Riverdale, NY – Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Head Coach
Molly Belk has announced that 15 additional student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Jaspers in advance of the 2018-2019 season.
It is Belk's first recruiting class at Manhattan as she recently completed her first season at the helm of both programs. The group joins fellow newcomers
Andre van Huyssteen and Lexi Passamonte, who signed their NLI back in November.
"This class understands where this program is heading and they want to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves," said Belk. "I am so proud of the current team and how they have created and changed the culture this year. All of the incoming freshmen had the opportunity to see where the program is going and they are ready to get to get to work!"
One aspect that Belk emphasized in recruiting was finding local talent. Over half of the new crop hails from the state of New York.
"While we looked at many different areas to improve our teams, we wanted to make our mark in the Empire State," she noted. "There is a lot of great talent in our area, and we want Manhattan to be a premier destination for in-state student-athletes."
Luke Tanner arrives at Riverdale from Guilderland High School, where he was a three-sport athlete in swimming, cross country and track and field. The Schenectady native qualified for the New York State Federation Championship Meet in 2017 and specialized in the Freestyle.
Kyle Bergin makes the trek from Lynbrook, NY to the Bronx to begin his collegiate career. As a senior captain at Lynbrook Senior High School, Bergin received All-Long Island Team honors, and is a three-time All-Nassau County and All-Division swimmer.
Grace Tague is another Long Island recruit, coming from Wantagh, NY. A five-year varsity swimmer, Tague was a team captain and an all-conference honoree during her junior and senior year.
Katelyn Hall enters her first season as a Jasper after swimming varsity at Albertus Magnus High School. A Nanuet, NY resident, she primarily competed in the Freestyle and Breaststroke the past three seasons.
Ashley Patierno resides in Hyde Park, NY and will potentially become a consistent point scorer in her first season with the Jaspers. At the NYSPHSAA Section IX Championships back in November, she placed third in the 100-yard Butterfly in 59.79 seconds, while her time of 1:00.99 in the 100-yard Backstroke was in the top 10.
Sean Flynn enters the fold after an impressive career at Suffern Senior High School. He is ranked in the top 100 in New York recruits on College Swimming and recently timed a personal best in the 200-yard Breaststroke in 2:10.18.
Michael Eboli takes the Bronx River Parkway down to the Bronx for his collegiate career. The Scarsdale native swam for three seasons at Iona Prep High School, where he earned honors each year. Eboli also earned the Brother Gaffney Award for his academics during his junior campaign.
Even with all the local products, the incoming class features plenty of student-athletes from other parts of the East Coast and even from other countries as they begin their collegiate careers next fall.
Artur Polyak arrives at Manhattan after spending his freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh. A native of Israel, he raced freestyle, backstroke and butterfly for the Panthers. His 200 Backstroke time of 1:47.40, accomplished on November 19, 2017 in the Ohio State Invitational, is over a second faster than the Manhattan school record.
Brandon Deiss joins van Huyssteen as the second men's swimmer from South Africa. At his high school, Crawford College Lonehill, Deiss was a 2016 team captain and was the Freestyler of the Year from 2013-2016. He was recognized as the program's Male Swimmer of the Year in 2014.
Jamie Quinn travels from Fairfax, VA up the I-95 corridor to begin her collegiate career. She most recently swam with the Shark Tank Racing Squad in the Potomac Valley. A multi-stroke swimmer, Quinn specializes in the backstroke; her best 100-yard swim clocked in at 1:01.69 last year.
Matthew Shen brings a decorated high school resume into his first collegiate season. Growing up in Waxhaw, NC, Shen earned four letters in the freestyle and backstroke at Marvin Ridge High School. During his tenure, the Mavericks won the state championship his junior and senior year, including a 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay title this past year.
Michael Popescu also comes from Marvin Ridge High School, hailing from the city of Matthews. He swam on the Mecklenberg Swim Association club team with Shen and Brian Coleman. He primarily swam the 200 and 500 Freestyle in his three-year varsity tenure.
Brian Coleman rounds out the North Carolina prospects. Coleman earned four varsity letters at Charlotte Catholic High School in Charlotte, NC. He competed in the breaststroke and is expected to do the same with the Jaspers.
The Class of 2022 also features three divers. Passamonte will revamp the women's diving circuit, while the men's side adds two divers for the upcoming season.
"I'm very excited for these three first-year student-athletes to join the team," mentioned Diving Coach Micah Rembrandt. "There is a lot of talent and potential here. I believe that they will help establish Jasper Diving as a strong contender in the MAAC for years to come."
Connor Marshall starts his career with deep familial connections to Manhattan College. His father, William T. Marshall III '93, played on the men's soccer team and met his mother, Samantha Marshall '94, at Manhattan. His grandfather, William Jr., graduated in 1967 after walking on to the track team. At Avon Old Farms High School, he was a member of the diving team for two seasons and scored a 331.90 to finish second in the 2017 NEPSAC Championships.
Thomas Courtney continues a Jasper tradition for his family. He has two aunts and two uncles that attended in the 1970s and 1980s. The Thornwood, NY native swam and played lacrosse at Archbishop Stepinac High School.
