PULLMAN, Wash. (November 19, 2019) – Washington State University swimming completed its 2020 signing class with 11 signees, head coach Matt Leach announced Wednesday. The eleven-member class will arrive at WSU next fall and compete in the 2020-21 season.
Hailey Grotte swims the 50, 100, and 200 free, in the last three seasons of her high school career went undefeated in league competition in those events. Along with being the first swimmer at La Center High School and swam for the NW Blue Crush Aquatic Club out of Battle Ground, Wash. As a sophomore and junior, she placed second at state and was chosen for All Region Swimmer of the Year. Last weekend Grotte competed in the 2A State Championships winning the 50 free and the 100 free and in the same meet she was named the 2A State Swimmer of Meet.
Payten Irwin is out of Erie, Colo. where she swims for Elevation Athletics in the 100 fly and the 200 fly. Irwin is a two-time state record holder along with qualifying for Junior Nationals. In 2019 Irwin won the high school state champion in the 100 fly and the 50 free. She is a three year Academic All State and won the Academic Cotter Award.
Sarah Jarding is out of Carmel High School and Carmel Swim Club out of Carmel, IN. competed in the 200 IM, 200 back, 100 back, and the 100 breast. Jarding received an Indiana Swimming Top 10 Time award in the 2017-2018 season in the 200 IM, 400 IM, and the 200 back. The last three years Jarding was a scholar athlete and received a MIC Academic All-Conference Award, and is a current member of the National Honor Society.
Kaya Takashige is out of Wahiawa, Hawaii where she swims for the Hawaii Swim Club and Leilehua High School, Takashige swims in the 100 fly, 100 breast, 50 free, and the 100 back. Since her freshman year she earned the high school conference champion in the 100 breast and during her junior year was the state champion in the 100 fly setting a record for the conference meet. Takashige is the record holder for seven of the eight school records and earned MVP since her freshman year. Going into her senior year Takashige is on track to becoming a 2020 valedictorian making the school's principal's list for three years.
Lauren Lewis is a backstroker out of East Ridge High School in Woodbury, MN and swam for the Riptide. Lewis is the current record holder at the high school in the 500 free and the 100 back. She also swims the 400 IM, 200 back, 200 fly and 1000 free with an eighth place finish in the 200 back at the Futures Championships.
Josie Liebzeit is a long-distance swimmer out of Long Beach Poly high school and Lakewood Aquatics out of Lakewood Calif. Liebzeit holds records for her high school, the league, and her club team. When competing in sectionals and CIF Finals she scored in the top eight. She earned an AP Scholar with Honor and NMSC Commended Scholar.
Ula McPherson is out of Bend, Ore. where she swims for the Bend Senior High Swim Team and the Bend Swim Club. McPherson holds the record for both her club team and school team in the 50 free. In March, McPherson will compete in the NASA Junior National Cup in Florida. She is currently in the top four percent of her class graduating with an honors diploma.
Makayla Poloni swims the 100 back, 200 back, 100 free, and 500 free out of Los Osos High School and Brea Aquatics out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The last three years her high school team are the Baseline League Champs, and the past two years were named the CIF D2 Women's Champs. Poloni has been a part of four All American Relay teams the past three years, twice in the 200-freestyle relay and twice in the 400-freestyle relay. All while doing that Poloni earned the Scholar Athlete Award in 2017 through 2019.
Kiana Swain is coming all the way from Pukekohe, New Zealand out of Pukekohe High School and Pukekohe Swimming Club. Swain is a two-time LCM Open National Champion in the 200m fly with two silver medals in the 100m and 200m fly at Victoria Age group Championships in 2018. This year Swain has earned12 national age group medals four of them being gold. She also was given the opportunity to represent New Zealand at two international junior competitions and made the New Zealand team for the Oceanic Championships in 2018.
Emily Ward is out of the Seattle Metro Aquatic Club in Auburn, Wash. She swims the 200 IM, 100 free, 50 free and 200 breast. Ward at the age of 14 swam at the Winter Junior Nationals and was named the District Swim Athlete of 2019. In the 2019 4A State Championships she placed fourth in the 100 free and fifth in the 200 IM.
Alexandra Vartiainen is out of SK Neptun in Bromma, Sweden. In the Finnish age group championships, she won gold in the 100 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM, and 800 free Then in the Swedish age group championships she won gold in the 400 IM and the 400 free. Along with her gold medals she made the Finnish Junior Nationals Team and the Swedish Junior Nationals team where she placed third in the 200 breast. In the 2019 Swedish Short Course Meter Championships she placed fifth in the 50 breast, sixth in the 200 breast and seventh in the 100 breast.
