STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The Stony Brook women's swimming and diving program and head coach Janelle Atkinson have announced the addition of nine swimmers for the 2017-18 academic year.
 
Lexie Bakke, Emily Cabral, Sara Chin, Dana Dantuono, Ava Demayo, Julia Gatti, Arianna Rodriguez, Cassie Shear and Tess Stepakoff will join the Seawolves in 2017-18 as the first swimming and diving student-athletes Stony Brook has had since the program was placed on competitive hiatus in 2012-13.
 
"I'm extremely pleased with the level of athletes I've been able to attract in the four months since accepting my role here at Stony Brook," Atkinson said. "Each athlete on the roster is quite unique, and will bring a different perspective to the team. I'm truly excited to build something special with this amazing group of women."
 
The University announced the return of Stony Brook's Swimming and Diving program for the 2017-18 academic year this past fall, following multi-million dollar renovations to its indoor pool facility. Stony Brook University and the Department of Athletics held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to re-open University Pool on May 15. 
 
"Much like every program here, we strive to be the best," Atkinson said. "I've set very lofty goals for this program, and based on the way recruiting has gone thus far, there will be a lot for fans to cheer for in the future of Stony Brook swimming and diving."
 
Lexie Bakke | So.
Portland, Maine/Cape Elizabeth High School
Bakke spent four years on the varsity swimming and diving team at Cape Elizabeth High School in Maine, helping guide the program to a state championship in 2013 and three second-place finishes over four years.
 
Emily Cabral | Jr.
East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg High School South (LIU Brooklyn)
Cabral transfers to Stony Brook for the 2017-18 academic year after spending two seasons on the swimming and diving team at LIU Brooklyn.
 
Sara Chin | Fr.
Long Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach High School
Chin spent four years on the swimming and diving team at Huntington Beach High School, being named team MVP in 2014, 2015 and 2016. She is the 200 IM Relay and 200 Free Relay record holder at Huntington High School, and a California Section I CIF qualifier.
 
Dana Dantuono | Jr.
West Islip, N.Y./Sachem North High School (Suffolk County CC)
Dantuono transfers to Stony Brook for the 2017-18 academic year after spending two years at Suffolk County Community College. She served as swimming and diving captain at Sachem North High School in 2013 and 2014, earning All-League honors during both seasons.
 
Ava Demayo | Fr.
Irvine, Calif./Frank McCourt High School
Demayo attended Frank McCourt High School, where she was a member of the club swimming and diving program. She served as co-captain of the program as a senior.
 
Julia Gatti | Jr.
Smithtown, N.Y./Hauppauge High School
Gatti competed in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle for the swimming program at Hauppauge High School. The junior from Smithtown, New York is also a junior black belt in America Jiu Jitsu, and a three-time gold medalist in the Long Island Pride Jiu Jitsu BJJ International Championship.
 
Arianna Rodriguez | Jr.
Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis High School
Rodriguez competed in the butterfly and the individual medley from 2014-17 for the Long Island Shockwaves, serving as co-captain of the team. She was named team MVP in 2015-2016, and was a PSAL Division A qualifier from 2013-2017.
 
Cassie Shear | Jr.
Johannesburg, South Africa/Crawford College Sandton (Catawba College)
Prior to transferring to Stony Brook for the 2017-18 academic year, Shear spent two seasons with the swimming and diving program at Catawba College. Shear served as captain of her swimming and diving team at Crawford College (Sandton) during 2014 as a high school senior. She represented South Africa twice at the Maccabi Games in Israel (ages 13 and 17), and has been a South Africa National Swimmer every year since 2010. She also captained the SA Schools National Team as a junior and senior in high school.
 
Tess Stepakoff | Jr.
Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy
Stepakoff hails from Newburgh, New York, where she lettered in both swimming and diving and rowing at Newburgh Free Academy. Stepakoff served as team captain for the swimming team in 2014, and team captain for the rowing team in 2015.