Clemson Swimming Signs Eight Recruits

Women add seven to roster, men add one.

November 30, 1998

CLEMSON, S.C. - The Clemson women's swimming program has signed seven recruits for next season, while the men's team has added one recruit in the early signing period. The women's recruiting class is regarded among the best in the nation.

Courtney Ellis, of Edmonds, WA, is a five-time All-American. Also a five-time state champion while at Edmonds-Woodway High, Ellis holds the Washington state record in the 100 breaststroke. She was the 1998 high school state champion in the 200 IM (2:04.03) and the 100 breast (1:03.62) and qualified for Senior Nationals in six events, placing 13th in the 200 breast. She has earned Olympic trial times in both the 100 and 200 breast.

Mandy Commons (Cincinnati, OH) earned all-Ohio honors after posting times of 1:03.2 in the 100 breast and 2:19.1 in the 200 breast. The Sycamore High athlete has recorded a personal best of 53.0 in the 100 free.

Liz Dwors of Fort Lauderdale, FL, qualified for Senior Nationals in the 500, 800 and 1650 freestyle. While at St. Thomas Aquinas High she was the state 5A champion in the 200 and 500 free in 1997. Dwors has recorded personal-best times of 1:50.6 in the 200 free, 4:52.0 in the 500 free and 16:44 in the 1650 free.

Jenna Burtch of Holland, MI (Holland HS), has also earned All-American honors. She qualified for Senior Nationals in the 50 free and has earned all-state and all-conference accolades. Burtch has recorded a personal-best 22.7 50 free relay split. In the 100 free she has a personal-best time of 51.6 and a best of 1:53.7 in the 200 free.

Catherine Blaney hails from Columbia, SC. A four-time all-state selection at Irmo High, she qualified for Junior Nationals in eight events and was a finalist in the 100, 200 and 1650 free events. Her personal-bests include 52.1 in the 100 free, 1:52.4 in the 200 free and 4:57 in the 500 free.

Sarah Keyes, from Cincinnati, OH, is a member of the YMCA national record-holding 800m free relay team and was the former record holder in the 50m breast. The Anderson High athlete won the state championship in the 400 free relay in 1997. Keyes has recorded times of 1:05.6 in the 100 breast and 2:25.0 in the 200 breast.

Jessica Diebel of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, (Episcopal HS) earned All-America honorable mention accolades after posting a time of 1:53.28 in the 200 free. She placed seventh nationally as a member of the 400 free relay team that recorded a time of 3:35.01 at the 1997 National Age Group competition. Her personal-best times include 52.2 in the 100 free, 1:53.2 in the 200 free and 58.5 in the 100 fly.

The Clemson men's swimming program signed diver Michael Harris of Jacksonville Beach, FL during the early signing period. While at Fletcher High, Harris placed fourth at the Florida state Diving Championship in 1997. He has earned all-Gateway Conference honors three consecutive seasons after winning the conference and district championship in 1996, 1997 and 1998.