Billiken Swimming Signs Eight In Early Signing Period

ST. LOUIS — Saint Louis University head swimming coach Jim Halliburton
today announced that Brian Brungardt (Topeka, Kan./Hayden), Meredith
Grass (Knoxville, Tenn./Farragut), Jana Jones (Birmingham, Ala./Mountain
Brook), Justin Lapin (Watertown, Wis./Watertown), Jenny Lutzen
(Pewaukee, Wis./Arrowhead), Steve Sash (Pekin, Ill./Pekin), Kayla
Schleicher (Overland Park, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas), and Jenny Valentino
(St. Louis, Mo./Fox) signed National Letters of Intent to attend the
University and compete for the Billikens beginning in 2003-04.

“This is a great group of swimmers that should help us both in the
classroom and the pool,” Halliburton said. “Getting a women’s
butterflyer and men’s backstroker were big needs for our program. This
group should help us continue the improvement we’ve already seen this
year.”

Brungardt is a distance freestyler who has qualified for the state meet
all three years of his high school career. He has earned All-State
honors twice and is a three-time All-City selection. Brungardt is a
three-time Centennial League champion in both the 200 and 500 free,
while also taking the city championship in the 200 twice and the 500
three times. In addition to competing with the Hayden High team, he also
swims for coach Pete Malone’s Kansas City Blazers.

Grass is in her senior season at Farragut High School where she competes
in the distance free and the 400 individual medley. She has steadily
lowered her times in all events after joining the Pilot Aquatic Swim
Club last year.

Jones swims butterfly and is captain of her state champion Mountain
Brook High team. Swimming with the Hoover Blue Thunder Swim Club, she
has been inducted into the Southeastern Swimming Hall of Fame for her
accumulation of points throughout the season.

Lapin swims every event but the breaststroke for Watertown High and the
Lake Country Phoenix Swim Club. A three-time All-Conference and two-time
All-State selection, he also was chosen Athlete of the Conference for
the last three years. A state qualifier, Lapin finished second in the
200 IM and fourth in the 500 free at the state meet each of the last two
seasons.

Lutzen helped her Arrowhead High team to a state championship last year
as a sprint/middle distance freestyler. She is part of the state
record-holding 200 medley relay team and qualified for the 2002 Summer
Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Sash is a three-time All-Conference selection and earned All-State
honors his junior year. Swimming the breast, IM and butterfly, he is a
versatile addition to the team. He finished 11th in the 100 breast at
the state meet last year.

Schleicher is a distance freestyler who can also help the Billikens in
the IM and breaststroke. A three-time state qualifier, she has finished
in the top 12 of the breast events and the 500 free at that meet. In the
off-season, she is a teammate of Brungardt on the Kansas City Blazer
club team.

Valentino is a senior a Fox High School and swims butterfly and 200 IM
for the Rockwood Swim Club. She competed on Rockwood’s medley relay team
that participated in the U.S. Open last weekend and has been a top eight
finalist in the 200 butterfly at sectionals. Valentino’s brother Joe is
a senior on this year’s squad, while her older brother Jonathan also
swam at SLU.

These eight swimmers join a current Billiken team that is undefeated on
the women’s side at 10-0 and has a 7-1 record on the men’s side. Saint
Louis has an extended break for exams and the winter holiday before
traveling to Phoenix, Ariz., for winter training in early January.