Maryville Sets Off Into First Season of Swimming with 9 Swimmers

SwimSwam Contributor Gisselle Kohoyda wrote this report.

Maryville University welcomed Mandy Chun this past January to their women’s swimming and diving team as their first head coach.  During her previous position as the head coach of Francis Howell High School, she produced 4 state champions and 2 All-Americans. As a graduate of Lindenwood University, Chun was an All-American honorable mention in the 800 freestyle relay and brings a strong sense of leadership that she acquired as a team captain in 2007 and 2008.

“I come from a growing and successful high school program and am eager to begin a college program that boasts academic and athletic excellence,” says Chun.

Chun’s first recruiting class will feature just 5 freshmen hoping to make a splash on their first season, and they will join one sophomore, a junior, and two seniors for a first-year roster of 9.

The swimmer prospected to make the biggest impact to this new team is Jessica Miller, a sprinter and IMer hailing out of Lake Mary, Florida. Originally from the Wichita Swim Club, she moved to Florida and did quite well during her high school season at Bishop Moore Catholic High School. Standing 5’3″ tall, she has bests of 25.4 and 56.0 in the 50 and 100 yard freestyles.

“We have a small, but very strong incoming class. I hope to build a sense of team, tradition and culture on the Maryville campus and the beginning of a successful DII program,” says Chun.

The team will also have some good potential with three swimmers standing 5’10” or taller: freshman Jillian Johnston, junior Chelsey Gerber, and senior Alyssa Cradic, who is a transfer from nearby Stephens College where the swimming program was cut in 2010.

Maryville University is a part of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Not only will this be the inaugural season for the Lady Saints, but also the year the GLVC will host their first conference meet featuring the renowned DII powerhouse Drury University.

The schools from the Great Lakes Valley Conference that will compete in their 2014 conference meet with men’s and women’s teams will be Bellarmine University, Drury University, University of Illinois Springfield, University of Indianapolis, Truman State University and William Jewell College. Maryville University will compete with a women’s team only and Missouri S&T will compete with a men’s team only.

The 2013-2014 season for Maryville will kick off with a tri-meet against Truman State and William Jewell on October 4^th, 2013. The full schedule can be seen here.