Lehigh University Athletics
Swimming and diving programs add 11 in Class of 2018
8/21/2014 11:55:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – With students set to return to campus this weekend and classes slated to begin on Monday, Lehigh head coach Rob Herb has announced the addition of 11 newcomers who will join the Mountain Hawks' swimming and diving program.
The class of 2018 features six women and five men with five different states represented plus three members of the incoming class who hail from the Lehigh Valley. The quality of Patriot League swimming continues to improve and Herb feels this incoming group will be able to help Lehigh keep pace with its league counterparts.
"We're in an amazing conference when it comes to swimming," said Herb, who enters his 11th season. "We now have five teams that are pushing as hard as they possibly can to be the best. The men's side of the Patriot League is incredibly fast with the number of athletes qualifying for US Nationals and NCAAs almost doubling. With the women, not as many are making the higher end meets but its growing the fastest. They're both very strong and growing fast but we are keeping pace.
Three of the women in the incoming class hail from New Jersey, including Sydney Bornstein, from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School in Princeton Junction. Bornstein specializes in butterfly and middle distance freestyle. A member of the Princeton Piranha swim team, Bornstein qualified for USA Swimming Junior Nationals in the 200 yard butterfly and is a three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.
Sprinter Julianne Koch comes from Babylon, N.Y. where she will join her sister Carolyn, a two-time All-Patriot League performer who enters her junior season. The younger Koch was a member of Team Suffolk and like her sister specializes in the spring freestyle events. Koch made the national cut in the 200 yard freestyle last fall and competed at USA Swimming Winter Nationals, the same meet where four Mountain Hawks (including Carolyn) competed.
Wyckoff, N.J, product Julia Perry should add depth in the backstroke events. Perry attended Ramapo High School and swam for the Wyckoff YMCA Sharks. At the 2013 YMCA Summer Nationals, Perry reached the "A" finals in the 50 yard backstroke and the "C" finals in the 100 back.
The first of three Lehigh Valley products in the incoming class is Rachel Rider, a butterfly and backstroke swimmer from Bethlehem by way of Liberty High School. Rider is a PIAA state qualifier in the 100 yard butterfly and also competed at states in the medley relay. She is a member of the Parkland Aquatic Club.
Meghan Thompson is a freestyle swimmer from Kinnelon High School in New Jersey. Thompson swam for the Lakeland Hills YMCA where she competed in all freestyle events from the 50 up to the 1000 and also has competed in the 100 yard butterfly. She set four LHY team records in one year when she was 14 years old.
The final newcomer on the women's side is Abby Thomson from Bethlehem by way of Moravian Academy. Thomson specializes in distance freestyle. She competed for the Emmaus Aquatic Club. She also had success at a young age, winning the 200 free at the 2011 FG FLA International Invitational, her first international meet. Both of Thomson's parents attended Lehigh with her father competing in cross country and track and field.
"This is the game-changing year," Herb said of his women's recruiting class. "We've had three years of really good recruiting. The team has really connected. The girls coming in have a good understanding of what the objectives are and are already connected with the team. This is the year where we can really make some big strides. We made big strides last year and the strides we are going to make this year are going to be bigger."
The men's side features the third newcomer from the Lehigh Valley in freestyle swimmer Patrick Champagne. A Macungie native and Emmaus High School graduate, Champagne competed for the Emmaus Aquatic Club. Champagne is a two-time PIAA state qualifier who will provide depth from the 100 free up through the 1000 free.
A versatile performer who can swim backstroke, butterfly and individual medley, Jimmy Davey comes from Pomperaug High School in Southbury, Conn. Davey competes in the 100 and 200 yard back plus the 100 fly and the 200 IM. He was tri-captain of a NISCA high school team that ranked second nationally and swam for the Panther Aquatic Club.
A breaststroke specialist from Westfield, N.J., Tyler Lessner competed for Westfield High School and the Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA. Lessner arrives at Lehigh as the Union County record holder in the 100 yard breaststroke.
