SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State swimming and diving head coach Dave Collins announced the addition of 13 swimmers Thursday in the opening days of the 2019-20 NLI signing period.

Speaking on the incoming men's class, Collins said "this class of men is probably our best ever as far as what they have accomplished prior to coming to college. With all 6 guys coming in with multiple US Open cuts, I feel we could see a good number of them represented at US Olympic Trials this summer. We are all excited to get these guys to campus next August."

On the women's side he stated "what a great group of athletes coming from all over the Midwest. The common theme of this group is the desire to be a difference maker for our team and help us continue our tradition of team championships. I feel very good about our future with these talented athletes joining us in August."

James Doromal, Carol Stream, Ill., Bartlett High, IM/Breast
Doromal, who swims year-round with NWDupage YMCA / BR Ryall Swim Club, owns four U.S. Open standards and most recently won the 400m IM and earned silver in the 200m breast at the YMCA LCM National Championships. Last winter, he recorded a best time at Juniors West before registering five top-10 finishes at Illinois Seniors. A current senior at Bartlett High School, he also earned bronze medals in both the 200 breast and 400 IM at YMCA SCY Nationals in April.

"James is a proven racer. He has been on top of the podium at the YMCA National Championships and that is the type of athlete we want representing the Bears," said head coach Dave Collins. "We have had a lot of success in the IM's and breaststroke events and that will not slow down with guys like James joining the program."

Samantha Roemer, Bettendorf, Iowa, Bettendorf High, Free/Back/IM
Roemer, who swims year-round with Piranhas Swim Club, capped off her long course season with three best times at NCSAs this past summer after registering five top-10 finishes at Niagara LCM Championships. Last winter, she raced six events at Rochester Speedo Sectionals where her highest finish was a 15th-place showing in the 100m back. Also competing for Bettendorf High School, Roemer finished seventh in the 100 back and eighth in the 200 IM during her junior season at the Iowa State Championship. She followed it up with another strong senior showing, earning fifth in the 100 back and ninth in the 200 IM at the Iowa State Championships.

"Sami continues to build our excitement by showcasing her versatility in the pool," said associate head coach Chelsea Dirks-Ham. "She is coming off great performances at the Iowa High School State Meet and the IFLY Speedo Midwest Challenge from this past weekend and is swimming lights out! Her versatility in events will be very valuable to the team when she begins in the pool with us next fall."
 
Kelly Sego, Batavia, Ill., Batavia High, IM/Breast
Sego swims year-round with Academy Bullets Swim Club and most recently placed 11th in the 50m back at NCSAs after finishing 14th in the 200m IM at Illinois LCM Seniors this past summer. Last winter she earned three best times at Juniors West, finished 13th in the 200 breast at Illinois SCY Seniors, and raced seven events at NCSAs. Also competing for West Chicago Community, Sego has competed at the Illinois State Championships each of her three high school seasons thus far. The two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American placed eighth in the 100 back and ninth in the 200 IM during her junior season.

"I am impressed with Kelly's work ethic and desire to excel within college swimming," said Dirks-Ham. "She is a versatile swimmer who will help add strength to our backstroke and IM events and is projected to be a top 8 finalist as a freshman. She comes from a very strong club background and we feel that she has the ability to be impactful from the minute she arrives on campus."
 
Dylan Moffatt, Independence, Iowa, Independence Jr./Sr. High, IM/Free
Moffatt is a senior at Cedar Falls High School who specializes in mid-distance to distance freestyle. He won the Iowa high school state title in the 500 free in both his freshman and sophomore years, setting the state record in the latter with 4:27.77. As a junior, he was runner-up in the both 500 free (4:31.97) and 200 IM (1:52.14) and contributed to the 5th-place 200 medley relay (24.13 leadoff backstroke) and 7th-place 400 free relay (46.52 anchor). He achieved the 200/400/800/1500 PBs at 2019 Speedo Junior Nationals, coming in 15th in the 200, 6th in the 400, 8th in the 800, and 18th in the 1500.

"Dylan is a swimmer who gets faster as the distance gets longer and he is coming off a monster summer performance at Junior Nationals," said Dirks-Ham.  He was just off the Olympic Trial cut in both the 400 and 800 free this summer and he will make an immediate impact in our mid- distance and distance freestyle events from the minute he steps on campus. The future is very bright for Dylan and we couldn't be more excited to have him join us as a Bear in August!"
 
