Skip To Main Content

Upcoming Events and Recent Results

Western Illinois University Athletics

Swim Recruits

Three Commit to Leathernecks’ Swimming & Diving Program

Allison Fellner, Allison Spielman, and Olivia Leslie will join Caroline Smith and Anika Gram as 2018-19 recruits.

MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois swimming and diving program increased by three Wednesday (Jan. 22) with the addition of incoming recruits Allison Fellner, Allison Spielman, and Olivia Leslie. 

Fellner will join the Leathernecks after graduating from Davenport Central High School in Iowa. Specializing in the butterfly and individual medley, she earned several all-conference awards, and most recently competed in the state relay in the 200-medley and 100-free. 

"Allison will give us some much-needed depth at 200 fly and 400 IM," said head swimming and diving coach Greg Naumann. "These are events that not too many swimmers want to swim, so she will be a much-needed addition to our roster next year.  She comes from the same program as Brennan Bladel, Claire Straetker, Mary Betsworth, and myself.  I'm excited to be able to add people from the Quad Cities to our roster, but it's even more exciting to bring them in from a club program that I once coached and swam for."

Fellner plans to pursue a degree in exercise science while her new teammate Spielman, who will add depth in the freestyle and backstroke, intends to study nursing. 

"Allison will bring another strong sprint freestyler to our program. She has the ability to make an immediate impact in her freshman year on relays and individually," said Naumann. "I anticipate seeing her name with other current swimmers on our record board in the near future. Anyone that we can bring into our program who can make an immediate impact, like Allison, will be fun to coach and watch."

Spielman is from Madison, Wis., and will soon graduate from James Madison Memorial High School, where she was a four-year varsity letter winner. She helped the school to its state meet all four years, highlighted by All-American and All-State honors in the 200 and 400 free relays in 2015-16. Spielman was also a state qualifier in the 100 free a year ago. 

 A Springfield, Ohio, native, Leslie will graduate from Clark-Shawnee High School as a four-year varsity letter winner. She earned high honors every year of competition and was also a varsity softball catcher. Leslie's area of focus is the backstroke, and she is an all-state swimmer, placing 20th overall out of all the districts in Ohio as a junior and 17th at state. 

"Olivia will come in as one of our top backstrokers," said Naumann. "I'm excited to see how she will perform since she has currently matched her lifetime-best 100 backstroke time in the middle of her season.  This means that she should be able to contend for our top relays right away, and also be capable of scoring at the Summit League Championship." 

The three will join Caroline Smith and Anika Gram in Naumann's 2018-19 recruiting class. 
Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories