NCAA Division II program Stonehill College in Massachusetts received their first two commitments for women’s swimming ahead of the program’s debut in the 2020-2021 season. The school officially announced this week Allison Wieland and Sydney Stockwell as its first-ever signees.
Wieland, a native of Houston, Texas, attended St. Agnes Academy where she was a member of the four-straight Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) State Championship teams. She is officially the first person to commit in program history.
“I chose Stonehill because of the charismatic and familial culture the campus and its members provide. I truly believe this is a place I will quickly learn to call home for the next four years,” said Wieland.
Stockwell, a native of Contoocook, New Hampshire, swam for Concord YMCA and attended Hopkinton High School. There she was a four-time New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA) Scholar-Athlete. She becomes the first swimmer to sign the program’s first National Letter of Intent.
“Stonehill emphasizes the importance of supporting both the student and the athlete,” said Stockwell.
Stockwell’s Best Times (SCY)
- 50 Free – 25.57
- 100 Free – 56.34
- 100 Back – 1:01.69
- 100 Fly – 1:02.81
- 200 IM – 2:19.46
Wieland’s Best Times (SCY)
- 50 Free – 26.56
- 100 Free – 1:00.19
- 100 Back – 1:05.91
Stockwell’s 100 Back would’ve qualified her for the B-Final last year at the championships, and her 50 free best time would’ve been within a tenth-of-a-second of doing the same. Southern Connecticut State won last year on the women’s side.
“It has been an exciting challenge and process working on our women’s swimming program’s first recruiting class,” said Caleb Potvin, first-year head coach for Stonehill.
“Allison and Sydney embody everything Stonehill is about and everything we want our swim program to be. They’re both incredibly kind people, hard-workers, and supportive teammates.”
Potvin, a three-time nominee for New England Swimming’s LSC Coach of the Year, was hired back in November as the inaugural head coach. He spent a year as a volunteer assistant coach at Texas A&M and as an assistant senior coach at Aggie Swim Club. Prior to coaching at College Station, he spent five years at The EDGE swim club in Vermont. He is also is the alumnus of fellow Northeast-10 conference school Saint Michael’s College.