Jacob Bening, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Cape Central High, Free/Back
A U.S. Open qualifier in both backstroke events, Bening does his club swimming with River City Aquatics. He earned bronze in the 100m back and took seventh in the 200m back this past summer at Des Moines Futures after scoring four gold medals at Ozark LCM Seniors. Last winter, he placed fourth in the 200 back at Columbia Sectionals before going on to win that event at Florida Gold Coast Seniors.

Also competing for Central High School, Bening is a six-time Missouri Class 1 State Championship finalist and most recently helped the Tigers earn their third-straight team title. He won the 100 back and was the 100 free runner-up as a junior after winning both of those events during his sophomore season.

"We are eager to have Jacob join us in the pool," said Dirks-Ham. "Coming off a summer performance of picking up US Open cuts in the 100 and 200 back, he will help us continue a tradition of success in the backstroke events at the conference level."

Claire VanBiljon, Wildwood, Mo., Lafayette High, Free
A standout in the pool and the classroom, VanBiljon helped her team to a 2017 state championship with wins in the 200 and 400 free relay in her rookie season. A scholar-athlete recipient throughout the entirety of her high school career, VanBiljon was also tabbed athlete of the month as a junior. She played a crucial in setting an 800 free relay record at the 2017 spring sectionals and has competed in the bi-annual meet throughout high school.

"We are looking forward to Claire joining us on campus as a Bear in August," said Dirks-Ham. "She is a very powerful and strong swimmer and I am excited to see her continue to develop in the college training setting. She comes from a very solid club background and will add to our sprint freestyle group!"
 
Nicholas Andres, Glen Ellyn, Ill., Glenbard West High, Free
A U.S. Open qualifier, Andres is a talented distance freestyler and does his club swimming with B.R.Ryall YMCA Swim Team. He most recently earned bronze in the 1500m free at YMCA LCM Nationals this past summer where he also took fourth in the 800m free, fifth in the 400m free, and sixth in the 200m free. Last winter, he recorded a pair of best times at Juniors West before going on to finish fourth in the 200 fly at YMCA SCY Nationals. A current senior at Glenbard West High School, Andres has made nine finals appearances between Illinois SCY and LCM Seniors in 2019.

"Nick is a real talent. He is going to be able to come right in and help us continue to have a lot of success in the distance freestyle events, but I am also excited to explore his ability in the butterfly events," said Collins. "I love his enthusiasm and desire to be a great teammate, with those characteristics he will fit right in with us."
 
Anika Lam, Olathe, Kan., Olathe North High, Free/IM
The Olathe, Kansas native swims year-round with Empire KC Swim Club. At Columbia Speedo Sectionals in March, she raced six events en route to finishing 22nd in the 200 IM after placing 17th in the 500 free at the Missouri Valley SCY Championships. She also competed in three races at 2018 Rochester Futures. A current senior at Olathe North High School, Lam is a six-time Kansas 6A State Championship finalist. She finished fourth in the 200 IM and fifth in the 100 free as a junior after earning gold and silver, respectively, in those events during her sophomore season. She also won the 200 IM during her rookie campaign.

"We can't wait for Anika to officially become a Bear," said Dirks-Ham. "She will add depth to our IM and sprint freestyle events and has the potential to be a key player on sprint freestyle relays. We are very excited to watch her continue to develop as an athlete within our program and love her attitude and desire to be impactful within our program."
 
Anna Lucas, Sauk Rapids, Minn., Sauk Rapids Rice High, Free
Hailing from Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, Lucas does her club swimming with Central Minnesota Aquatics. She finished 10th in the 50m free, 11th in the 200m free, and 12th in the 400m free this past summer at Minnesota LCM Seniors after recording a pair of best times at Minneapolis Sectionals. Last winter, she raced six events at Indianapolis Speedo Sectionals.
Also competing for Sauk Rapids Rice High School, Lucas is a five-time Minnesota Class A State Championship finalist. She placed third in the 200 IM and sixth in the 100 free during her junior season after racing to fourth and seventh, respectively, in those events as a sophomore. She also finished 12th in the 200 IM as a rookie.

"We are excited to have Anna joining our program," said Dirks-Ham. "She will play a role in both our freestyle and IM success during her college career. Anna has the credentials to become and instant point scorer for us at the conference level. In addition to her swimming potential, Anna has also been heavily involved within her community at home and I am excited for her to bring that passion with her to Missouri State."
 
