Team lands five top recruits for next year

The IU men's swimming and diving team got a huge boost this fall with the signing of five new recruits. The class, considered by some to be among the best in the country, includes two swimmers from Indiana, one each from Kansas, Ohio and Michigan.\nWith four of them being state champions and three already All-Americans, they will be expected to fulfill a number of roles once they get here. \nIU swim coach Ray Looze said they have the talent to be able to make an immediate impact at the collegiate level. \n"All of our recruits for next year can score at the Big Ten level, and that's very big for freshmen," Looze said. "I think several of them will have NCAA-caliber potential, so basically, they are going to have a very big impact on the team." \nAmong the five new signees is Jeffersonville High School's Ben Hesen, who specializes in the backstroke. A former Indiana state champion and All-American, Hesen will be crucial to next year's Hoosier squad. In Hesen, the Hoosiers will be getting a workhorse that can also lead by example.\n"Ben is a quiet leader who works extremely hard in practice and doesn't tolerate other people that don't work hard," said Keith Gast, Hesen's swimming coach at Jeffersonville High. \nGast said Hesen will fit well in IU's program, especially after Looze's recruiting.\nAnother big catch for the Hoosiers is Alex Brunfeldt of Lawrence, Kan. Brunfeldt, highly regarded as one of the best freestylers in the country, swam with the Lawrence Aquafrogs for years, in addition to his high school squad. Mike Soderling, Brunfeldt's coach with the Aquafrogs, is excited about his prospects at the collegiate level.\n"Alex is a great kid. He has a great potential for college, with the strong work ethic and discipline that he will bring to the squad," Soderling said. "He has one of the best freestyle strokes I've ever seen."\nAlong with Brunfeldt, Looze was also able to sign Springfield, Ohio, native John Kevin Koehler, who also swims freestyle as his featured event. \nAmong the other two recruits are butterfly specialist Nick Walkotten of Grandville, Mich., and Todd Patrick of Chesterfield, Mo., who can swim in four different events. Looze stressed why it was so important to recruit out of state, and the difficulty of recruiting in general.\n"Indiana has pretty good swimming, but this year, as far as guys who could have an immediate impact, there just weren't that many available," Looze said. \nOverall, Looze's main goal was depth and versatility for the coming years.\n-- Contact staff writer Scott Lipsky at slipsky@indiana.edu.