Women's Swimming and Diving | September 10, 2020

PHILADELPHIA – La Salle swimming & diving's 2020 recruiting class was unveiled on Thursday with interim head coach Sasha Malanina announcing 15 newcomers. Eight women and seven men make up a class that arrives from varying parts of the country, half of which are Pennsylvania natives. The Explorers also bring in three from Virginia, three from New Jersey, two from Maryland, one from Minnesota and one from Florida.
 
Malanina spoke on what this class will bring to both of her teams: "On the women's side, we are thrilled to welcome a strong group of young women to our team! These women and their exceptional talent will help to build upon our stroke, sprint free, and distance groups. With our team graduating only one senior this upcoming year, this diverse group of women will undoubtedly contribute to the success and growth of our program!"
 
"On the men's side, last year's class bolstered our depth across every event. This year, we were able to focus on recruiting specific events and are welcoming an outstanding group of seven young men. The versatility and talent of this group will strengthen our team and, hopefully, provide an opportunity for new team leaders to emerge."
 
Sophia Bosacco – Backstroke
Cape May Court House, N.J. (Middle Township High School)
 
Bosacco lettered all four years at Middle Township, during which she was named a Cape Atlantic League First Team All-Star three times. She also earned SJ Interscholastic Athletic Association recognition three times, awarded team MVP twice and elevated to team captain her final campaign. Bosacco helped power Middle Township to Cape Atlantic League championships in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
 
Her success went beyond the pool, as well, as she was a four-year letter winner in field hockey, and captured a South Jersey Group ! championship. Academically, she earned distinguished honors every year.
 
Bosacco is continuing the family legacy at La Salle as she follows in the footsteps of her mother, Deidre, who also swam for the Explorers.
 
Sam Boyes – Freestyle / Butterfly
Philadelphia, Pa. (Penn Charter)
 
Boyes takes the two-mile trip from School House Lane up to Olney Avenue having broken multiple records at Penn Charter. As a junior, she smashed the 50 and 100 Free, while teaming up to break relay marks in the 200 Free and 400 Free. The following campaign, she helped reset the 400 Free Relay and added the 200 Medley Relay. 
 
Boyes helped Penn Charter find plenty of team success as the Quakers claimed the Eastern Championship during her sophomore and junior seasons. She also lettered all four years in water polo.
 
Anwen Byrne – Freestyle / Backstroke
Severna Park, Md. (McDonogh School)
 
Byrne is fresh off a successful senior year, having been tabbed a team captain her final campaign. A four-year letter winner, she helped a very successful McDonogh side to IAAM championships in each of her seasons there. She has also swam club for the Eagles Swim Team.
 
Her father, Shan, played lacrosse at Navy. His military career has taken Byrne to different parts of the world, including living in Japan and Bahrain.
 
Ava Carter – Freestyle / Butterfly
Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Preparatory School)
 
Carter arrives at La Salle after finding plenty of success at Tamp Prep.  Her team made it to State Finals in each of her four years, she was named team MVP over her final two campaigns and a team captain as a senior. Carter was recognized as Female Athlete of the Year as a junior and helped break Tampa Prep's 200 Medley Relay record as a sophomore.
 
Carter made the school's honors list all four years and was a member of the National Honors Society. Her father, Marc, is a professional golfer.
 
Joey Dickson – Breaststroke / IM
Greenwich, N.J. (Salesianum)
 
Dickson lettered every year at Salesianum and every year his team won the State Championship. Three of the four years, he was named First Team All-State. This success in the pool extended to other individual honors, including qualification for USA Swimming Futures and TYR Pro Swimming Series.
 
Dickson is part of a strong swimming family and becomes the fourth of his siblings to compete at the D-I level. His older brother, Robbie, was a two-time captain for Penn State and graduated in 2019; he currently coaches at Michigan State where his sister, Marie, swims as a senior. The third Dickson sibling, Heidi, is a junior swimmer at Seton Hall.
 
Megan Heist – Breaststroke
York, Pa. (Spring Grove Area High School)
 
Heist competed at county and district championships in each year at Spring Grove. As a junior, she finished third at counties in the 100 Breast and broke her school's pool record in the breaststroke. The following year, she placed second at counties in the 100 Breast and fourth in districts in the same event, qualifying her for the state championship. That season she broke the pool record again.
 
On the club level, Heist competed with York YMCA and would place third at YMCA nationals.
 
