Cal Poly Swimming & Diving Welcomes Talented Group of Newcomers
9/20/2023 2:30:00 PM | Swimming and Diving
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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly swimming and diving program has plenty of new faces this season — 18 to be exact — and Mustang fans will be able to see them in action for the first time this Friday when the team hosts its season opener.
The 2023-24 incoming class is made up of 13 signees from California and five from out of state and the Mustangs are excited about what the talented group will bring to the program. The full list of newcomers can be found below, along with some
Ella Bettencourt
of their top achievements and times.
WOMEN
Ella Bettencourt• Backstroke/Freestyle Visalia, CA Central Valley Christian
A two-time CIF state qualifier in the 100 free and 100 back while competing for Central Valley Christian School … a three-time CIF Central Section champion in the 100 back (2021-23) … two-time CIF-CS 100 free champion … named Central Valley Christian MVP three times (2021-23) … also competed for Clovis Swim Club … majoring in Kinesiology with hopes of becoming a doctor.
Lilli Chau• Butterfly/Individual Medley Pleasanton, CA Amador Valley HS
A four-year team captain while competing for her club team, the Livermore Aqua Cowboys … Amador Valley High school record holder in the 100 fly … named 2022 Amador Valley High Athlete of the Year … Futures qualifier in the 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM … earned 2023 Most Inspirational Award for high school team … received leadership awards (2019, 2023) while competing for club team … majoring in environmental management and protection. Lilli Chau Amalie Claus-Udarbe• Breaststroke/Butterfly/Freestyle/Individual Medley Folsom, CA Vista Del Lago HS
As a senior at Vista Del Lago High, swam a personal best (1:04.10) in the 100-yard breast at the CIF state championships … scored 28 points for the Eagles at the 2023 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championships … posted personal bests in the 200 free (1:52.76) and 200 breast (2:17.97) at the 2023 Speedo Sectionals … helped Vista Del Lago qualify a relay (200 medley) for the CIF state championships for the first time in school history … four-year varsity letterwinner … swam club for Sierra Marlins Swim Team … earned a Scholar-Athlete Award every year … majoring in biology.
Mia Filipovski • Backstroke/Freestyle Phoenixville, PA Episcopal AcademyMia Filipovski
While competing for Episcopal Academy (Newtown Square, Penn.) in the Inter-Academic Athletic League, helped Churchmen capture Eastern Interscholastic swimming and diving championship in 2020 … part of runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2023 … three-time Eastern championships finalist … also played water polo, helping Episcopal capture Eastern championship in 2019 … swam personal bests in 100-yard free (55.00) and 100 back (1:00.94) at 2023 Eastern championships … served as team captain for swimming & diving and water polo teams … received John. A Harter Award for Most Improved (2021) … earned Grace Cornelius Limaye '90 Award for Pride in Excellence in Swimming (2023) … majoring in architecture.
While competing for Canyon High, posted a personal best score of 465.95 in the 1-meter dive on an 11-dive list at Mt. SAC Winterfest championships … two-time CIF Southern Section Division I qualifier (2022-23) … competed at 2023 Mt. SAC Meet of Champions … recorded personal best score in 3-meter dive of 358.80 … AP and honors student throughout high school … majoring in political science with hopes of becoming a political journalist.
Dohna Karabelov• Breaststroke Santa Rosa, CARhian Neitzel Sonoma Academy
While competing for Neptune Swimming, finished seventh in the 200-yard breast at 2022 Far Western Championships (2:23.46) … competed at Speedo Sectionals in 2022 and 2023 … swam personal bests in the 100 fly (1:02.96), 100 breast (1:06.56), 100 back (1:07.57) and 100 IM (1:13.24) … did not have a high school swim team … majoring in architectural engineering … ran an organization that helped female students pursue their passions in STEM at local schools … crocheted bags and donated part of the profits to the National Cancer Agency.
Rhian Neitzel• Breaststroke/Individual Medley Hudson, WI Hudson HS
While competing for Hudson High (Hudson, Wis.), helped Raiders capture a Big Rivers Conference title and a pair of sectional titles … placed eighth in the 200 IM at the 2020 WIAA Division I state championships … at 2021 Minnesota Long Course Senior state championships, took fourth in the 400 IM, sixth in the 200 breast and eighth in the 200IM … captured eighth in the 100 breast (1:05.66) at the 2022 Minnesota Senior state championships … swam club for Mako Aquatics … majoring in biomedical engineering.
Olivia Sundgren
Olivia Sundgren• Freestyle/Individual Medley Clovis, CA Buchanan HS
A two-time CIF state finalist in the 500 free while swimming for Buchanan High, placing third as a junior and fourth as a senior … two-time CIF Central Section Division I champion in the 500 free (2021-22) … 2022 CIF-CS Division I champion in the 200 IM … two-time USA Swimming Futures qualifier … four-time finalist at meet … ranked as the 21st-best prospect in California by Swimcloud … posted personal bests in the 500 free (4:51.73) and 1,650 free (16:52.14) … twin sister, Sydney, is a distance runner on the Cal Poly track and field & cross country teams ... majoring in liberal studies with hopes of becoming a teacher.
