🏊♀️ Kansas Swimming & Diving Announces 2022 Signing Class
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas swimming & diving announced its 2022 signing class on Thursday, consisting of 10 individuals including Molly Robinson, Lydia Lafferty, Maggie Moore, Hailey Farrell, Emma Schott, Ainsley Dillon, Gabriella San Juan Carmona, Grace Zifcak, Caroline Blake and Aidan Howze.
“Coach Betz and Coach Feng put together another very solid class of new Jayhawks,” head coach Clark Campbell said. “We feel each one has a high ceiling that we can develop during their collegiate career. Some will make an immediate impact and make us better at Big 12s and NCAAs. We look forward to their arrival on campus!”
The 10 signees are made up of eight swimmers and two divers, representing seven different states or countries, including Kansas (Caroline Blake), Maryland (Molly Robinson, Grace Zifcak), Mexico (Gabriela San Juan Carmona), Minnesota (Hailey Farrell), Missouri (Ainsley Dillon, Maggie Moore), Nevada (Emma Schott) and Oklahoma (Aidan Howze, Lydia Lafferty).
Get to know Kansas’ 2022 signing class below:
Caroline Blake | Leawood, Kan. | Blue Valley North High School
A native of Leawood, Kansas, Blake joins the Jayhawks as the 2019 Kansas 6A State Champion in the 50 freestyle. She also placed second in the 50 free and 100 freestyle and helped the Blue Valley North 200 freestyle relay place second at the state meet in 2021.
Ainsley Dillon | Liberty, Mo. | Liberty North High School
Dillon comes to KU from Liberty North high school, where she is the school record holder in the 100 backstroke and 200 medley relay. In 2020, she was a two-time finalist at the Missouri State Championship meet, placing fourth in both the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle.
Aidan Howze | Bartlesville, Okla.
Howze comes to KU as a 2021 USA swimming Scholastic All-American. Howze is a three-time state champion in the 200 breaststroke, winning in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Howze also won the 2021 state championship in the 100 breaststroke, 200 individual medley and 400 individual medley. She was also a member of the 2019 Oklahoma high school State Championship team, while serving as a team captain in 2020 and 2021, where she is coached by Chad Englehart.
Hailey Farrell | Hutchinson, Minn. | Hutchinson High School
Farrell comes to KU from Hutchinson, Minnesota, where she has been a part of an All-American relay that has won for five years straight, breaking the Class A state record. As a freshman, she was the 500 state champion in Class A, while winning the 200 individual medley and 500 as a sophomore. Farrell also serves as a team captain for Hutchinson High School.
Lydia Lafferty | Watonga, Okla.
Lafferty was a scholastic All-American out of Watonga, Oklahoma. She qualified for the Winter Junior Championships and is the Oklahoma state record holder in the LCM 200 medley relay and 15-16 SCY 50 butterfly. Lafferty graduated with a 3.8 GPA and is coached by Chris Van Slooten and Titus Knight.
Maggie Moore | Brookline, Mo. | New Covenant Academy
Moore joins the Jayhawks as a three-time state champion in the 100 backstroke and a two-time state champion in the 50 freestyle, while also placing as the runner-up as a freshman. Outside of the pool, Moore is a member of the National Honors Society (NHS), Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
Molly Robinson | New Market, Md. | Oakdale High School
Robinson comes to KU as one of the top breaststrokes in the state of Maryland, where she was a multiple time State Champion in the event. Robinson competed in the 2019 Summer Junior Nationals and received the Hamilton Southeastern high school Newcomer of the Year Award. Outside of the pool, Robinson held a 4.5 GPA and is a member of the National Honors Society (NHS) and student council. She iss coached by Jeb Beaver (club) and Brigid Kavanaugh (high school)
Gabriela San Juan Carmona | Mexico City, Mexico
San Juan Carmona comes to KU as a diver out of Mexico City, Mexico. She competed at the Mexico Olympic Diving Trials in 2020, placing fifth in the prelims and eighth in the event finals.
Emma Schott | Reno, Nev. | Reno High School
Schott joins the Jayhawks from Reno high school, where she was a USA swimming Scholastic All-American. Schott was a Winter Juniors qualifier in the 200 individual medley, while placing fourth in the 400 individual medley and fifth in the 200 individual medley at the Washington Open in 2020.
Grace Zifcak | Potomac, Md. | Winston Churchill High School
The second diver in the class, Zifcak comes to KU after a successful high school career at Winston Churchill high school in Potomac, Maryland, specializing in the 3-meter springboard. Zifcak competed at the 2021 USA Diving Junior Regional Championships. Zifcak grew up with a gymnastics background and quickly made the transition to diving, making varsity for the high school varsity team, while lacing 18th at Metro’s. She went on to be named the team’s most improved diver.