Caleb Kelly – Freestyle
Lafayette Hill, Pa. (Plymouth Whitemarsh)
 
At Plymouth Whitemarsh, Kelly recorded several top finishes at championships. As a junior, he touched third in the 50 Free and fifth In the 100 Free. In his final campaign, he improved he improved to win gold in the 50 Free and silver in the 100 Free, both personal bests. He then set his best time to date in the 50 Free, clocking 20.13 at the State Championship to earn silver.
 
Kelly also played lacrosse for the Colonials.
 
Jacquelyn Maly – Butterfly / IM
Williamsburg, Va. (St. Catherine's School)
 
Maly arrives at Olney Ave. after a decorated career at St. Catherine's. Her team was crowned Division 2 State Champions her freshman campaign. She made the All-State Team the following three years, helping set a VISAA state record in the 200 Medley Relay—a All-American B Cut. 
 
Maly helped power St. Catherine's to an undefeated 2017 season, winning regional and state championships. She repeated regional championships in 2018 and 2019.
 
Maly isn't the first D-I athlete in her family: Her father, David, played soccer at American University.
 
Zack Miller – Freestyle
Harrisburg, Pa. (Bishop McDevitt)
 
Miller collected three district championships in his four years at Bishop McDevitt. As a freshman he medaled at districts, followed by a district championship and a state medal his sophomore campaign. He elevated even more his junior season, helping his high school to its first ever relay state championship, adding an individual state medal and a district championship to his year's success. He repeated as a state medalist his final campaign.
 
Miller also played baseball for the Crusaders, lettering twice.
 
Adam Morrison – Freestyle
Cheswick, Pa. (Deer Lakes High School)
 
Morrison made his mark at Deer Lakes over his four years, consistently placing towards the top in the WPIAL. As a freshman, he medaled in the 500 Free and qualified for PIAA, then took second in the WPIAL in the 200 Free a year later. As a junior, he won the WPIAL 500 Free and claimed silver in the 200 Free. Morrison then advanced to PIAA and earned bronze in the 500 Free. In his final season, he repeated his WPIAL feats from the year before.
 
Morrison also found success at the club level with Racer X Aquatics, helping his team win the 400 Free Relay at the Speedo Sectional Championship and the 800 Free Relay at the AMZ Zone Championship. His team also qualified in the 800 Free Relay again at Junior National Qualifiers.
 
Morrison is a member of the National Honors Society and the Spanish National Honors Society. He also comes from a musical background: his grandfather toured as a musician in the 1950s, and Morrison himself can play four instruments.
 
Carrie Spexarth – Backstroke
Jackson, N.J. (Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science)
 
Spexarth was a standout in the pool for Marine Academy, winning Rookie of the Year and MVP in her debut year. She again claimed MVP as a sophomore, Coach's Choice the following year and MVP again as a senior.
 
On the club level, she represented Ocean County YMCA and is a member of the National Honors Society. 
 
Matt Thompson – Breaststroke
Mount Airy, Md. (Glenelg High School)
 
Thompson was a constant presence at the Maryland Swimming Senior Short Course Championship, specializing in the breaststroke. As a sophomore, he placed second in the 100 Breast long course. The following year, he'd claim the top spot. That same season, he competed in the Speedo Championship Series and recorded an eighth-place finish in the 200 Breast.
 
Thompson was subsequently named a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American as a junior.
 
Max Trias – Breaststroke / IM
Chesterfield, Va. (Thomas Dale High School)
 
Trias, another USA Scholastic All-American, recorded many of his personal-best times in 2020.  He notably touched sixth in the 200 IM at the VHSL Class 6 State Championship, after which he again finished sixth in the 100 and 200 Breast at the Virginia Swimming Senior Championships. As a junior, he won the 100 Breast at the VHSL 6B Region 2 Championship.
 
John Wargin – Breaststroke / IM
Chanhassen, Minn. (Minnetonka High School)
 
A four-year letter winner at Minnetonka, Wargin's team won the state championship in his freshman and sophomore seasons. In his second year, he placed fourth at states in the 100 Breast; the following campaign, he touched fifth. In his senior year, he earned bronze in the event and touched fourth in the 200 IM.
 
Anna Watson – Freestyle / Butterfly
Midlothian, Va. (Cosby High School)
 
Watson finished up her time at Cosby as a team captain, a two-time regional champion and holder of two school relay records. As a junior, she notably touched third in the 100 Free and fifth in the 200 IM at the VHSL 6B Region 2 Championship.
 
Watson is related to Keenan Allen, wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers.