Upcoming Event: Swimming & Diving versus Patriot Invitational on November 19, 2025 at All Day
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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Photo by: Mauricio Paiz
Owls Add 20 for Upcoming Season
8/16/2023 11:15:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University's swimming & diving teams are coming off a successful 2022-23 campaign in which the men's team finished as runner-up in the CCSA Championships, while the women's team won three medals in their first American Athletic Conference championship. The season also saw their first NCAA Championships appearance since 2017 with Alicia Mora qualifying in the 1-meter dive.
Now, the Owls will look to soar to even greater heights in the 2023-24 season with a class of 20 incoming swimmers and divers.
Lara Preacco, head coach of the Owls since 2014, and her staff have put together an excellent class of athletes, 10 men and 10 women from eight different countries, that includes eight transfers.
"We are extremely excited to welcome an amazing and talented group of swimmers and divers to our team. We are also looking forward to finally having them on campus to become part of our Owl family. Their motivation, commitment, and talent will continue to help Florida Atlantic reach higher goals."
Bryanna Bellile
Hometown: Green Bay, Wisc.
High School: Ashwaubenon
Top times: 23.55 in the 50 free, 50.8 in the 100 free, 1:50.8 in the 200 free
Bilu Bianchi
Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.
High School: Clearwater
Top times: 1:02.64 in the 100 breast, 2:20.13 in the 200 breast, 2:09.15 in the 200 IM
Nula Gow
Hometown: Turriff, Scotland
High School: Turriff Academy
Top times: 1:12.7 in the 100m breast, 2:32.67 in the 200m breast, 4:57.67 in the 400m IM
Riley Hersh
Hometown: Lake Worth, Fla.
High School: Park Vista
Diving Accomplishments: 286.7 on 1-meter (6 dives), 435.3 on 1-meter (11 dives),
Izzy Jones
Hometown: Swansea, Wales
High School: Al Khor International School
Top times: 26.11 in 50 free, 57.62 in 100 free, 2.07.82 in 200 free, 1.05.08 in 100 fly
Bella Livingston
Hometown: Lincoln, Ne.
High School: Lincoln Southwest High School
Top times: 23.7 in the 50 Free, 51.7 in the 100 Free, 58.3 in the 100 Fly
Meredith Riegler
Hometown: Bridgewater, N.J.
High School: Bridgewater-Raritan
Previous school: Lindenwood
Top times: 1:51.92 in the 200 free, 4:58.74 in the 500 free, 4:26.00 in the 400 IM, 2:03.23 in the 200 back
Yasmine Safargar
Hometown: Saddle Brook, N.J.
High School: Saddle Brook
Previous school: Pittsburgh
Top times: 2:01.89 in the 200 back, 2:03.80 SCY in the 200 IM, 4:19.65 in the 400 IM
Presley Staretz
Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Pa.
High School: Cumberland Valley
Previous school: Wagner
Top times: 56.35 in the 100 fly, 1:51.54 in the 200 free, 2:05.13 in the 200 IM, 4:30.34 in the 400 IM
Yevheniia Zhukova
Hometown: Kyiv, Ukraine
High School: High School №88
Top times: 29.71 in the 50 back, 27.33 in the 50 fly, 1.02.85 in the 100 back, 1.01.21 in the 100 fly
Men
Koen Adams
Hometown: Lakeland, Fla.
High School: Harrison School for the Arts
Previous school: Indian River State
Diving Accomplishments: 408.4 on the 1-meter dive, 273.75 on the 3-meter dive
Daði Bjornsson
Hometown: Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
High School: Flensborg
Top times: 1.00:05 in the 100m breast (SC), 1.03:29 in the 100m breast (LC) 58:39 in the 50m breast (LC)
Valdemar Brøns
Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark
High School: Falkonergårdens Gymnasium
Top times: 51.65 in the 100 free, 1:47.7 in the 200 free (SC), 2:01.92 in the 200 IM (SC)
Rush Clark
Hometown: Bennington, Ne.
High School: Creighton Preparatory School
Previous school: Ohio State/Florida State
Top times: 47.16 in the 100 fly, 49.11 in the 100 back, 1:46.26 in the 200 fly, 1:48.22 in the 200 IM
Francesco Fiore
Hometown: Milan, Italy
High School: Ettore Conti
Top times: 26.09 in the 50 Fly, 55.23 in the 100 fly, 2.02.34 in the 200 fly
Takoda Heckman
Hometown: Reading, Pa.
High School: Wilson
Top times: 1:41.14 in the 200 free, 1:49.17 in the 200 IM, 4:26.21 in the 500 free
Trevor Kuhn
Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.
High School: Palm Harbor University
Diving Accomplishments: Four-time district champion, three-time regional champion, finished in third place at the 2022 FHSAA Florida 4A State Championship.
Peyton Ming
Hometown: Lake Placid, N.Y.
High School: Lake Placid
Previous school: Indian River
Top times: 49.3 in the 100 back, 1:48 in the 200 back, 47.9 in the 100 fly
Jacob Rubin
Hometown: St. Petersburg, Fla.
High School: Center Academy
Previous school: University of Montevallo
Top times: 20.15 in the 50 free, 44.75 in the 100 free, 1:38.62 in the 200 free, 4:34.96 in the 500 free
Jack Sheehan
Hometown: Hillsboro Beach, Fla.
