June 7, 2011
Contact: Dan Carr
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Two national qualifiers, two state championship swimmers and a district qualifier have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their careers as members of the Cleveland State men's and women's swimming and diving teams.
Nathan Grant (Sydney, Australia/Colo) and Jon Querciagrossa (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame) will join the men's team while Rachel Grove (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East), Megan Splain (Westlake, Ohio/Westlake) and Elizabeth Tamas (Brookpark, Ohio/Magnificat) will join the women's team as freshmen with four years of eligibility, beginning with the 2011-12 season. Head coach Wally Morton announced the signings on Tuesday (June 7).
"This year's signing class is much smaller in number than the past few years, but it's high on quality both in the pool and out," Morton said. "This class, combined with the improvement of our current team members, will help us take another step forward towards their goal of winning the Horizon League Championship. "
Grant competed in the 100 breaststroke in the 2010 Australian Age Championships. He also qualified for the 2009 and 2010 Telstra Australian Championships and the 2009 and 2010 NSW State 13-18 Age Championships. Grant swam with a nationally-respected club team in the Blacktown City Swimming Club Inc., an organization that routinely has members qualify for the district, state and national tournaments.
"Nathan is from one of the best club programs in Australia and should help us in several areas," Morton said. "He had a very impressive showing at the Australian Age Championships and he should be an outstanding yards swimmer for Cleveland State."
A 2011 NCSA Junior National Championship qualifier in the 50 backstroke, Querciagrossa will add depth to the Vikings in all four major strokes. In 2010 and 2011 Querciagrossa qualified for the Illinois state championships in freestyle and backstroke events and was ranked as the 45th best recruit in the state by CollegeSwimming.com.
"When we first met Jon, we had a feeling that he would be a good fit for us, and the recruiting process helped to confirm that feeling," Morton said. "He should really improve our quality depth by giving us options in the IM, back and mid-distance events. He is from a fantastic swimming family and we're confident that his positive impact will be felt both in and out of the pool."
Both swimmers will be joining a Viking squad that won 12 dual meets, including posting a perfect 4-0 record against Horizon League opponent, in the regular season en route to a third place showing at the Horizon League Championship. Cleveland State finished the year ranked 10th in the final TYR/College Swimming Coaches of America Association Mid-Major poll.
On the women's team, Grove, a district qualifier at Lakota East High, will most likely compete in the IM and freestyle events, though she also has experience competing in the butterfly. In addition to her performance in the pool, Grove excelled in the classroom, finishing her high school career as a National Merit Scholar. Her brother, Stephen Grove, is a CSU graduate who swam with the Vikings from 2006-2010.
"Rachel is from a wonderful swimming family and is the type of swimmer who will flourish in a program like ours," Morton said. "At this stage, her biggest impact will be felt in the IM and free events, although she is very versatile and solid in all four swimming strokes. She is a wonderful student and should help our women's team to remain among the best in the nation academically."
Splain, a 2011 state qualifier in the 100 butterfly, is also expected to compete in the IM events while adding depth as a butterfly and backstroke swimmer. She will be joining her sister, Emily, who will be a senior on the team in 2011-12.
"Megan has been one of the best swimmers in Northeast Ohio during her age-group career," Morton said. "Her decision to join Cleveland State fits with our commitment to providing local swimmers with opportunities at the highest levels of the sport."
Tamas, a four-time state qualifier at Magnificat High, excelled on freestyle relay teams in high school but will most likely join the Vikings as an IM and butterfly swimmer.
"Liz is another Cleveland-area swimmer who, as a Viking, will have an opportunity to realize her full potential in the pool and in the classroom," Morton said. "She's a raw talent who can contribute in several areas - primarily fly and IM. In the short term Liz will help with our depth in those events, but it will be fun to watch her develop into a major player in the Horizon League."
Grove, Splain and Tamas join a Viking team that set a program record by winning 15 dual meets in 2010-11, including defeating St. Francis for the first time in five years and winning against Green Bay for the first time in over a decade. Cleveland State finished third at the Horizon League Championship.
"With only four graduating seniors across both programs, it was even more important this year to make sure that the incoming athletes were a good fit for us," Morton said. "We're excited to see these athletes in action next year."
