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DENTON - The UNT swimming and diving program welcomed eight new additions in the 2022 class, all of whom will help the program transition into The American this upcoming season. Emily Ally, Greensboro, North Carolina Ally was a member of Greensboro Community YMCA swimming and swam for Page High School in Greensboro, where she was a fourth-place finisher at the 2020 North Carolina state championship in the 50 freestyle and was a Scholastic All-American in 2020-21. She still holds many of the relay records for the program. She was a YMCA Nationals Winter Juniors qualifier and a Futures qualifier. She plans to major in either mechanical or biomedical engineering and was a member of the Honor Roll, National Honors Society and graduated Cum Laude. On why she chose UNT, "I chose UNT because after my first steps on campus I knew that this is where I wanted to make an impact in the community. I felt so welcomed by everyone and knew that everyone at UNT only wants the best for me and my future endeavors." Daciana Colon, Denver, Colorado Colon was a member of the Denver Swim Academy and swam for Valor Christian High School, where she was a four-year academic all-league selection, a team captain and two-time league record holder in the 200 medley relay, winning the league championship as a junior. Won the league championship in the 100 backstroke as a senior and qualified for the state championship all four years. She will pursue a business degree after graduating Cum Laude. On why she chose UNT, "Because it felt like a home when I went on the official visit and the girls on the team made me feel very welcomed." Kennedy Eichler, Litchfield Park, Arizona Eichler was a member of the Phoenix Swim Club and swam for Verrado High School. She was the team MVP as a freshman and was four-time state qualifier in Arizona. She is transferring from Northern Colorado. On why she chose UNT, "I chose to transfer to UNT after my first visit to the school. I was very impressed with the swim and dive program and all they have to offer. The best part of the visit was when I got to meet the girls I will be swimming with, and I felt right at home. I knew UNT was right for me." Morgan Maronie, Saint Petersburg, Florida Maronie was a member of Saint Petersburg Diving Club and dove for Northeast High School where she qualified for the finals at the Florida state championship as a sophomore and finished fifth as a junior. She plans to major in accounting and was a member of the Honor Roll, National Honors Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Future Business Leaders of America. On why she chose UNT, "I like the program for business and the location of the school. For diving, I knew the coach before coming on my visit and already had an idea of her coaching style, and I loved the environment when I came for my visit." Noelle Marsh, Magnolia, Texas Marsh was a member of Magnolia Aquatic Club and was a three-year Texas high school state finalist. Her Magnolia High School team finished runner-up in Class 5A in 2019 and 2021 and third in 2020. She was high school and club teammates with fellow newcomer Kailey Turner and is planning to pursue a degree in Fashion Merchandising. On why she chose UNT, "I chose UNT because of the team atmosphere and the strong academics." Izangely Ruiz, Hillsboro, Tennessee Ruiz was a member of the Middle Tennessee Swim Club and was a Tennessee high school state championship qualifier, as well as a futures qualifier in club swimming. She plans to pursue a computer science degree and compiled a 4.0 GPA in high school as a member of the National Tech Honors Society. On why she chose UNT, "I saw a great opportunity to become better as a student-athlete with great coaches and teammates. The school, overall, is a great environment to be in for the next four years." Kailey Turner, Magnolia, Texas Turner was a member of Magnolia Aquatic Club and was a three-year Texas high school state finalist. Her Magnolia High School team finished runner-up in Class 5A in 2019 and 2021 and third in 2020. She was high school and club teammates with fellow newcomer Noelle Marsh. She was named first-team All-State in the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle. In 2021, she also garnered Girls Athlete of the Week honors from the Houston Chronicle. In club, she was a futures qualifier and her 800 freestyle relay team finished third at Futures in 2021. She was also a four-time sectionals qualifier and a 2020 Winter Juniors qualifier in four events. She plans to major in communications and was a member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Spanish Honor Society. On why she chose UNT, "When I came on the visit, the coaches were so welcoming and they made me feel like I was going to be more than just a number on the team. I also chose UNT because of the amazing post-graduate opportunities that were offered." Gabi Somoza, Atlanta, Georgia As a member of the Atlanta Diving Association and the Forsyth Central High School diving team, Somoza broke two school records, was the team MVP, Captain's Award winner and the Rookie of the Year. She plans to major in Kinesiology and was an Honor Roll student in high school while earning a Scholar Athlete Award and the Georgia Positive Athlete Award. On why she chose UNT, "The environment seemed really good, and coach [O'Callaghan] seems like a great coach. I think UNT will help me grow and be able to achieve more in life."