Woodard Adds Six to Swimming Roster

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – This was an odd year to build a recruiting class, with no official visits to campus. The situation required potential recruits to do a bit more homework without being able to present themselves in person and tour facilities.

Colorado State women's swimming and diving coach Christopher Woodard felt through technology his program was able to build an impressive 2021 recruiting class of six athletes – five swimmers and one diver -- which can produce immediate results for the Rams at the Mountain West Championships.

"I think what I'm impressed most by, this class did their due diligence," Woodard said. "For the most part, they got out there and really researched the school and they spent time developing a relationship with us. I think their maturity level really showed through in the interview process. One thing all of them had in common is they all have big goals, and that's always something we want to hear. We want to hear them get excited about swimming and diving."

Woodard is not only impressed with the results in the pool, but also in the classroom. The class has one homegrown product in Katie McClelland, who competes for Lewis Palmer High School and the Pikes Peak Swim Club. The rest of the class spans from Florida, Texas, Nevada, Washington and Indiana.

"I think the video meeting was absolutely necessary," Woodard said of the new style of recruiting. "We wanted to meet with them and their parents. We always like to do that, but you don't' always get the opportunity to do that. I think the video format is really helping a lot in terms of us understanding the person and the family.

"Maya White was able to come up on her own, and Katie McClelland has been on campus before. But some are coming in blind, so it was really important to make deep, deep connections with them."

Maisy Barbosa | University Place, Wash. | Curtis Senior HS

A state placer in Washington, she is also a Winter Juniors and Futures qualifier. She placed sixth in the 400-yard individual medley and 16^th in the 200 backstroke at the Futures Meet, competing for the Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club. She has earned team MVP honors and the coach's award in high school, and was named her club's most improved swimmer in 2019. She holds a personal best of 4:24.92 in the 400 IM, a 2:02.57 in the 200 backstroke and a 2:05.77 in the 200 IM.

Why she chose CSU: "I chose CSU because the second I stepped on campus it felt like home. The coaching staff and girls were also super supportive and helped me through the recruiting process. I can't wait to be a Ram!"

Woodard on Barbosa: "We're thrilled to have her joining us. She came out to visit on her own and met with some of our athletes. She showed us she had a real passion for CSU and Fort Collins, and that plays a huge role in our decision. More than that, she has events where we know we can capitalize right away. She's a great underwater specialist, and we've seen the results so far, and we think it will pay great dividends in the fly, back and 400 IM, specifically."

Emily Chorpening | Tallahassee, Fla. | Lawton Chiles HS

She is a four-time state placer, with a trio of those finishes coming in the 500-yard freestyle, placing eighth twice and sixth once, while also placing seventh in the 200 freestyle. A high honors student who has earned three scholar-athlete awards, she holds a personal best of 10:05.00 in the 1,000 freestyle, 16:57.00 in the 1,650 freestyle and 4:57.00 in the 500 freestyle. Swimming for Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club, she's placed top 10 in the nation in the 1,000 free, top 10 in Florida in the 1,650, 1,000 and 500., while also placing 13^th at the Futures Meet in the mile.

Why she chose CSU: "I chose CSU because the coaching staff is amazing and the girls already have made me feel at home. Not only is the destination a dream, but the team is as well. I can't wait to be a part of this amazing school and athletic program!"

Woodard on Chorpening: "Emily really impressed us with her eagerness to do the dirty work. She takes great pride coming from a tough Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club program under coach Terry Maul and being able to handle sets that might be beyond certain people. She had a great passion for CSU, and that matters a great deal. We think she's going to be a real big addition up and down the freestyle events."

Erin Dawson | Sparks, Nev. | Reed HS

A product of the Sparks Piranhas Swim Team, Dawson was a two-event state placer in 2019, taking third in both the 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle. A NCSA Junior Nationals and Futures Championships qualifier, she was named her club MVP two years in a row and the most improved swimmer three times. She has posted a personal best of 2:05.82 in the 200 IM, 4:28.45 in the 400 IM and a 2:04.88 in the 200 butterfly.

