SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State swimming and diving head coach David Collins announced Wednesday 13 additions to comprise the program's 2023-24 signing class.

"I would first like to thank Coach Dirks-Ham for her tireless efforts to build what I think is one of the most complete recruiting classes we have had. As the lead recruiter, she not only identified top talent but more importantly was able to find personalities and the type of values that will fit very well in the team culture we have built at Missouri State," Collins said. "As the Missouri Valley Conference continues to grow, we have to stay ahead of the curve and go out and get top talent. We had two big recruiting weekends this fall and the excitement that built within this class was infectious. It is humbling to represent such a wonderful university and program with a great tradition that makes the college decision an easy one for so many."    
   
"It's been very exciting to watch our women's class of 2023 come together," associate head coach Chelsea Dirks-Ham added. "We are adding a group of charismatic and motivated ladies who have goals of being high performers in the pool and classroom from the minute they step foot on campus. In recruiting, we always work to identify top talent in the Midwest, and with this group, we worked to address some areas of need while also building upon our existing strengths. The future is very bright for the Bears."   
   
Joining the Bears for the 2023-24 season include:

• Makenzie Kurre • 6-0 • Fr. • Savannah, Mo. • Savannah High   
• Evie Kolb • 5-10 • Fr. • Springfield, Mo. • Fort Zumwalt East High   
• Olivia Sala • 5-5 • Fr. • Sun Prairie, Wis. • Sun Prairie East High   
• Grace Affeldt • 5-9 • Fr. • Savage, Minn. • Burnsville High   
• Cameryn Johnson • 5-5 • Fr. • Spring, Texas. • Klein Oak High   
• Maggie Arceneaux • 5-8 • Fr. • Wildwood, Mo. • Lafayette High   
• Kennedy Grosklaus • 5-7 • Fr. • Oswego, Ill. • Oswego East High   
• Caitlyn Friebe, 5-8 • Fr. • Springfield, Mo. • Willard High   
• Grace Weisse • 5-5 • Fr. • North Aurora, Ill. • West Aurora High   
• Claire Culberson • 5-6 • Fr. •Magnolia, Texas • Magnolia High   
• Grace Robbins • 5-5 • Fr. • Bentonville, Ark. • Bentonville West High   
• Lindsey Hervey • 5-8 • Fr. • Columbia, Mo. • Father Tolton Catholic High   
• Hadleigh Henslee • 5-7 • Fr. • Humble, Texas • Atascocita High   

Makenzie Kurre • 6-0 • Fr. • Savannah, Mo. • Savannah High
Kurre placed first in state in the 100-yard freestyle, setting the Class 1 record (51.38) as a junior.  She also grabbed first place in the 200-yard freestyle (1:52.79) at state in her junior season. As a sophomore, Kurre placed second in the 100 free and third in the 200 free at state, while winning the 100 free and recording third place in the 200 free as a freshman.

Evie Kolb • 5-10 • Fr. • Springfield, Mo. • Fort Zumwalt East High
As a junior, Kolb recorded a third place finish in the 1650-yard freestyle and a fourth place finish in the 500-yard freestyle in the 2021 Ozark A Championships. At the 2022 ARSI Long Course Championships, Kolb earned first in the 1500-yard freestyle, while also collecting second-place finishes in both the 400-yard freestyle and 400-yard individual medley.   
   
Olivia Sala • 5-5 • Fr. • Sun Prairie, Wis. • Sun Prairie East High
As a junior, Sala set three new NCSA standards in Wisconsin state SCY in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard backstroke. She also made the finals in five out of five events and recorded personal best times in five out of six events (including the relay leadoff). For her high school team, Sala was a member of the school record-breaking squad in the 200-yard medley relay.   
   
Grace Affeldt • 5-9 • Fr. • Savage, Minn. • Burnsville High
As a junior, Affeldt was a USA Diving Zone Qualifier in the 16–18-year-old girls age group (1 meter). For her high school squad, she was named first-team all-conference three years in a row and was a state finalist in the Minnesota High School Diving Championship as a junior. As a sophomore, Affeldt set six total records for Burnsville.  
   
Cameryn Johnson • 5-5 • Fr. • Spring, Texas • Klein Oak High
During her junior season, Johnson was a Southern Zones finalist in six events in club swimming. At Klein Oak High, Johnson was an all-state honorable mention in the 100-yard freestyle and posted top five regional times in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle. As a sophomore, she was an NCSA Junior Nationals qualifier in the 50 and 100-meter free.   
   
Maggie Arceneaux • 5-8 • Fr. • Wildwood, Mo. • Lafayette High
On her high school team, Arceneaux earned first in the Missouri Class 2 District 2 Meet and third in the Missouri State high school championships. She was also named most valuable diver three years on her high school squad. 

Kennedy Grosklaus • 5-7 • Fr. • Oswego, Ill. • Oswego East High   
In club action, Grosklaus was a NCSA qualifier, a USA Swimming Futures qualifier and a Speedo Sectionals finalist. At Rosary High School, where she attended the first three years of high school, she recorded an all-time top 20 mark for her school in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke and was awarded the NISCA All-American award for her role on the 400-yard freestyle relay team.  

Caitlyn Friebe, 5-8, Fr., Springfield, Mo., Willard High   
On her club team, Friebe set the Missouri Valley Swimming Open record in the 50-backstroke, was the runner up in the Speedo Spring sectionals for the same event and placed fourth at the Futures Championships in the 100-yard backstroke. She was named a Futures qualifier and earned a spot on the USA Swimming All-American Team. She also was a Winter and Summer Junior Nationals Qualifier during her sophomore and junior club seasons.   
   
Grace Weisse, 5-5, Fr., North Aurora, Ill., West Aurora High   
For her high school team, Weisse was named to the all-conference and all-sectional team for all three years she has competed in so far. In 2020 and 2021, she was named her team's MVP.   
   
Claire Culberson, 5-6, Fr., Magnolia, Texas, Magnolia High   
In club action as a junior, Culberson was a sectionals and futures finalist. As both a sophomore and junior, she won regionals in the 100-yard breaststroke and was runner up at regionals in the 500-yard breaststroke. She placed in the top 16 in the 100 breast and in the top eight in the 500-yard freestyle.    
   
Grace Robbins, 5-5, Fr., Bentonville, Ark., Bentonville West High   
Robbins recorded a time of 1:05.8 in the 100-yard breast on her club team as a junior. As a sophomore in club, she recorded times of 2:18.66 in the 200-yard breast, 2:06.7 in the 200-yard individual medley, and 4:27.89 in the 400-yard individual medley. During her freshman and sophomore seasons, her high school team won the state championship in back-to-back seasons.    
   
Lindsey Hervey, 5-8, Fr., Columbia, Mo., Father Tolton Catholic High   
On her club team, she placed second in the 500-yard freestyle at spring sectionals and earned a third-place finish in the 1000-yard freestyle. Representing Father Tolton Catholic High, she placed first in the 500-yard freestyle at the Missouri Class 1 State Meet as a junior. As a freshman, she was the state champion in the 500-freestyle.
  
Hadleigh Henslee, 5-7, Fr., Humble, Texas, Atascocita High   
As a junior for her high school team, Henslee was a state finalist in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing 14^th overall. She was a state qualifier in the 200-yard individual medley with an 18^th-place finish. As a sophomore, Henslee was a state finalist in the 400-freestyle relay, finishing 7^th in the event. In club action, she made Sectionals Cut in 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke and made NSCA and Futures Cut in the 100 back and 200 IM.