500 free at the 2009 Sunset League Championships after coming in third the previous year. Merlihan, a four-year letterwinner, is a three-time recipient of his team's Outstanding Swimmer Award. The Fullerton Aquatics Sports Team (FAST) member earned his club team's Coach's Award in 2009.

Lizzy Osterman (Southlake, Texas / Nolan Catholic) achieved Academic All-America status in four events after finishing first in the 100 fly, 200 free, 200-medley relay and 400-free relay at the 2010 state meet. She owns the school record in each of those events. Osterman, who graduated magna cum laude and received an honors diploma, helped her team to second-place finishes at the 2009 and 2010 state championships following its third-place showing in 2008. She was a member of the Texas Riversharks club squad.

Taylor Rogers (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) guided the Wildcats to three sectional titles during her career. Swimming runs in the family for the four-year letterwinner, whose mother and sister are former members of the Alabama swim team, while her brother swims at Miami (Ohio). Rogers was named team captain as a senior after being selected as the team's Most Valuable Performer her sophomore year. She was a member of the Lake Forest Swim Club.

Molly Sheridan (Tampa, Fla. / Academy of the Holy Names) is a four-time state qualifier and eight-time district champion. As a senior, she placed sixth in the 50 free and was a member of two relays that finished among the top 10 at the Class 2A state meet. Sheridan, who set the school standard in the 50 free, earned USA Swimming Scholastic All-America plaudits as a junior. The three-time team MVP helped the Jaguars to district titles in each of her final two seasons. Sheridan is the third member of her family to compete for the Billikens. Her brother, Stephen, is a senior, and another brother, Rich, swam at SLU from 2001-04. Molly Sheridan was a member of the Carrollwood Village club team.

Sarah Sikora (Munster, Ind. / Munster) garnered the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) State Top 16 Award as a member of the 200-medley relay her senior year. The two-time All-America designee was also named to the Indiana Coaches of Girls' Sports Association All-State first team during her final season. Sikora, who graduated as the school-record holder in the 100 fly and was a member of the record-setting 200-medley relay, was a three-time state qualifier in the 100 fly. During her career, the Seahorses captured three sectional titles in addition to a third-place finish at the state meet in 2010. Sikora was a member of the Munster Swim Club.

Theresa Skelly (Phoenix, Ariz. / Sunnyslope) garnered multiple top-five finishes at the Class 4A Division I state meet during her final two seasons. She came in third in the 100 fly and the 200-medley relay and fourth in the 200 IM and 400-free relay as a senior. As a junior in 2008, Skelly touched fourth in the 100 fly and helped the 200-medley relay to a fifth-place performance. The Vikings recorded four straight top-four finishes at the state meet during her career. Skelly competed for the Phoenix Swim Club.

Hannah Soltys (Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley) raced in the 100 breast and the 200-medley relay at the 2009 state meet. The three-time Academic All-Conference pick helped the Wildcats earn the conference title as a senior. Soltys, who was a member of the Fox Valley club team, was a team captain in 2009 after earning her team's Most Improved Award as a junior in 2008.

Hunter Stevenson (Leawood, Kan. / Shawnee Mission East) piloted the Lancers to three state titles and four Sunflower League championships during his career. He swam a leg on the state championship 200-free relay his final two seasons. In 2010, Stevenson also helped the 400-free relay place second while individually tying for fifth in the 50 free and touching ninth in the 100 free. The 2009 All-State second-team pick garnered National AP Scholar laurels in 2009. Stevenson, who was selected as his school's 2010 Male Athlete of the Year, competed with the Kansas City Blazers club squad.

Saint Louis Billikens Swimming & Diving