Why she chose CSU: "I chose CSU because of the great team and amazing coaches that I built a relationship with. With COVID going on, didn't get to visit campus, but from pictures, some of the girls, and coaches, I knew it was the best fit for me. The girls are super sweet and family-oriented, and the culture is such a positive environment. I just know that CSU is the perfect place for me!"

Woodard on Dawson: "She was just very, very positive the whole way through it. Positive about our coaching style, positive about CSU and positive that she could make an impact. She's got some tough events under club coach Mike Richmond. She'll probably be training with coach Lisa Ginder, and she's going to help us in a variety of IM and the distance events. She was thoroughly an impressive human being, and when I see that, I tend to believe there's a vicious competitor under all that."

Lindsay Gizzi | South Bend, Ind. | John Adams HS

She is a two-sport athlete out of high school, but not the normal combination one sees with a diver as her other sport was golf. Twice named her team MVP, she is a two-time Junior Nationals Zones qualifier, winning Zones on the 1-meter board and placing 10^th on the 3-meter with the Double Dragon Diving Club. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.

Why she chose CSU: "It was the perfect athletic and academic fit for me!"

Chris Bergere on Gizzi: "She is super good on the 1-meter especially. She will be an excellent addition to our current squad. Lindsay is very talented and has an excellent skill base to work from. She will make an immediate impact on our team and within our conference. I'm super excited about her potential as a student-athlete at CSU."

Katie McClelland | Monument, Colo. | Palmer Ridge HS

Heading into her senior year, she has already been an 'A' finalist in three individual events and as part of three relays for the Lewis Palmer swim and dive team. She was named the team's Impact Athlete of the year in 2018, Most Dedicated in 2019 and Most Valuable in 2020. A first-team academic All-State selection for three seasons, she has also been an 'A' finalist at sectionals and earned a state club age-group championships in the 200 IM and 400 IM. She holds personal records of 1:03.36 in the 100 breaststroke, 2:20.28 in the 200 breaststroke and 56.76 in the 100 butterfly.

Why she chose CSU: "The team was so inclusive and I knew that I was going to fit in so well and so adored the coaches. I also absolutely love the town of Fort Collins and can't wait to call it my home!"

Woodard on McClelland: "She's just a flat-out stud. She came to camp years ago, and I knew she was someone we were interested in. Very polite, very intelligent, but a tough, tough competitor. We've been watching her race several years, so we know she's very talented after working with coach George Heidinger with the Pikes Peak Athletics."

Maya White | Rockwell, Texas | Rockwall HS

White has shown a recent surge in her swimming, placing sixth in state in 2020 in the 500 freestyle, recently lowering her personal best in the event to a 4:56.44. She earned the NISCA All-American Award for the event, and she's been named the MVP of her senior group with Rockwall Aquatic Center of Excellence. She also holds personal records of 4:24.37 in the 400 IM and 2:20.75 in the 200 breaststroke. In the classroom, she is a member of the National Honor Society and has won the AP Scholar with Distinction Award.

Why she chose CSU: "I got a great impression of the coaches, the team atmosphere is exactly what I wanted, and overall I feel I will fit in great with the CSU community and Fort Collins."

Woodard on White: "She somewhat confessed she's kind of quiet, and it was a little hard at first, but she definitely impressed us. She had really good questions off the bat, really poised. She's hitting personal bests right now as we speak with coach Neil Walker of the Rockwall Aquatic Center of Excellence. She's been swimming down in Texas, and she's probably at a spot where she's coming in and contending with Kendra Preski and Abbey Owenby right off the bat."

Follow us at -- Twitter: @CSUSwimDive | Instagram: @csuswimdive | Facebook: @CSUSwimDive

- CSURams.com -

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Players Mentioned

Abbey Owenby

Kendra Preski

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Colorado State University Athletics