Robert Hill, Kansas City, Mo., Oak Park High, IM/Back/Fly
Hill, who owns the U.S. Open standard in the 100m back, swims year-round with Club North Swimming under head coach Todd Harvey. He placed ninth in the 100m back at Des Moines Futures this past summer after finishing seventh in both the 200m back and 400m IM at Jenks Speedo Sectionals. Last winter, he recorded five best times at Columbia Speedo Sectionals where his highest finish was an eighth-place showing in the 400 IM.

Also competing for Oak Park High School, Hill is a four-time Missouri State Championship finalist. He placed second in the 200 IM and third in the 100 fly as a junior after finishing third in both events during his sophomore season.

"Robbie is going to be a stud. His size and versatility matched with a specific college training plan is going to make him a major point scorer for us," said Collins. "If coaches were not aware of Robbie in high school I promise they will be very familiar with him in college."

AJ Huskey, Columbia, Mo., Battle High, IM/Fly/Free
Huskey is one of the top high school swimmers in Missouri, with national time standards in 200 back, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM. He swims for Columbia Swim Club and Battle High School, where he is a senior. At the 2018 MSHSAA Class 1 Boys State Championships last November, he won the 200 IM (1:49.64) and 100 fly (50.46), single-handedly putting Battle at 19th place in the boys' standings. He had an outstanding long-course season, culminating in new PBs in the 50/100 free, 200 back, 200 breast, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM at NCSA Summer Championship. He placed 3rd in the 200m IM, 10th in the 400m IM, 11th in the 200m fly, and 23rd in the 200m back. In short-course season, he won the 400 IM at Columbia Sectionals, three months after placing 20th in the same event at Winter Juniors East. Also at Columbia Sectionals, he finaled in the 200 back (9th), 200 breast (11th), 100 fly (13th), 200 fly (9th), and 200 IM (4th), and left the meet with new times in the 200 free, 200 back, 200 breast, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM.

"AJ is one of the top talents from the state of Missouri and we are thrilled he is officially joining us as Bear," said Dirks-Ham. We have been watching AJ in the pool for several years hoping that we'd have a chance to bring him onto campus to showcase what his experience would be at Missouri State.  He is great fit for our program and his versatility as a swimmer will have an immediate impact on his contribution to our overall team success in both dual meets and at the conference level."
 
Cabrini Johnson, Rogersville, Mo., Logan-Rogersville High, Breast/Free
Johnson is a senior at Logan-Rogersville High School. She broke the Class 1 state record in the 100 breast at the 2019 MSHSAA Girls Class 1 State Championships in February with 1:04.09 in prelims. Although a touch slower in finals (1:04.71) she still won the state title by over half a body length. She also finished 3rd in the 500 free (5:10.64) and contributed to the 4th-place 200 medley relay (29.54 breaststroke) and 13th-place 200 free relay (25.83 split).

Johnson swims year-round for Springfield Aquatics. She notched PBs in the 200 free, 100 back, 50/100/200 breast, and 200 IM during her junior year of high school. Swimming at Columbia Sectionals last March, she finaled in the 50 breast (10th), 100 breast (16th), 200 breast (14th), and 200 IM (31st). This summer, she competed at Jenks Sectionals and Des Moines Futures and wrapped up her long-course season with new PBs in the 50/100/400 free and 200 IM.

"Cabrini is very excited to begin her college career at Missouri State," said Dirks-Ham. "She will come in and immediately impact our success in the breaststroke events. We have enjoyed watching Cabrini locally, at both the high school and club level, for several years and are looking forward to having her join us on campus in August!"
 
Ainsley Krug, Lawrence, Kan., Free State High, Breast/Free
Krug does her club swimming with Ad Astra Area Aquatics and most recently earned silver in the 200m back at the Missouri Valley LCM Championships this past summer after achieving three best times at Jenks Sectionals. Last winter, she registered five top-8 finishes at the Missouri Valley SCY Championships before going on to final in three events at Columbia Sectionals. Also competing for Lawrence Free State High School, Krug is a four-time Kansas 6A State Championship finalist. She placed fifth in the 500 free and sixth in the 100 back during her sophomore season after finishing seventh and fifth, respectively, in those events as a freshman.

"We enjoyed watching Ainsely's charismatic attitude and dedication to her team during the summer championship meets," said Dirks-Ham. "Her upbeat personality is infectious on the pool deck. She comes from a strong club background and we can't wait to see what she is able to accomplish as a Bear."

"The level of student-athletes we attracted to campus during this recruiting cycle has a lot to do with the efforts of Associate Head Coach Chelsea Dirks-Ham. She was instrumental in helping identify a great group of recruits and worked tirelessly to showcase our University and teams. I think the results speak for themselves on how much she means to the program."