July 22, 2009 - Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving coach Kurt Kirner is proud to present the incoming freshman class for his 2009-10 team.

Seven ladies from around the country will be joining the Charger swimming team this season. Hillsdale is coming off one of its most successful seasons in its history in 2008-09, going 10-2 in dual meets while qualifying four swimmers for the NCAA Division II national championships.

Short bios of the seven incoming freshmen are listed below.

Annemarie Brinkman
A standout swimmer at Livonia Ladywood High School, as well as the Novi Sturgeons club team, Brinkman was a team captain as a senior in 2008-09. She also shares the school record in the 200 medley relay event. She also earned two letters in softball and one in volleyball at Ladywood. Her club team coach was Mark Winter. She was born June 17, 1991 and her parents are Martin and Lisa.

Lauren Burt
Burt enjoyed an azward-filled career at Rochester Stoney Creek High School, both on the individual and team levels. She was named team MVP of the Cougars in 2007-08 and 2008-09, and was team captain as a senior. She holds school records in the following events: 100 free, 200 IM, 200 free relay, and 400 free relay. She qualified for the state meet in all four years of her career, and was named an Oakland Activities Association Scholar-Athlete four times. Her team was OAA White Division champs in 2008, and finished 13th at the Division 2 state meet that same season. Burt was also a member of the National Honor Society. She was born Dec. 23, 1990, and her parents are James and Lisa.

Sarah Leitner
A well-rounded and high-achieving student-athlete at Henderson High School in Henderson, Texas, Leitner had a unique experience competing in high school. She was the only athlete on her school’s swimming team for the first three years of her career, and in each of those years, finished in the top 10 in the state in two different events, the 50 free and 100 backstroke. She was named First-Team All-State a total of eight times – four times in two events – and was named the district female swimmer of the year in 2006, 2008 and 2009. She holds the region’s record for the 100 free, a mark she set as a senior. Her best finish in the state meet was third in the 50 free, a mark of 24.63 seconds she made in 2006. She also competed for the Champion Aquatic club team under the firection of coach Clark Wilson. She was a member of the school’s band for four years, and was in the Key Club and Book Club in 2008-09. She was also a member of the National Honor Society as a senior. She was born April 23, 1991 and her parents are Mark and Margaret.


Emily Peltier
A four-time team MVP at Bay City John Glenn High School, Peltier was named Second-Team All-State in the 200 freestyle event as a senior in 2008-09. She holds pool records in two events, and has a career-best time of 2:00.10 in the 200 free event. She also earned First-Team All-Conference honors in four events through all four years of her career with the Bobcats. John Glenn has won the conference championship in each season of her career, and the Bobcats never lost a dual meet while she was on the team. She was also a member of the Student Senate for four years, and was part of the National Honor Society for two years. She was born June 27, 1991 and her parents are Jeffrey and Susan.

Catherine Shilka
Shilka was a record-breaking swimmer with the Academy Bullets Swim Club in Illinois. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Shilka helped lead her team to the 2005 state championship, while helping to set a new school record in the 200 free relay event. She qualified for the Senior State Championships all four years of her prep career, and taught swim lessons to area children for three years. She was also heavily involved in other school activities, including the Christian Youth Theatre, working with a program that takes care of foster kittens, and was very successful in speech and debate clubs. She also has experience tutoring other students in Latin, history and literature. She was born Aug. 10, 1991 and her parents are Wayne and Roxane.

Sami Ward
A 2009 graduate of Rochester Adams High School, Ward was one of the top performers on a very successful Highlanders team that lost a total of seven dual meets in her four-year career. Ward was named First-Team All-State twice, and has career-best times of 25.2 seconds in the 50 free, and 5:17 in the 500 free. Adams went 10-2 in dual meets in each of her last three seasons, and was 11-1 in her freshman year of 2005. She was born May 8, 1991 and her mother is Gina Ward.

Grace Moores
Long-distance swimmer who holds school records in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle...Named First-Team All-State in 2007...Participated in swimming from 2003-08 and in track from 2005-08...Also a member of her school's math team, French Club and one-act play...Born Oct. 4, 1990...Parents are John and Ginna.