The fifth and final New Jersey product in the incoming class is Dean Shafritz from Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft. Shafritz swam for the Red Bank YMCA and competes primarily in the backstroke, but can also swim the 100 fly and middle distance freestyle. He was a high school All-American and a five-time YMCA All-American.
Rounding out the incoming class is Zach Tieke from Fenwick High School in Illinois. Tieke will join Lehigh's talented core of young sprinters that includes sophomores Jamal Willis and Justin White. Tieke hails from the same high school as White and the two were teammates on Fenwick's 200 free relay team that finished second in the state.
"On the men's team our class is equivalently strong," Herb said. "The league for the men continues to get tougher and tougher. The group of guys coming in will definitely help us maintain our spot while also being the gate crasher here or there.
Herb continued, "The women we have coming in are ready to fire and the guys we have coming in are going to fire but they're also going to be able to develop even more."
In addition to the 11 newcomers, Lehigh returns a number of strong swimmers in both genders, including five of its six All-Patriot League performers from a year ago and Patriot League champions Courtney Patterson and Kaitlyn Ruffing.
"We're in a position where we're recruiting the right people, we're developing the right people, and we have the right mission and our team is buying in," Herb said. "That buy in is making us a better program."
The Mountain Hawks will open the dual meet season with a pair of road meets in New England as Lehigh will visit Boston University on Saturday October 11 and Holy Cross the following afternoon. Lehigh's home opener is set for Friday October 24 against West Chester at Jacobs Pool.
Lehigh Women's Swimming and Diving Class of 2018
Lehigh Men's Swimming and Diving Class of 2018
The class of 2018 features six women and five men with five different states represented plus three members of the incoming class who hail from the Lehigh Valley. The quality of Patriot League swimming continues to improve and Herb feels this incoming group will be able to help Lehigh keep pace with its league counterparts.
"We're in an amazing conference when it comes to swimming," said Herb, who enters his 11th season. "We now have five teams that are pushing as hard as they possibly can to be the best. The men's side of the Patriot League is incredibly fast with the number of athletes qualifying for US Nationals and NCAAs almost doubling. With the women, not as many are making the higher end meets but its growing the fastest. They're both very strong and growing fast but we are keeping pace.
Three of the women in the incoming class hail from New Jersey, including Sydney Bornstein, from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School in Princeton Junction. Bornstein specializes in butterfly and middle distance freestyle. A member of the Princeton Piranha swim team, Bornstein qualified for USA Swimming Junior Nationals in the 200 yard butterfly and is a three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.
Sprinter Julianne Koch comes from Babylon, N.Y. where she will join her sister Carolyn, a two-time All-Patriot League performer who enters her junior season. The younger Koch was a member of Team Suffolk and like her sister specializes in the spring freestyle events. Koch made the national cut in the 200 yard freestyle last fall and competed at USA Swimming Winter Nationals, the same meet where four Mountain Hawks (including Carolyn) competed.
Wyckoff, N.J, product Julia Perry should add depth in the backstroke events. Perry attended Ramapo High School and swam for the Wyckoff YMCA Sharks. At the 2013 YMCA Summer Nationals, Perry reached the "A" finals in the 50 yard backstroke and the "C" finals in the 100 back.
The first of three Lehigh Valley products in the incoming class is Rachel Rider, a butterfly and backstroke swimmer from Bethlehem by way of Liberty High School. Rider is a PIAA state qualifier in the 100 yard butterfly and also competed at states in the medley relay. She is a member of the Parkland Aquatic Club.
Meghan Thompson is a freestyle swimmer from Kinnelon High School in New Jersey. Thompson swam for the Lakeland Hills YMCA where she competed in all freestyle events from the 50 up to the 1000 and also has competed in the 100 yard butterfly. She set four LHY team records in one year when she was 14 years old.
