Panther Women Add Five In Spring Signing Period
July 22, 2008
MILWAUKEE - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee head women's swimming and diving coach Dave Griffore has announced the signing of five high school seniors today. Hannah Egger of Marshfield, Wis., Morgan Hearn of Madison, Wis., Taylor Jozwiak of Hatley, Wis., Heidi Niespodzany of Pulaski, Wis., and Maggie Pease of Mukwonago, Wis., will enroll at UWM and compete for the Panthers next season. Egger swam for Marshfield High School and was a four-year letterwinner, two-time state qualifier, two-time team MVP and served as team captain as a senior. She was the only athlete from her high school team to qualify for state the past two years and the first MHS swimmer to go to state since 1999. The school record holder in the 100 butterfly was honored as a Marshfield News-Herald scholar athlete (she graduated in the top five percent of her high school class) and was also a YMCA National qualifier. "We signed Hannah late but we are extremely happy that she will be joining us," Griffore said. "She will add lots of depth in the events she swims for us." Hearn is an accomplished diver from Madison Edgewood High School, having been named the WIAA Division II Diver of the Year after winning the state championship as a senior. She was named all-state as a junior and senior and dove at state all four years of her career. "Morgan will round out a very talented group of divers that we have here at UWM," Griffore said. "She will come in and be able to score in the top eight at the league championship as a freshman." Jozwiak was a three-year state qualifier while competing for the Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School team as a prep. She earned all-state honors as a senior, placing third in the 100 breaststroke - just forty-five hundredths of a second behind the winner. That followed a junior campaign where she took sixth in the 100 breaststroke and ninth in the 200 IM. As a sophomore, she placed third in the 200 IM at state.
"Taylor will make an impact in our breaststroke events," Griffore said. "She has the potential to develop into a great collegiate swimmer here at UWM." Niespodzany swam just two seasons at Pulaski High School - the first two years she has done so competitively - but has already built quite a resume. She was named the 2007 Fox River Classic Conference swimmer of the year as well as the 2007 Green Bay Press-Gazette girls co-swimmer of the year. She placed sixth in the 200 freestyle at state as a senior and also was part of the state 200 free relay team from Pulaski. She is also a YMCA National qualifier. "Heidi will make a big splash instantly in our program," Griffore said. "We are very fortunate to get her. She has only been swimming a few years but has done some incredible things. She will be somebody that will contend to win as a freshman." Pease swam for the Mukwonago/Waukesha South team in high school. She was a state qualifier in the 100 backstroke and also swam in 200 medley relay at state, helping her team to an eighth-place finish. "Maggie has the potential to make it in our program as a backstroker - an area that is a big question mark for us," Griffore said. "We are excited that she will be joining us." The recruiting class is also getting noticed nationally, as CollegeSwimming.com has listed UWM as one of about 30 schools - and the only Horizon League member - as "Other Teams to Keep an Eye On: Beyond the Top 25" in a release dated May 20. |
