Huskers Sign Strong Six-Swimmer Class

The Nebraska women's swimming and diving program has put together arguably its strongest recruiting class in recent memory with the signing of six impressive swimmers in the 2021 class, Husker Head Coach Pablo Morales announced on Monday, Nov. 16.

The six-member class, which features the No. 1 recruit in Nebraska with the signing of five-time state champion and six-time All-American JoJo Randby from Omaha, also includes three international swimmers from Costa Rica, England and Italy, as well as nationally ranked swimmers from Texas and Pennsylvania.

Randby (No. 205) is one of four incoming Huskers ranked among the top-400 recruits in the world according to CollegeSwimming.com, joining Italian Ilaria Murzilli (No. 86), Costa Rican Beatriz Padron (No. 153) and Texan Madison Lloyd (No. 377). 

"We feel like we have really bolstered our talent level in a variety of areas—all four strokes plus distance and sprint," Morales said. "We have added talent and depth while also expanding the reach of Husker Swim and Dive to some new corners of the world. We are excited about the potential in the class and the future of our program."

Maia Hall, Whitby, England (Ellesmere College)
• British National Champion (50 Breast, 2017)
• Multiple Medals at British National Championships

Maia Hall comes to Nebraska after competing at international swimming power Ellesmere College in Shropshire, England. Hall was one of the top breaststrokers in Great Britain, capturing the 50-meter title as a 15-year-old at the British National Championships in Sheffield in 2017.

Hall has won multiple medals at the British National Championships and was the winner of the Junior Final at the British Olympic Trials in 2019. At the 2019 Scottish Short-Course National Championships, Hall finished fourth in the 50 (32.16), 100 (1:09.40) and 200 breaststroke (2:28.21). 

"After having several conversations with the coaches and team, I knew Nebraska was the right place for me," Hall said. "The team made me feel extremely welcome, and I knew the Huskers were definitely something I wanted to be part of."

Madison Lloyd, Kingwood, Texas (Kingwood)
• Five-Time NISCA All-American
• No. 285 Recruit in the Nation (CollegeSwimming)
• No. 377 Recruit in the World (CollegeSwimming)
• Two-Time Texas UIL Class 6A Finalist (100 Back, 2019, 2020)

A top backstroker and butterfly specialist in the state of Texas, Madison Lloyd finished fourth in the 100-yard back at the 2020 UIL Texas 6A State Championship. She added a top-eight finish at the 2019 state meet, while slashing more than four seconds off her time from 2019 to 2020.

Lloyd was ranked as a top-300 recruit (285) in the United States for the Class of 2021 and a top-400 recruit (377) in the world by CollegeSwimming.com.

Her effort helped her earn NISCA All-America honors in the 100 back in 2020. She added NISCA All-America honors as a member of Kingwood's 200 free relay team in both 2019 and 2020, and as a member of the 200 medley relay in 2020. She was also an NISCA All-American as a freshman as part of Kingwood's 400 free relay team in 2018.

Lloyd helped Kingwood to a state runner-up team finish in Austin in 2020 and a No. 7 NISCA national team finish. She also swam club for Blue Tide Aquatics. Lloyd set her career-best in the 100 back with a 55.55 to finish as the UIL Class 6A Region runner-up in 2020. She added a career-best 56.85 in the 100 fly at the 2020 state championships, after taking third in the 100 fly at the Region 6A meet.

"The moment I met the team and coaches, I knew Nebraska was the place for me," Lloyd said. "I cannot wait to be a part of the Husker family. I loved the coaches, athletic staff and team environment. Of all of my visits, the girls at Nebraska were very welcoming and I felt like I fit in right away."

Sydney McCracken, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania (Kennett)
• NISCA All-American (100 Breast, 2020)
• No. 446 Recruit in the Nation (CollegeSwimming)
• No. 565 Recruit in the World (CollegeSwimming)
• Four-Time YMCA Long Course Nationals Finalist (7th, 50 Breast, 2018)

A talented breaststroker, Sydney McCracken will come to Nebraska as one of the top 450 overall recruits in the nation in the Class of 2021. A top-15 recruit in the state of Pennsylvania, McCracken finished seventh in the 50 breaststroke at the 2018 YMCA Long Course National Championships. Ranked as the No. 446 recruit in the nation among the Class of 2021, McCracken was an NISCA All-American in the 100-yard breaststroke in 2020.

