Swim Team Announces Three New Signees
12/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Dec. 8, 2008
HOUSTON - Three prep swimmers with experience at the high school and club levels have signed with Rice and will join the Owls in the fall of 2009, head swim coach Seth Huston announced on Monday (Dec. 8). The Owls' new signees are Danielle Spence from San Diego, Calif, Kylee Talwar of Jacksonville, Fla., and Stephanie Wei of San Jose, Calif.
Coach Huston had high praise for the Owls' latest signing class, his seventh at Rice since taking the helm of the program. Each of the signees has elite competitive credentials from the Junior National level and above. The signees' first semester at Rice begins in August of 2009. That is approximately the same time the University will cut the ribbon on the new Gibbs Recreation & Wellness Center, an on-campus facility featuring a new state-of-the-art 50-meter competition pool that will serve as the swim team's new home.
"This is a great class," Huston said. "I believe each of these young women has the ability and mental toughness that it takes to compete at the highest levels of NCAA Division I swimming. This will be a great class to add to our momentum of moving into a new facility next year."
2008-2009 Rice Swimming Signee Bios
Danielle Spence * Freestyle
San Diego, Calif. (Mount Carmel HS / Pacific Swim Club)
* 200 Free 1:51.84; 500 Free 4:56.92; 1000 Free 10:21.03
* Six-time High School All-America
* Helped Mt. Carmel HS win 2008 league championship
* 2007 California Interscholastic Federation champion in 500-Free
* 2007 All-North County
* Coached by Dan Peck (HS and club)
* USA Swimming Academic all-America and member of the National Honor Society
* Union-Tribune Scholar-Athlete
* 2008 AP Scholar with Honor
Coach Huston said: "Danielle is an accomplished middle distance freestyler with a lot of ability, which indicates her best swims are ahead of her. She fits perfectly with Rice University and our swim program. Danielle is very bright and comes from a swimming family, her sister is an All America swimmer at Stanford. We will be looking for Danielle to make a big impact for us and help take our team into the Top 25."
Kylee Talwar * Individual Medley
Jacksonville, Fla. (The Bolles School / Bolles School Sharks)
* U.S. Open qualifier (200 IM, 2:01.31)
* Senior National qualifier (100 BR, 1:03.96; 200 BR, 2:19.95; 400 IM, 4:23.03)
* State meet runner-up in 100-BR and 200-IM
* Helped Bolles win an 18th-consecutive girls' state championship
* Coached by Sergio Lopez (HS and club)
* Member of the National Honor Society
* First Honors (Bolles highest tier of academic accolades)
Coach Huston said: "Kylee signs with Rice already under our school record in the 200-IM. She has made great improvements over the last year. Kylee is no stranger to Rice. Her mother, Susan Allen, swam for Rice in 1979-83. Kylee is a very mature and hardworking individual and she fits into our team atmosphere so well. I believe Kylee can make an instant impact in our line up in the IM and breaststroke events in particular."
Stephanie Wei * Backstroke
San Jose, Calif. (Archbishop Mitty HS / Santa Clara Swim Club)
* Olympic Trials qualifier (100-m Back, 1:05.19; 200-m Back, 2:17.48)
* Junior National qualifier (100-y Back, 56.36; 200-y Back, 2:01.17; 200-IM 2:05.79; 200-Free 2:05.49)
* Nine-time High School All-America
* Coached by Tom Miller (HS) and John Bitter (club)
* Two-time USA Swimming Academic all-America
* High School Academic Honor Roll
Coach Huston said: "Stephanie is a very well trained and versatile athlete. She has competed at the highest levels of USA Swimming, most-recently at the 2008 USA Olympic Trials in the 200-backstroke. Stephanie will make an instant impact in the backstroke events. I can also see her competing in the middle distance free and IM events. I think Stephanie will be competing at NCAA's for Rice as she continues to improve."