Swimming Signs Five More Prep Athletes for 2007-08 Season

Pioneers add three women, two men to class of 2012

May 24, 2007

DENVER - Four student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent with the University of Denver and will compete in swimming beginning in the fall 2007 season, head coach Brian Schrader announced today. Denver has signed two women and two men for the class of 2012. Shannon Sullivan (Wichita, Kan.) and Kaylee Gaman (Portland, Ore.) will join the women's squad and Joe Welnhofer (Wilmette, Ill.), and Caleb Severns (Fairbanks, Alaska) will join the men's team this fall.

Shannon Sullivan is the daughter of Blair and Jennifer Sullivan and competes for Wichita Swim Club and Wichita High School East. She is coached by Eric Nelson. A very versatile freestyle, IM, and breaststroke specialist, Shannon has been her high school MVP since 2004. She is an all state honoree and has sectional and junior national standards. She also has varsity letters in golf and cross country, and is a two-time National Champion in the tetrathlon (swim, run, equestrian, and shooting). She is a member of National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, and was on her high school honor roll. She is active in community service and tutors first grade students and volunteers at Race for the Cure, Ironkids Triathlon, and the Adopt a Landmine Foundation.

Kaylee Gaman is the daughter of Ron and Laura Gaman and competes for Jesuit High School and Lake Oswego Swim Club under the coaching of former USA National Team member Coley Stickels. She was a state qualifier all four years in Oregon and was the team captain and MVP her senior year. She is the Oregon sectional champion in the 50 freestyle and earned the sportsmanship award for Jesuit swimming. She is an honor roll student and has participated in Spanish Immersion in Barcelona, Spain and hopes to earn a degree in International Business. She also volunteers at the Be-A-Buddy program and the Police Activist League.

Comments from Head Coach Brian Schrader: "Shannon is a well-rounded athlete and great student and is going to help us tremendously with depth in all of her events, and she is improving a great rate. She is well-coached by Eric Nelson at Wichita and I look forward to even more improvement over the summer. She is coming in with times that help us at the conference level and I know she has high aspirations as an athlete, which is exciting.

"Kaylee came to us recommended by her current coach, Coley Stickels, who was a national team member for USA Swimming. Kaylee is tall and athletic and I think has a lot of potential to come in and really improve and make an impact on our team. She is a freestyle specialist and I know she is going to compete for relay spots and be great help with depth and performance in dual meets and at the Sun Belt Championships."

Joe Welnhofer is the son of Bill and Diane Welnhofer and competes for Illinois perennial prep power New Trier High School and New Trier Swim Club. He is coached by Bob Kaiser and Mark Onstott. Welnhofer contributed relay legs on both state high school champion 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays, and was a member of two state championship team efforts in 2006 and 2007. He was named a high school All-American in 2006 and 2007. He placed ninth at the state high school meet in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke and has Junior National standards in the 200 fly and 100 breaststroke. He owns club records in the 200 fly, 100 breast and 200 IM. Joe also has the unique position of having his own 90 minute radio show through New Trier High School on Saturdays, and covers music, weather, and traffic updates with a comedic take.

Caleb Severns is the son of Kent and Sheryl Severns and competes for Lathrop High School. He is a six-time state champion, three years in the 200 IM and three years in the 100 backstroke. He was a member of the 2003 state champion team and was named a 2006 and 2007 high school All-American. He has competed at the USA Swimming Junior Nationals and has been team MVP three years in a row at Lathrop High as won the Coaches Leadership Award and served as team captain in 2007. He has also finished fourth at the Alaska State Championship in the high jump. He has done service work in Japan and was named Scholar Athlete of the month in February 2006.

Comments from Head Coach Brian Schrader: These two men cap off a great recruiting year for DU, a class currently ranked No. 14 in the country by collegeswimming.com. They are both very versatile, and they are both coming in with times and performances that will help us directly in dual meets and at the Sun Belt Championships. I think both are capable of great improvement over the course of their collegiate careers and Olympic Trials and NCAA standards could be in their futures. Welnhofer helps us in events where we have graduation losses, especially the breaststroke, and did a great job rising to the occasion on relays this year. He is a great team player. Severns will challenge people here directly right away in the backstrokes and IM and I like that he is an athlete in other areas, that always transfers directly to the short course pool.