Swimming adds two new recruits

The IU swimming team added a pair of international swimmers this week.

Ali Khalafalla from Cairo and Grace Vertigans from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will begin their stint with the program this fall.

Khalafalla attended Fort Union Military Academy in Virginia, where he has school records in short course meters 100-freestyle and 200-freestyle.

Khalafalla was named the school’s Most Outstanding Swimmer and earned All-American honors. He was also a member of the National Honors Society.

“In my opinion, Ali is one of the best kept secrets on the U.S. sprinting scene in the class of 2015,” IU Coach Ray Looze said in a press release.

Vertigans spent her youth in Dubai and moved to Colchester, England, when she was 13.

She attended Plymouth College in England, and she won the 50-meter butterfly and the 400-meter freestyle relay in the December 2013 in the World School Games in Brazil.

Also, in the World Junior Championships this past year, Vertigans’ British team won silver at the 400-meter medley relay.

“Grace is one of the very top 18 and under sprint freestylers in the world,” Looze said in the release. Beyond her talents in the pool, Grace is extremely team-oriented and will fit in well with the Hoosier family atmosphere. She is an outstanding student, and our staff is excited to help Grace reach her Olympic dreams.”

Evan Hoopfer