She posted her top 100-yard breaststroke time of 1:03.03 at the PIAA AAA Girls State Championships in March 2020, when she finished as the state runner-up on her way to NISCA All-America honors. She added a top time of 29.24 in the 50-yard breast at the PIAA state meet for Kennett High School. McCracken was also a finalist in the 50-meter breast at the 2018 YMCA Long Course National Championships, while competing for the Kennett Area YMCA. 

"I chose Nebraska because of its outstanding appreciation and support for student-athletes," McCracken said. "They have an amazing program and facilities that support all student-athletes. The team has some of the kindest and most genuine people I have met. The coaching staff is also one of the best I have talked with. They provided me with all the information I needed throughout this unusual recruiting experience and made it as easy as possible. I feel that this is the best place to achieve my goals as a student-athlete.

Ilaria Murzilli, Rome, Italy (Biagio Pascal Rome)
• Italian National Team Member (2017-present)
• No. 27 International Recruit (CollegeSwimming)
• No. 86 Recruit in the World (CollegeSwimming)

The first Italian swimmer in the history of the Husker program, Ilaria Murzilli comes to Nebraska as the No. 27 ranked international recruit according to CollegeSwimming.com.

Murzilli, who is one of four international swimmers in Nebraska's seven-member class, is the highest ranked recruit overall in the Husker class, coming in at No. 86, joining Costa Rican Beatriz Padron (153) and Omahan JoJo Randby (205) among the top 205 recruits in the world. Murzilli has competed for the Italian National Team since 2017.

"I chose Nebraska because I saw the excellent academic qualities and excellent programs for my swimming specialties," Murzilli said. "I'm sure it can give me great opportunities for personal and sporting growth."

Beatriz Padron, Belen, Costa Rica (Saint Paul College)
• Costa Rican National Team Member (2015-present)
• No. 46 International Recruit (CollegeSwimming)
• No. 153 Recruit in the World (CollegeSwimming)
• FINA LC World Championships Qualifier (2017, 2019)
• FINA SC World Championships Qualifier (2018)
• Youth Olympic Games Semifinalist (2018)

One of the top swimmers in Costa Rica, Beatriz Padron brings extensive international experience with her to Nebraska. Padron represented Costa Rica at the FINA Long-Course World Championships in both 2017 and 2019, while also competing at the Short-Course World Championships in 2018.

Padron ranked as the No. 153 recruit in the world and the No. 46 international recruit in the Class of 2021 by CollegeSwimming.com.

"I chose Nebraska because Coach Pablo (Morales) and Coach Patrick (Rowan) were very consistent and supportive of me throughout the recruiting process," Padron said. "Both of them, along with the girls of the team, made me feel like I was in the right place. Also, the support and the atmosphere that UNL provides to students for their development, both as athletes and as people, left me amazed. It really was the best place I could think of to reach my swimming and academic goals."

JoJo Randby, Omaha, Nebraska (Omaha Marian)
• Six-Time NISCA All-American
• No. 1 Recruit in Nebraska (CollegeSwimming)
• No. 149 Recruit in the Nation (CollegeSwimming)
• No. 205 Recruit in the World (CollegeSwimming)
• Nebraska Female Swimmer of the Meet (2020)
• Two-Time Nebraska State Individual Champion (100 Breast, 2020; 50 Free, 2020)
• Three-Time Nebraska State Relay Champion (200 Medley Relay, 2019, 2020; 200 Free Relay, 2020)

The No. 1 recruit in the state of Nebraska in the Class of 2021, JoJo Randby captured a pair of individual state titles and two more relay gold medals to lead Omaha Marian to a team crown at the 2020 Nebraska High School Championships.

Ranked as one of the top 150 recruits in the nation by CollegeSwimming.com, Randby took the 100-yard breaststroke state title with a Nebraska state record time of 1:01.29 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. 

Her clocking in the 100 breast ranked No. 11 nationally among times submitted to the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) to earn her All-America honors in 2020.She added another title and an NISCA All-America award in the 50 free with a career-best time of 23.43 at the 2020 state meet.

Overall, Randby is a six-time NISCA All-American, a five-time Nebraska state champion and a three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.

"Coach Pablo (Morales) and Patrick (Rowan) are humble and genuine mentors," Randby said. "I really like the supportive atmosphere at Nebraska, and I had a lot of fun on my visit. I also really appreciate the great academic and athletic resources at Nebraska. I truly believe there is no place like Nebraska."