Swimmers Add Seven Signees
2/10/2020 9:34:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Coach Huston Introduces The Newest Owls
The Owls' new signees are Mimi Filkin of Leesburg, Fla., Briana Gellineau of Amityville, New York, Lauren Hurt of Brentwood, Tenn., Sarah Kutz and Elizabeth Myers of Austin, Texas, and Lauren Brantley and Imogen Meers of England.
All have high competitive credentials and have met the University's challenging academic entrance requirements. The signees' first semester at Rice begins in August of 2020 and the group would compete at the Conference USA Swim Championships for the first time in 2021.
Under coach Huston's direction the Owl swimmers have won three Conference USA team championships and qualified individually for both the U.S. Olympic Trials and NCAA Championships. He had high praise for the Owls' latest class, his 18th at Rice since taking the helm of the program.
"The swim team looks forward to integrating this class into their successful culture and we believe the future of the program is in good hands," said coach Huston. "Several of the girls were accepted through Rice's highly selective early decision admissions process. We do not focus on recruiting swimmers for a specific event as much as finding great fits for the culture of our team and the University. With that said, our backstroke, butterfly, sprints and IM have all been upgraded."
A closer look at the incoming class is as follows:
Lauren Brantley * Butterfly/Freestyle/IM
London England (American School of London / Candem Swiss Cottage Swimming)
Best Times:
50 Butterfly – 28.66 LCM (25.04 SCY conversion
100 Butterfly – 1:01.26 SCM (55.14 SCY conversion)
200 Butterfly – 2:15.51 SCM (2:01.97 SCY conversion)
100 Freestyle – 58.58 SCM (52.68 SCY conversion)
Coached by – Adam Taylor
Coach Huston said – "We welcome Lauren, a legacy, as both parents are Rice grads. We know she has Rice blue pumping through her veins. She has a great background of steady improvement and we think she will excel as a collegiate student-athlete in our program."
Lauren Brantley said – "I am so excited to study and swim at Rice University! Rice offers the perfect combination of elite academics and athletics. I am so thankful to my coach, my family, and my friends who have supported me through this whole process. I can't wait to be a part of such an amazing team. Go Owls!"
Mimi Filkin * Backstroke/Butterfly/IM
Leesburg, Fla (Tavares High School / YMCA of Central Florida Swim Club)
2nd place in 100-backstroke, 2nd place in 200-IM, 3rd place in 200-backstroke, at Florida 2A H.S. Championships
Finalist at YMCA Nationals
Two-Time USA Swimming Scholastic All-America
Best Times:
100 Back – 55.54
200 Back – 2:01.64
100 Fly – 56.20
200 Fly – 2:04.35
200 IM – 2:05.76
Coached by – Nick Johnson (H.S.), Chris O'Domski (Club)
Coach Huston said – "Mimi is a gem. She is a leader within her club, very coachable and, I believe, very invested in her and her teammates' success. I like the event versatility Mimi brings to Rice. She will find ways to contribute to the team each and every day."
Mimi Filkin said – "I loved the Rice atmosphere – everyone was so nice and fun. It really felt like home."
Briana Gellineau * Backstroke/Freestyle
Amityville, N.Y. (St. Anthony's High School / Long Island Aquatic Club)
USA Swimming Junior National qualifier (200 Back)
NCSA Junior National qualifier (2015-2019)
Three-time NY Federation Girls Swimming finalist in the 200 and 500 Free (school record holder)
Two-time team MVP
National Honor Society
Three-time Saint Bonaventure Award
Best Times:
100 Back – 56.77
200 Back – 2:01.31
50 Free – 23.67
100 Free – 51.01
200 Free – 1:49.46
Coached by – Dan McBride (H.S.), Dave Ferris/Ginny Nussbaum (Club)
Coach Huston said – "We are excited to welcome Briana to Rice University. She reminds me of current Rice Owl, Marta Cano Minarro; strong and determined. I think Briana has a great future ahead of her growing and competing for Rice."
Briana Gellineau said – "I chose Rice because of its atmosphere of excellence. The institution's core values of responsibility, integrity, community, and excellence resonate and have been ingrained in me since childhood. The 'culture of care' and inclusion for all members of the community are inspirational. As a student-athlete, I am motivated and excited by the Rice Athletic Department's motto of 'building the whole person.' Lastly, the supportive, encouraging, and proactive involvement of the Academic Advising for Athletics convinced me that Rice is for me!"