High School: Colonial Forge
Previous school: Virginia Military Institute
Top times: 54.22 in the 100 breast, 2:00.51 in the 200 Breast, 1:49.48 in the 200 IM
Now, the Owls will look to soar to even greater heights in the 2023-24 season with a class of 20 incoming swimmers and divers.
Lara Preacco, head coach of the Owls since 2014, and her staff have put together an excellent class of athletes, 10 men and 10 women from eight different countries, that includes eight transfers.
Coach Preacco's Take
Lara Preacco on the incoming class"We are extremely excited to welcome an amazing and talented group of swimmers and divers to our team. We are also looking forward to finally having them on campus to become part of our Owl family. Their motivation, commitment, and talent will continue to help Florida Atlantic reach higher goals."
Meet the Athletes
WomenBryanna Bellile
Hometown: Green Bay, Wisc.
High School: Ashwaubenon
Top times: 23.55 in the 50 free, 50.8 in the 100 free, 1:50.8 in the 200 free
Bilu Bianchi
Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.
High School: Clearwater
Top times: 1:02.64 in the 100 breast, 2:20.13 in the 200 breast, 2:09.15 in the 200 IM
Nula Gow
Hometown: Turriff, Scotland
High School: Turriff Academy
Top times: 1:12.7 in the 100m breast, 2:32.67 in the 200m breast, 4:57.67 in the 400m IM
Riley Hersh
Hometown: Lake Worth, Fla.
High School: Park Vista
Diving Accomplishments: 286.7 on 1-meter (6 dives), 435.3 on 1-meter (11 dives),
Izzy Jones
Hometown: Swansea, Wales
High School: Al Khor International School
Top times: 26.11 in 50 free, 57.62 in 100 free, 2.07.82 in 200 free, 1.05.08 in 100 fly
Bella Livingston
Hometown: Lincoln, Ne.
High School: Lincoln Southwest High School
Top times: 23.7 in the 50 Free, 51.7 in the 100 Free, 58.3 in the 100 Fly
Meredith Riegler
Hometown: Bridgewater, N.J.
High School: Bridgewater-Raritan
Previous school: Lindenwood
Top times: 1:51.92 in the 200 free, 4:58.74 in the 500 free, 4:26.00 in the 400 IM, 2:03.23 in the 200 back
Yasmine Safargar
Hometown: Saddle Brook, N.J.
High School: Saddle Brook
Previous school: Pittsburgh
Top times: 2:01.89 in the 200 back, 2:03.80 SCY in the 200 IM, 4:19.65 in the 400 IM
Presley Staretz
Hometown: Mechanicsburg, Pa.
High School: Cumberland Valley
Previous school: Wagner
Top times: 56.35 in the 100 fly, 1:51.54 in the 200 free, 2:05.13 in the 200 IM, 4:30.34 in the 400 IM
Yevheniia Zhukova
Hometown: Kyiv, Ukraine
High School: High School №88
Top times: 29.71 in the 50 back, 27.33 in the 50 fly, 1.02.85 in the 100 back, 1.01.21 in the 100 fly
Men
Koen Adams
Hometown: Lakeland, Fla.
High School: Harrison School for the Arts
Previous school: Indian River State
Diving Accomplishments: 408.4 on the 1-meter dive, 273.75 on the 3-meter dive
Daði Bjornsson
Hometown: Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
High School: Flensborg
Top times: 1.00:05 in the 100m breast (SC), 1.03:29 in the 100m breast (LC) 58:39 in the 50m breast (LC)
Valdemar Brøns
Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark
High School: Falkonergårdens Gymnasium
Top times: 51.65 in the 100 free, 1:47.7 in the 200 free (SC), 2:01.92 in the 200 IM (SC)
Rush Clark
Hometown: Bennington, Ne.
High School: Creighton Preparatory School
Previous school: Ohio State/Florida State
Top times: 47.16 in the 100 fly, 49.11 in the 100 back, 1:46.26 in the 200 fly, 1:48.22 in the 200 IM
Francesco Fiore
Hometown: Milan, Italy
High School: Ettore Conti
Top times: 26.09 in the 50 Fly, 55.23 in the 100 fly, 2.02.34 in the 200 fly
Takoda Heckman
Hometown: Reading, Pa.
High School: Wilson
Top times: 1:41.14 in the 200 free, 1:49.17 in the 200 IM, 4:26.21 in the 500 free
Trevor Kuhn
Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.
High School: Palm Harbor University
Diving Accomplishments: Four-time district champion, three-time regional champion, finished in third place at the 2022 FHSAA Florida 4A State Championship.
Peyton Ming
Hometown: Lake Placid, N.Y.
High School: Lake Placid
Previous school: Indian River
Top times: 49.3 in the 100 back, 1:48 in the 200 back, 47.9 in the 100 fly
Jacob Rubin
Hometown: St. Petersburg, Fla.
High School: Center Academy
Previous school: University of Montevallo
Top times: 20.15 in the 50 free, 44.75 in the 100 free, 1:38.62 in the 200 free, 4:34.96 in the 500 free
Jack Sheehan
Hometown: Hillsboro Beach, Fla.
High School: Colonial Forge
Previous school: Virginia Military Institute
Top times: 54.22 in the 100 breast, 2:00.51 in the 200 Breast, 1:49.48 in the 200 IM
Players Mentioned
Diving
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Diving
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Diving
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Diving
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