Stanford Signs SevenStanford Signs Seven
Men's Swimming & Diving

Stanford Signs Seven

STANFORD, Calif. – Seven talented high school student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Cardinal next season, as announced this week by Goldman Family Director of Swimming Ted Knapp.

"Our recruiting goal continues to be pretty straight forward -- identify those that are academically viable and have the talent and attitude to make our team better," said Knapp, who is in his fifth year in charge of the program. "The diversity lies not only the events they can swim but also the geographical mix we have coming, which will make for a great class dynamic. Each will bring something special to the team and between, them they cover all NCAA individual and relay events, so it was a mission accomplished from our perspective."
 
The seven incoming freshman hail from seven different states – New Jersey, Texas, Minnesota, Maryland, California, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
 

Johannes Calloni • Freestyle • Jersey City, N.J.

A distance freestyle specialist, Johannes Calloni joins Stanford from Scarlet Aquatics Club and Saint Peter's Preparatory. The reigning 1,500-meter freestyle United States Junior National Champion (15:16.62), Calloni made the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 1,500-meter freestyle and 200-meter backstroke and represented Italy at the 2016 European Junior Championships. He is the 50th-ranked recruit in the class and the second-ranked recruit from New Jersey, according to CollegeSwimming.com. His hobbies include art history and cinematography, and he aspires to work at the United Nations or NATO.

"Personally, I always strive for excellence and Stanford is the place where I see myself developing my academic and athletic skills. I couldn't find a school with a better environment built to help students and athletes alike achieve and exceed their goals." – Johannes Calloni

Glen Cowand • Backstroke/Freestyle • Katy, Texas

Glen Cowand attends Cinco Rach High School and swims for Katy Aquatics in Katy, Texas. The reigning Texas 6A state champion in the 100-yard backstroke, Cowand made the United States Olympic Trials in the same event. According to CollegeSwimming.com, Cowand is the 31st-ranked recruit in the class and the fourth-ranked swimmer from Texas. An avid fisherman, Cowand aspires to major in chemical engineering.

"I chose Stanford because it embodies excellence. Between the great teammates and coaches, beautiful environment, and second-to-none facilities, I knew there was no better place for me to spend my years in college." – Glen Cowand

Jordan Greenberg • Freestyle/Butterfly • Eden Prairie, Minn. 

One of four brothers to swim in college, Jordan Greenberg joins Stanford from Eden Prairie High School and Aquajets Swim Team in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. In 2015, Greenberg represented the United States at the European Maccabi Games in Berlin, Germany. Greenberg is the fourth-ranked recruit from Minnesota, according to CollegeSwimming.com, and was a diver before switching his focus to sprint freestyle swimming. His hobbies include web development and wakeboarding, and hopes to major in computer science or engineering.

"Stanford has always been my dream school. The academics are second-to-none and there's tremendous support from the coaches, team and academic advisors. The team itself has been extremely successful in and out of the pool, so my trip there just reassured me that this is the best place for me to learn, grow, and develop as a student-athlete." – Jordan Greenberg

Matthew Hirschberger • Freestyle • Bethesda, Md.

Matthew Hirschberger joins Stanford from Georgetown Preparatory and Nation's Capital Swim Club as the third-ranked recruit in the class, according to SwimSwam, and the sixth-ranked recruit according to CollegeSwimming.com. At the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, Hirschberger swam the 200-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle and the 1,500-meter freestyle. In 2015, he broke current Stanford assistant Jeff Kostoff's 33-year old age group record in the 1,000-yard freestyle, also breaking Kostoff's record in the 1,650 free. Hirschberger plays guitar in his free time and hopes to major in aerospace or astrophysics and pursue a career with NASA or SpaceX.

"I was drawn to Stanford by its belief that its students can perform at a high level both in and out of the classroom." – Matthew Hirschberger

Alex Liang • Individual Medley/Freestyle/Butterfly • Palo Alto, Calif. 

Alex Liang joins Stanford from nearby Palo Alto High School and Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics. He is the ninth-ranked recruit in the class by CollegeSwimming.com, and is the 14th-ranked recruit according to SwimSwam. A versatile swimmer, Liang swam the 200-meter individual medley, 200-meter butterfly and 400-meter individual medley at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. Liang enjoys cooking and biking in his time away from the pool, and hopes to major in economics, aeronautics or aerospace. He is the younger brother of current Stanford swimmer Andrew Liang.

"Stanford offers me the best opportunity to grow as a person while broadening my horizons. Attending Stanford has been a dream of mine since I was a little child, and being able to do so with my brother makes it even more special."  – Alex Liang

Alberto Mestre • Freestyle • Pottstown, Pa. 

Alberto Mestre joins the Cardinal from The Hill School and Tiger Shark Swimming in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Mestre was the 50-meter freestyle runner up at the 2016 Speedo Summer Junior National Championships, and is the fifth-ranked recruit from Pennsylvania, according to CollegeSwimming.com. Mestre's father, Alberto Sr., represented Venezuela at the 1980 and 1984 Summer Games and swam for Florida. An avid reader of the Wall Street Journal, Mestre plans to major in economics and pursue a career in finance.

"During my visit I realized that Stanford was the place of best fit for me. The academics, team, facilities, campus and coaching staff make Stanford unique. I am honored to become part of this team next year. I'm ooking forward for what my future at Stanford holds." – Alberto Mestre

Brennan Pastorek • Breaststroke/Individual Medley • Savannah, Ga.

Brennan Pastorek joins Stanford from the Georgia Connections Academy and the Georgia Coastal Aquatics Team. Pastorek is the 13th-ranked recruit, according to SwimSwam, and the 15th-ranked recruit, per CollegeSwimming.com. This past summer, Pastorek competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200-meter individual medley. A Japanese culture and poetry enthusiast, Pastorek hopes to major in engineering or physics and pursue a post-graduate degree.

"I chose Stanford because their balance of high level academics and athletics is second to none. Stanford will allow me to pursue my dreams in physics and engineering while also training at the highest level in the pool." – Brennan Pastorek