Lauren Hurt * Backstroke/Freestyle
Brentwood, Tenn. (Brentwood High School / Nashville Aquatic Club)
Four-time Junior National Qualifier
Two-time silver medalist and three-time bronze medalist at state championships
Owns four school records
Three-Time USA Swimming Scholastic All-America
National Honor Society
Commended National Merit Scholar
Best Times:
100 Back – 55.31
200 Back – 2:00.33
50 Free – 23.76
100 Free – 51.57
200 Free – 1:51.01
200 IM – 2:01.77
100 Butterfly – 54.98
Coached by – Brenda Vroon (H.S.), John Morse/Doug Wharam (Club)
Coach Huston said – "Lauren comes from a great program, Nashville Aquatic Club; she is a great competitor and a versatile athlete. We were impressed with Lauren's commitment to meeting our expectations. She has a growth mindset that will benefit her as a student and athlete in her future at Rice University."
Lauren Hurt said – "I loved both the campus and team environments that Rice offers. I knew that I wanted to be surrounded by students and athletes who shared the same determination I do in and out of the pool. Rice University gives each student unique experiences and opportunities that you can't find anywhere else."
Sarah Kutz * Butterfly/IM
Austin, Texas (Vandegrift High School / Austin Swim Club)
Winter Junior Nationals West Finalist (200 Butterfly, 400 IM)
Four-time Finalist USA Swimming Futures
USA Swimming Scholastic All-America
Best Times:
100 Butterfly – 1:01.92 LCM (54.92 SCY conversion)
200 Butterfly – 1:58.82
200 IM – 2:02.13
400 IM – 4:17.94
Coached by – Chris Coghill (Club)
Coach Huston said – "Sarah was our first commitment. She is a valuable member of Austin Swim Club, a top club team in Texas and we knew right away that Sarah is a young lady that will thrive as a student and athlete at Rice University."
Sarah Kutz said – "Rice was my final decision because I felt an amazing connection with the team and the coaches in addition to its wonderful academic programs."
Imogen Meers * Backstroke/Free/IM
Bromley, England (Bromley High School / Bromley Swimming Club)
Multi-medalist at the British Nationals, winning a silver (100-Free) and bronze (100-Back)
Nine-time finalist at the English Nationals
Represented Team London at the Flanders Swimming Cup in Belgium
Best Times:
50 Backstroke – 28.15 LCM (24.49 SCY conversion)
100 Backstroke – 1:01.38 LCM (53.58 SCY conversion)
100 Freestyle – 58.05 LCM (51.97 SCY conversion)
50 Butterfly – 27.63 LCM (24.14 SCY conversion)
100 IM – 1:02.77 SCM
Coached by – Dave Court (Club)
Coach Huston said – "Imogen is ready to excel. In my mind, she will arrive at Rice University from the UK very well prepared, academically and athletically. Imogen is a passionate learner and that value shines through in racing and training. We look forward to seeing how she contributes to our program."
Imogen Meers said – "I chose Rice because it offers a perfect balance of amazing academics and athletics. The girls and coaches created such an amazing team atmosphere, which made me very welcome."
Elizabeth Myers * Freestyle/Butterfly
Austin, Texas (Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School / Western Hills Athletic Club)
Finalist for the 2020 UIL State Championships in the 100-Butterfly and 50-Freestyle
2019 UIL State Finalist
USA Swimming Scholastic All-America
AP Scholar with Distinction
National Merit Commended
Best Times:
50 Freestyle – 23.79
100 Freestyle – 52.25
200 Freestyle – 1:53.68
100 Butterfly – 55.32
200 Butterfly – 2:06.20
Coached by – Tracie Gardner (H.S.), Jimmy Bynum/Ian Crocker (Club)
Coach Huston said – "Elizabeth reminds so much of so many successful alumnae. She is committed to the process, an eager student and caring teammate. These are values and skills that we work hard to develop and I feel like Elizabeth is ahead of the curve in development. She approaches college very well prepared to succeed and contribute to the team."
Elizabeth Myers said – "I choose Rice University because I knew that it would be the best place for me to succeed as a student-athlete and young adult the next four years. From the beginning, I loved Rice's campus and location. The small undergraduate population divided into residential colleges offers a small-community feel that appealed to me. Knowing my first adult years would be spent in college, it was important for me to find a place I wanted to live, in addition to having opportunities in the surrounding area. The Rice swim team and coaches immediately made me feel welcome each time I visited campus, and it seems like the same family I had with my club swim team."