The 2008-09 women’s swimming and diving team will have a much different look from the 2007-08 version.

With seven seniors departing at the end of this season, the Falcons delved deep into recruiting this year to replace them.

Eight new swimmers will be added to the team with six of them already signing National Letters of Intent. Seven of the eight will start at the beginning of next season.

“This is the best recruiting class BGSU swimming has ever had,” coach Keri Buff said. “These girls will come in and make an immediate impact in our conference.”

The best of the bunch is Amanda Rom, a Senior National Qualifier in the 100 and 200-yard breaststrokes from Cincinnati. She helped lead her high school team to four straight second place state finishes.

“[Rom] fills the need of needing a potential [Mid-American Conference] champion in the breaststroke events,” assistant coach Mark Howard said.

Sarah Burston will join German-born Frankie Houck and become the second foreign-born member of the team when she arrives from Sydney, Australia in January of 2009. Burston is very versatile and is expected to take part in butterfly, freestyle and individual medley events.

“Collegiate swimming is going global,” Howard said. “And it’s a huge gift we were given with Sarah Burston coming.”

This signing is the start of BG’s perspective on signing international swimmers. As the sport grows internationally, BG wants to continue to keep pace with the sport in general.

Howard is traveling to Australia in May to try to make connections with other Australian swimmers and coaches during a national convention. The coaches are also planning on looking to Canada as a secondary target for finding new talents.

But, BG is not just looking internationally as they also signed two local swimmers to keep the local connection to BG swimming strong.

Katie Womack will move from the BG high school to the University next year and swim in freestyles, breaststrokes and individual medley. Womack swam in the 2007 Ohio State meet in the 200-yard freestyle (1:51.31) in March of this year.

Kirsten Tuescher of Toledo will be swimming in backstroke races next year.

“It is nice to keep the local connection strong,” Howard said.

The Falcons also looked into out of state swimmers as they do every year.

Megan Bomicino will bring her mid to long distance freestyle talents to BG from Illinois. Bomicino recently finished 10th in the 200 and 500-yard freestyles at the state meet. Jen Beatty of Pennsylvania is expected to swim in similar events.

Sarah Reinink and Andrea Brown are both joining the Falcons from Michigan and swim in freestyle races.

“We have our very top choices and signed them early,” Howard said. “They fill the exact needs that we were looking for.”

This class will be vital in replacing seniors Kim Albin, Jill Auer, Michael Carriaga, Lisa Hipp, Brit O’Connor, Christine Vaca and Jennifer Wright by helping to fill the voids the seniors will leave behind.

The eight will also make a nice addition to the top talents that the Falcons have in Alisha Yee, Sami Jordan, Chelsea Lopus, Frankie Houck, Meg Richardson and Carrie Enright for years to come.

“We couldn’t be more about excited about our future,” Buff said.