SIOUX FALLS - Kicking off the inaugural season, University of Sioux Falls Swimming heads to Fort Dodge, Iowa to swim Iowa Central Community College in a dual meet for the first competition in program history. The Cougars are set to debut 11 freshmen, the inaugural recruiting class of first-year head coach
Jon Maccoll
Meet the Cougars
- The first swimming roster in USF history is made up of 11 women, spanning five states and international students from six different countries.
- Karlie Tiede hails from Mitchell, S.D. as the Mt. Rushmore State representative on the team.
- Also calling the Midwest home, Sophie Deseck and Ellen Ellis both come from Omaha, Neb. and Brianna Lavelle is a Victoria, Minn. native
- Allison Eppinga hails from Saline, Mich. and Kyjana Webber is a native of Gulfport, Miss.
- Mackenzie Crane is a neighbor from the north, coming from Nainamo, British Columbia, Canada
- Maike Doerr of St. Ingbert, Germany is joined by fellow European natives Michelle Hoffin of Prestwick, Scotland, and Gullaug, Norway native Ingelin Lima
- Leah Eagleton comes to USF from Auckland, New Zealand as USF's farthest traveler
Crane and Eagleton compete at home country's Olympic trials
- Already making noise before they enter the pool as a members of the USF Swimming team, Mackenzie Crane and Leah Eagleton both competed at the Olympic Trials in their home countries
- Crane competed in the 800-meter freestyle at the Canadian Olympic Trials and was ranked 42nd entering the competition
- Eagleton competed in four events at the New Zealand Olympic Trials and advanced to the finals in each event: 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle and 50-meter butterfly
- For more information about Crane and Eagleton's journey to the trials, CLICK HERE
Leader of the pack: Maccoll in first season as head coach
- Already making a name for himself as an assistant at two high-profile programs, Jon Maccoll is now at the helm of his own with the Cougars kicking off the inaugural season on Friday
- Before USF, Maccoll served as an assistant at NCAA Division I University of Nevada, Las Vegas and NCAA Division II Queens University (N.C.)
- As a member of the UNLV staff, Maccoll helped the Rebels men's team to a 27th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, one of two non-Power 5 programs to finish in the top 30
- Maccoll was on the first staff hired by Queens University when they started a program in 2010 and helped build the program, including signing a pair of recruiting classes with four national top-10 recruits, into eventual back-to-back national titles in 2015-16
