Huskers Announce 2010 Signees

The Nebraska swimming and diving team announced the signings of seven athletes to its 2010 recruiting class. Six swimmers and one diver will be joining the team for the 2010-11 season as they signed letters-of-intent to compete for the Huskers next year.

"We are very excited about this class and the future of this program," NU Assistant Coach Doug Humphrey said. "These athletes will be able to come in and make an immediate impact on this team and our conference."

The class includes two Nebraskans and five from out of state. Nebraska graduated seven seniors this season, including school record-holder Mariah Hutchinson and NCAA qualifier Kaitlin Arntz, making this year's recruiting class essential in filling in the pieces that the Huskers will be missing next season with the departure of the seniors.

2010 Nebraska Swimming and Diving Signees

Bailey Pons (Cedar Falls, Iowa - Cedar Falls High School)
Pons is the reigning Iowa High School Swimmer of the Year, after winning the 200- and 500-yard freestyles at the state meet last season. She is a High School All American and was the 2010 Spring Speedo Championship Series champion in the 1,000-yard freestyle and a runner-up in the 1,650-yard freestyle.

Lexie Halberstadt (Fargo, N.D. - Shanley High School)
Halberstadt comes to Nebraska as one of North Dakota's best swimmers in state history. The Fargo, N.D., native is a four-time North Dakota state champion in the 50-yard freestyle and a three-time state champion in the 100-yard butterfly. The High School All American is the North Dakota state record holder in the 50-yard freestyle.

Shannon Guy (Omaha, Neb. - Millard West High School)
Guy continues the tradition of Millard West graduates to attend Nebraska, following in the footsteps of former Huskers Kaitlin Arntz and C.J. Bray. Guy was the Nebraska state champion in the 100-yard breaststroke three times and the state champion in the 100-yard butterfly four times. She holds the Nebraska high school record in the 100-yard butterfly, and in the Midwestern Swimming record holder in the 100 Fly (short course and long course). Guy was also the champion in the 100 Fly at the 2010 Speedo Sectional Championship.

Morgan Flannigan (Lawrence, Kan. - Lawrence Free State High School)
Flannigan, has seen success at the Kansas state swimming championships in all three years so far at Lawrence Free State High School. She finished third in the 200-yard freestyle the last two seasons and was a two-time runner-up in the 500-yard freestyle. She is a member of the Kansas state record-holding 200-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle relay teams, and will look to add a state championship to her resume when the Kansas State Meet is held at the end of May.

Kristin Strecker (Topeka, Kan. - Hayden High School)
Strecker joins Flannigan as the two Kansas natives joining the Husker squad in 2010. Strecker was a 2009 NSCA Jr. National Finalist, and will be competing in the Kansas State Meet at the end of May, where she will be looking for her first state championship.

Ashleigh Grammar (St. Louis, Mo. - Lafayette High School)
Grammar is a versatile swimmer from Lafayette High School in St. Louis, Mo. She has two top-eight finishes at the state meet in the 200-yard IM, two top-10 finishes in the 500-yard freestyle and two top-10 finishes in the 200-yard freestyle. She joins a long list of former Huskers from Missouri, including current team members Blaine Hoppenrath and Shannon Toomey.

Payton Michaud (Lincoln, Neb. - Lincoln Northeast High School)
Michaud is one of two Nebraska natives joining the Huskers in 2010 and the only diver in the recruiting class. Michaud will be joining Nebraska's young diving corps, which next season will feature five sophomores and one junior. She finished second in the one meter dive at the 2010 Nebraska State Championships.