May 14, 2009
FORT WORTH, Texas - TCU swimming and diving head coach Richard Sybesma announced the Horned Frogs' spring signing class Thursday, adding five swimmers.
"I'm excited about this class and where it can help us," said Sybesma. "We feel that this group will really be able to improve our program in and out of the water."
The Frogs picked up two more transfer swimmers from Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Fla. Indian River sits atop the junior college swimming world, collecting the last 35 men’s national titles, while also garnering the last 29 women’s trophies. After adding NJCAA individual champion and record-holder Mary O’Sullivan during the fall signing period, TCU can tack on Andy Garcia-Montes and Lance Cline to the roster.
Garcia-Montes is a seven-time NJCAA All-American and three-time national champion. The Miami, Fla., product most recently finished first in the 400-IM at the 2009 NJCAA Championships with a time of 3:57.01. Garcia-Montes also earned runner-up accolades in the 200-IM and third-place honors in the 200-breast.
“Andy is an extremely dedicated and hard-working swimmer that I think is going to help,” Sybesma said. “He will be a big piece to a team that is vying for a championship.”
Cline, an Evansville, Ind., native, is an NJCAA All-American that finished second in the 200-fly and 500-free at the 2009 NJCAA Championships, while also adding on a fourth place nod in the 400-IM.
“Lance is another highly-touted junior college transfer that is going to be a real good addition to our depth in our distance, IM and butterfly events.”
TCU also added a pair of prep standouts to the 2009-10 roster in Devin Price and Chris Giesen.
Price comes to Fort Worth as a five-time Arizona state champion from Palo Verde High in Tucson, Arizona. He will make his biggest contributions in the freestyle and backstroke events for the H20 Frogs.
“The times that Devin has gone will automatically help us on our relays,” Sybesma said. “He’s going to also be a real difference maker in the sprints and backstroke event; a real impact player.”
Giesen will join TCU from Hoover High in Birmingham, Ala. He was a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and finished runner-up at the Alabama State Championships in the 200-free. As team captain at Hoover High and for his Birmingham Swim League club team, Giesen holds three BSL team records.
“Chris is going to be a good depth person in our 200- and 500-free, but as he gets stronger, he could really surprise some people,” Sybesma said.
Kristi Dena is the lone female addition in the spring class, joining fall signees Ali Berry, O’Sullivan, Sabine Rasch, Madi Rupp and Maggie Smith on the women’s squad. Dena is a Fort Worth product that swims for TCU record holder Ron Forrest at Fort Worth Area Swim Team. Dena is on a full academic scholarship to TCU and plans to major in biology or political science.
“Kristi is a local swimmer that will be a real good addition to our depth in the 100-, 200- 500- and the fly,” Sybesma said. “We were really happy to get her here at TCU.”
2008-09 Swimming and Diving Signing Class
Ali Berry (Houston, Texas)
Lance Cline (Evansville, Ind.)
Kristi Dena (Fort Worth, Texas)
Andy Garcia-Montes (Miami, Fla.)
Chris Giesen (Birmingham, Ala.)
Laszlo Gyurko (Szekszard, Germany)
Nelson Head (Tulsa, Okla.)
Mary O'Sullivan (Brockton, Mass.)
Devin Price (Tucson, Ariz.)
Sabine Rasch (Luckenwalde, Germany)
Madi Rupp (Fairfax, Va.)
Maggie Smith (Richardson, Texas)
Ross Van Allen (Indianapolis, Ind.)
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