The final newcomer on the women's side is Abby Thomson from Bethlehem by way of Moravian Academy. Thomson specializes in distance freestyle. She competed for the Emmaus Aquatic Club. She also had success at a young age, winning the 200 free at the 2011 FG FLA International Invitational, her first international meet. Both of Thomson's parents attended Lehigh with her father competing in cross country and track and field.
"This is the game-changing year," Herb said of his women's recruiting class. "We've had three years of really good recruiting. The team has really connected. The girls coming in have a good understanding of what the objectives are and are already connected with the team. This is the year where we can really make some big strides. We made big strides last year and the strides we are going to make this year are going to be bigger."
The men's side features the third newcomer from the Lehigh Valley in freestyle swimmer Patrick Champagne. A Macungie native and Emmaus High School graduate, Champagne competed for the Emmaus Aquatic Club. Champagne is a two-time PIAA state qualifier who will provide depth from the 100 free up through the 1000 free.
A versatile performer who can swim backstroke, butterfly and individual medley, Jimmy Davey comes from Pomperaug High School in Southbury, Conn. Davey competes in the 100 and 200 yard back plus the 100 fly and the 200 IM. He was tri-captain of a NISCA high school team that ranked second nationally and swam for the Panther Aquatic Club.
A breaststroke specialist from Westfield, N.J., Tyler Lessner competed for Westfield High School and the Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA. Lessner arrives at Lehigh as the Union County record holder in the 100 yard breaststroke.
The fifth and final New Jersey product in the incoming class is Dean Shafritz from Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft. Shafritz swam for the Red Bank YMCA and competes primarily in the backstroke, but can also swim the 100 fly and middle distance freestyle. He was a high school All-American and a five-time YMCA All-American.
Rounding out the incoming class is Zach Tieke from Fenwick High School in Illinois. Tieke will join Lehigh's talented core of young sprinters that includes sophomores Jamal Willis and Justin White. Tieke hails from the same high school as White and the two were teammates on Fenwick's 200 free relay team that finished second in the state.
"On the men's team our class is equivalently strong," Herb said. "The league for the men continues to get tougher and tougher. The group of guys coming in will definitely help us maintain our spot while also being the gate crasher here or there.
Herb continued, "The women we have coming in are ready to fire and the guys we have coming in are going to fire but they're also going to be able to develop even more."
In addition to the 11 newcomers, Lehigh returns a number of strong swimmers in both genders, including five of its six All-Patriot League performers from a year ago and Patriot League champions Courtney Patterson and Kaitlyn Ruffing.
"We're in a position where we're recruiting the right people, we're developing the right people, and we have the right mission and our team is buying in," Herb said. "That buy in is making us a better program."
The Mountain Hawks will open the dual meet season with a pair of road meets in New England as Lehigh will visit Boston University on Saturday October 11 and Holy Cross the following afternoon. Lehigh's home opener is set for Friday October 24 against West Chester at Jacobs Pool.
Lehigh Women's Swimming and Diving Class of 2018
| Name | Event | Hometown/High School | College |
| Sydney Bornstein | Free/Fly | Princeton Junction, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro | Arts and Sciences |
| Julianne Koch | Free | Babylon, N.Y./Babylon | Engineering |
| Julia Perry | Back | Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo | Business |
| Rachel Rider | Back/Fly | Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty | Arts and Sciences |
| Meghan Thompson | Free | Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon | Business |
| Abby Thomson | Free | Bethlehem, Pa./Moravian Academy | Arts and Sciences |
Lehigh Men's Swimming and Diving Class of 2018
| Name | Event | Hometown/High School | College |
| Patrick Champagne | Free | Macungie, Pa./Emmaus | Arts and Sciences |
| Jimmy Davey | Back/Fly | Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug | Engineering |
| Tyler Lessner | Breast | Westfield, N.J./Westfield | Arts and Sciences |
| Dean Shafritz | Back | Middletown, N.J./Christian Bros. Academy | Engineering |
| Zach Tieke | Free | Hinsdale, Ill./Fenwick | Engineering |
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