Hailey Grotte swims the 50, 100, and 200 free, in the last three seasons of her high school career went undefeated in league competition in those events. Along with being the first swimmer at La Center High School and swam for the NW Blue Crush Aquatic Club out of Battle Ground, Wash. As a sophomore and junior, she placed second at state and was chosen for All Region Swimmer of the Year. Last weekend Grotte competed in the 2A State Championships winning the 50 free and the 100 free and in the same meet she was named the 2A State Swimmer of Meet.
Payten Irwin is out of Erie, Colo. where she swims for Elevation Athletics in the 100 fly and the 200 fly. Irwin is a two-time state record holder along with qualifying for Junior Nationals. In 2019 Irwin won the high school state champion in the 100 fly and the 50 free. She is a three year Academic All State and won the Academic Cotter Award.
Sarah Jarding is out of Carmel High School and Carmel Swim Club out of Carmel, IN. competed in the 200 IM, 200 back, 100 back, and the 100 breast. Jarding received an Indiana Swimming Top 10 Time award in the 2017-2018 season in the 200 IM, 400 IM, and the 200 back. The last three years Jarding was a scholar athlete and received a MIC Academic All-Conference Award, and is a current member of the National Honor Society.
Kaya Takashige is out of Wahiawa, Hawaii where she swims for the Hawaii Swim Club and Leilehua High School, Takashige swims in the 100 fly, 100 breast, 50 free, and the 100 back. Since her freshman year she earned the high school conference champion in the 100 breast and during her junior year was the state champion in the 100 fly setting a record for the conference meet. Takashige is the record holder for seven of the eight school records and earned MVP since her freshman year. Going into her senior year Takashige is on track to becoming a 2020 valedictorian making the school's principal's list for three years.
Lauren Lewis is a backstroker out of East Ridge High School in Woodbury, MN and swam for the Riptide. Lewis is the current record holder at the high school in the 500 free and the 100 back. She also swims the 400 IM, 200 back, 200 fly and 1000 free with an eighth place finish in the 200 back at the Futures Championships.
Josie Liebzeit is a long-distance swimmer out of Long Beach Poly high school and Lakewood Aquatics out of Lakewood Calif. Liebzeit holds records for her high school, the league, and her club team. When competing in sectionals and CIF Finals she scored in the top eight. She earned an AP Scholar with Honor and NMSC Commended Scholar.
Ula McPherson is out of Bend, Ore. where she swims for the Bend Senior High Swim Team and the Bend Swim Club. McPherson holds the record for both her club team and school team in the 50 free. In March, McPherson will compete in the NASA Junior National Cup in Florida. She is currently in the top four percent of her class graduating with an honors diploma.
Makayla Poloni swims the 100 back, 200 back, 100 free, and 500 free out of Los Osos High School and Brea Aquatics out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The last three years her high school team are the Baseline League Champs, and the past two years were named the CIF D2 Women's Champs. Poloni has been a part of four All American Relay teams the past three years, twice in the 200-freestyle relay and twice in the 400-freestyle relay. All while doing that Poloni earned the Scholar Athlete Award in 2017 through 2019.
Kiana Swain is coming all the way from Pukekohe, New Zealand out of Pukekohe High School and Pukekohe Swimming Club. Swain is a two-time LCM Open National Champion in the 200m fly with two silver medals in the 100m and 200m fly at Victoria Age group Championships in 2018. This year Swain has earned12 national age group medals four of them being gold. She also was given the opportunity to represent New Zealand at two international junior competitions and made the New Zealand team for the Oceanic Championships in 2018.
Emily Ward is out of the Seattle Metro Aquatic Club in Auburn, Wash. She swims the 200 IM, 100 free, 50 free and 200 breast. Ward at the age of 14 swam at the Winter Junior Nationals and was named the District Swim Athlete of 2019. In the 2019 4A State Championships she placed fourth in the 100 free and fifth in the 200 IM.
Alexandra Vartiainen is out of SK Neptun in Bromma, Sweden. In the Finnish age group championships, she won gold in the 100 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM, and 800 free Then in the Swedish age group championships she won gold in the 400 IM and the 400 free. Along with her gold medals she made the Finnish Junior Nationals Team and the Swedish Junior Nationals team where she placed third in the 200 breast. In the 2019 Swedish Short Course Meter Championships she placed fifth in the 50 breast, sixth in the 200 breast and seventh in the 100 breast.