July 17, 2001
COLUMBIA, Mo.- The Missouri women's swimming and diving team announced its' 2001 recruiting class on Tuesday afternoon. Head Coach Brian Hoffer has signed six talented swimmers and divers, bringing the total to eight new faces for the 2001-02 season.
In the early signing period, the Tigers signed Missouri state champion REBECCA DAWSON from Wildwood, Mo. and LINDSAY PALBYKIN, a sprint free/middle-distance swimmer and a state champion in Arizona.
Missouri's latest signees include MEGAN MORFORD from Baldwin, Kan. and the Lawrence Aquahawks club team. Moford will compete in the individual medley and breaststroke events at Missouri. She is a Junior Nationals qualifier in three events and placed in the top 16 in the 400 IM. She holds four club team records.
"Megan provides us with depth in both the individual medley and the breaststroke," said Hoffer. "She gives us a lot of options when filling out the lineup cards."
Joining Morford is her twin sister, AMANDA MORFORD. Amanda also competed for the Lawrence Aquahawks and will provide depth in the backstroke. Both Megan and Amanda chose Missouri over the University of Iowa.
"Amanda has a lot of potential in the backstroke," said Hoffer. "She has a bright future at Missouri."
Hoffer was able to fill a major need in the butterfly events with BELINDA WOOD from Western Cape, South Africa. Wood is one of the top swimmers in South Africa, placing in the top five in the 200 butterfly and 400 IM at the South African Olympic Trials in 2000. She also finished seventh in the 200 IM. A graduate of Rhenish High School where she was an "A" student, Wood was the South African High School champion in the 50 and 100 butterfly and finished third in the 200 IM.
"The butterfly was a weak event for us last year," said Hoffer. "With Belinda's speed, she fills a big hole and makes us a much better team."
In addition to Wood, the Tigers have added another rising star in MARIONA COSTA, a native of Barcelona, Spain. A breaststroke specialist, Costa was a finalist at last year's Spanish Nationals. On the high school level, she swam at Ies del Car High School.
"Mariona is as talented as any breaststroke swimmer we have ever had at Missouri," said Hoffer. "She is going to compliment (current breaststroke swimmers) Tiffany Bohon and Leslie Hoh very well."
Missouri also added depth in the diving events. Diving coach Greg Triefenbach signed Missouri state qualifier AMANDA MERIT from Parkway South High School in Ballwin, Mo. and Illinois state qualifier ANNA MASSEY from Springfield, Ill. Merit finished second at the Missouri state meet as a junior while Massey placed third in Illinois this past year. Both divers have been competing against one another on the club level for the last four years and both have qualified for the Indoor Nationals.
"I am really excited about these two divers," said Triefenbach. "They are both going to be training full-time for the first time and their talent is really untapped. It is going to be fun to watch them develop because they are very talented."