VERMILLION — South Dakota head swimming and diving coach Jason Mahowald is pleased to announce the addition of eight athletes to the 2015-16 roster. The additions include Christopher Clemons, Tommy Drazick, Tristan Gens, Steven Howell, Samantha Norlin, Hunter Padgett, Austin Painter and Jared Thorson.
“This class is going to make an immediate impact out of the gate,” said Mahowald. “Each of these athletes will help our program in one way or another during their freshman year. We are looking at a solid incoming class.”
A diver hailing from Houston, Texas, Norlin is a four-time Texas 6A State Meet qualifier. Working with coach Sven Schultz, Norlin finished her senior season in 12th place at the state meet. Norlin also made the all-state diving team all four years and is a three-time region champion in the one-meter dive. She holds a personal best one-meter dive score of 398.10 for 11 dives. Norlin also played water polo for the Falcons. At South Dakota, she plans to major in sustainability.
A native of Valley Center, Kan., Clemons will swim the individual medley, the sprint freestyle and the butterfly for the Coyotes. Clemons is a two-time All-American and three-time all-state honoree. He set school records in the 200 IM, 100 fly, 100 breast and on three different relays. The Eagles’ 200 medley relay broke the Kansas state, AVCTL Division I conference and Maize High School records. Clemons was a two-time AAA standard award winner. He also played football for Maize. Clemons plans to major in sport management at South Dakota.
A freestyle and backstroke swimmer from Casper, Wyo., Drazick is a two-time Wyoming State Champion. He finished in the top-12 of the state meet eight times. Guiding him to success at Kelly Walsh High School was coach and Coyote alumnus Bridger Miller. Drazick earned four letters in swimming and one in cross country. Outside of athletics, he is a National Honor Society officer, Spanish Honor Society officer, member of the science club, member of the Spanish club and volunteers at the hospital. Drazick will study pre-medicine at South Dakota.
A native of Winsted, Minn., Gens joins his older brother, Dustin, on the Coyote diving squad. As a senior, Gens placed seventh at the Minnesota Class A State Championships in the one-meter dive with an 11-dive score of 364.70 and earned all-state honors. He was the 2015 Minnesota Section 2A Diver of the Meet after winning the one-meter dive. Gens was a three-time state participant. He also earned two letters in track while competing for the Royals. An honor roll student in high school, Gens will major in computer science at South Dakota.
A sprinter from Lockport, Ill., Howell is a two-time state qualifier. He was the captain of the Porter swimming and water polo teams as a senior. Howell was coached by Jason Ozbolt at Lockport Township High School. Howell plans to enter the nursing program at USD.
Hailing from Carlsbad, Calif., Padgett earned all-league honors in leading the Lancers to a 2014 Avocado West League Championship. He finished runner-up in the 200-yard freestyle at the meet. Padgett also helped his team to a 2014 California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Sectional Championship title by placing fourth in the 100 back and eighth in the 200 free. Padgett will major in kinesiology and sport science at South Dakota.
A sprinter from Lincoln, Neb., Painter swam a leg of the fifth-place 200-yard medley relay at the 2015 Nebraska Class A State Championships. A three-time state qualifier, he recorded career bests of 22.38 in the 50-yard free and 49.8 in the 100-yard free. Painter also played football, soccer and ran track for the Knights.
A butterfly swimmer from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Thorson capped off his high school swimming career with an Iowa State Championship title in the 100 fly. He won in 50.56 seconds. Thorson improved from his runner-up performance as a junior and fourth place as a sophomore. Thorson had a combined total of 12 top-10 performances at the Iowa State Championships.
Swimming news courtesy of University of South Dakota Swimming.
Are these athletes on scholarship or just attending the school and swimming?