Brielle Vail• Breast/Freestyle/Individual MedleyBrielle Vail Lawrence, IN Lawrence North HS
Two-year team captain at Lawrence North High (Indianapolis, Ind.) helped Wildcats finish runner-up at sectionals as a senior … two-time IHSAA state qualifier in the 50 free and 100 free … posted personal bests in the 50 free (24.23), 100 free (53.46), 100 breast (1:07.82) and 400 IM (4:42.73) … ran cross country for three years, qualifying for state as a junior with a personal best 5K time of 18:37.9 … ran track for two years, winning a Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference title in the 3,200 and qualifying for regionals in the 1,600 … named to honor roll throughout high school … brother, Bennett, swam at Cincinnati for three years.
Sofia Vargas• Individual Medley Austin, TX iUniversity PrepSofia Vargas
Posted a personal best of 2:14.57 in the 200-yard individual medley during time at iUniversity Prep in Grapevine, Texas ... swam club for Nitro Swimming ... National Hispanic Merit Scholar ... brother, Camilo, is a sophomore on the Cal Poly swimming and diving team ... majoring in computer science with hopes of becoming a software engineer.
MEN
Justin Dolezal• Diving San Luis Obispo, CA San Luis Obispo HS
A three-time Mountain League champion (2021-23) in the 1-meter dive while competing for San Luis Obispo High … 2023 CIF Central Section Division I champion in the 1-meter dive … two-time CIF state qualifier … has two brothers, including a twin named Evan … older brother, Branden, is a junior on the Aurora University men's soccer team … majoring in biology. Scott Iannaccone Scott Iannaccone • Backstroke/Butterfly/Individual Medley Concord, CA De La Salle HS
A two-time East Bay Athletic League First Team selection in the 100 back while competing for De La Salle High, placing ninth in the event at the 2023 CIF state championships … as a junior and senior earned National Interscholastic Swimming Association (NISCA) All-American honors in the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay … also received NISCA All-American honors in the 100 back in 2023 … 2022 Winter Junior Nationals qualifier … 2023 Summer Junior Nationals qualifier … garnered EBAL First Team honors in the 200 medley and 400 free relays as a junior and senior … also qualified for state as a junior … team captain … 2023 De La Salle Athlete of the Year nominee … swam club for the Walnut Creek Aquabears … 2022 USA Swimming Scholastic All-American … CIF Scholar-Athlete … 2023 North Coast Section President's List honoree … one of his brothers, Ryan, is a former Cal Poly swimmer … twin sister, Stephanie, is a freshman on the Harvard swimming and diving team … majoring in computer engineering. Aidan Lui Aidan Lui• Diving Monterey Park, CA Mark Keppel HS
While competing for Mark Keppel High, placed eighth in the 1-meter dive at the 2022 CIF state championships … posted a personal best score (540.70 points) on an 11-dive list in the 1-meter at the 2023 Mt. SAC Winterfest Championships … captured second in the 1-meter dive at the 2022 CIF Southern Section Division II championships … took third at the CIF-SS Division I meet as a senior … was a top 100 All-American all three years he competed in high school … majoring in computer science.
Iain McCarthy • Butterfly/Freestyle Modesto, CA James Enochs HS
During time at James Enochs High, shattered six school records (50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, 400 free relay) … 2022 USA Swimming All-American … Junior Winter Nationals qualifier … two-time Enochs High MVP (2022-23) … CIF Sac-Joaquin Section qualifier in the 50 free (21.33), 100 free (47.03), 100 fly (51.53) and 200 medley and 200 free relays … majoring in architecture and environmental design. Iain McCarthy Luke Reyes• Breaststroke/Freestyle/Individual Medley Chandler, AZ Valley Christian HS
A four-time MVP for Valley Christian High (Chandler, Ariz.) … captured AIA Division III state titles in the 100 back, 100 breast and 200 IM … earned runner-up finishes at state in 2019 in the 100 back and 200 IM … also took second in 200 IM at 2022 state meet … ranked as the 17th-best prospect in the state of Arizona … at 2020 Arizona Short Course Age Group Championships, won the 100 back, placed second in the 100 free, 100 breast, 200 IM and 400 IM, and third in the 200 breast … 2018 Far Western Short Course champion in the 400 IM … 50 free and 200 IM champion at 2018 Far Western Long Course Championships … posted personal bests in the 100 back (52.85), 100 breast (58.12) and 200 IM (1:54.07) … majoring in aerospace engineering.
Madden Saini • Diving Roseville, CA Western Sierra Collegiate AcademyLuke Reyes
A three-time national qualifier on the diving board while attending Western Sierra Collegiate Academy (Rocklin, Calif.) … posted a personal best in the 3-meter of 457.55 … recorded personal best of 440.13 in 1-meter … majoring in economics with hopes of becoming a banker.
Cameron Schwantes• Butterfly/Freestyle Clovis, CA Buchanan HS/Drury University
Competed on the Drury University men's swimming and diving team during 2021-22 season … as a senior at Buchanan High, helped Bears captured CIF Central Section Division I title by placing second in the 500 free and third in the 200 free … also took third in the 500 free at the 2018 CIF-CS Division I meet … part of two runner-up CIF-CS Division I teams … two-time All-American … Clovis Swim Club team captain … majoring in business administration with hopes of working in finance.
Theoden Yavuzer-Judd• Backstroke/Breaststroke/Butterfly/Individual Medley Orinda, CA Campolindo HS
Won the 2022 CIF North Coast Section title in the 100-yard breaststroke while competing for Campolindo High (Moraga, Calif.) ... posted a personal best of 54.70 seconds in 100 breast in 2023 ... qualified for 2022 CIF state championships ... competed in 2023 Speedo Junior National Championships ... also swam club for Orinda Aquatics … majoring in communication studies.
