Meet Our Recruits

Just imagine…

Your senior year of high school is coming to an end and you’ve committed to the Swim & Dive team at your dream NCAA D1 college. You even declined offers from other universities, whose rosters have already filled up. Then, imagine learning — either on Instagram, by text while you’re getting ready for school, or just minutes before a test — that your dream of swimming or diving in college has been shattered.

That’s what happened to these 2025 recruits when they learned on the morning of March 7, 2025 that Cal Poly eliminated the Swim & Dive Program. These are their stories.

  • HADLEY HAYES

    BEST EVENT: 100 BREASTSTROKE
    MAJOR: BUS./ MATERIALS ENG.

    Proudest Accomplishment: Going into my Freshman year, I didn’t even have Senior Zones times, but by the end of my sophomore year I had Junior Nationals times. With 3 Head Coaching changes in 2024 I plateaued and struggled to drop time. But I climbed back up again, and by the end of 2024 I renewed a Junior Nationals cut and got more cuts: the 200 breast + some Futures cuts in both the 200/400IM.

  • Vaughn Tanner

    BEST EVENT: 100 YARD FREE
    MAJOR: PHYSICS

    Proudest Accomplishment: Always trusting the process and working hard to improve my swimming enough to be able to swim at Cal Poly. I never gave up on swimming and always put in 100% every day of the year.

  • Annika Yaworski

    BEST EVENT: BACK / FLY
    MAJOR: SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

    Proudest Accomplishment: I gave up on the idea of swimming in college, but vowed to spread a passion for swim as a team captain my last high school season. Leading my team to a historic season — placing 4th at states and breaking multiple team records —
    re-sparked my dream for swimming in college. My hard work and dedication paid off when I was offered a spot to swim at Cal Poly. Exactly one week later the team was cut.

  • Garrett Haggmark

    BEST EVENT: 50 FREE
    MAJOR: AG ENGINEERING

    Proudest Accomplishment: Winning league in the 200 Free Relay on the same relay as my brother with a school record time.

  • Piper Whitty

    BEST EVENT: FREESTYLE SPRINT
    MAJOR: KINESIOLOGY

    Proudest Accomplishment: I tore the labrum in my shoulder my junior year and I thought my dreams of college swimming were over. I’m proud of my ability to overcome this injury, surgery and six months of PT while keeping a strong mentality and continuing to improve after the fact.

  • Cat Poletti

    BEST EVENT: DISTANCE FREESTYLE
    MAJOR: WINE AND VITICULTURE

    Proudest Accomplishment: Maintaining my dedication and passion for swimming, allowing me to achieve my childhood dream of committing to swim for the D1 program at Cal Poly.

  • Jed Johnson

    BEST EVENT: 200 IM, 100 FREE
    MAJOR: BIOLOGY

    Proudest Accomplishment: Winning 3x North Coast Section Championships as a team for De La Salle High School.

  • Simon Li

    BEST EVENT: FREESTYLE SPRINT
    MAJOR: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

    Proudest Accomplishment: Qualifying to states Top 16 when seeded 38th.

  • Ariana Amaroso

    BEST EVENTS: 100 YD FREE / BACK
    MAJOR: CONSTRUCTION MGMT.

    Proudest Accomplishment: Getting 3 futures cuts at one meet during this past sectionals.