By Blake Dowson
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The Iowa men’s swimming and diving team has brought in a strong freshman class of athletes. Head coach Marc Long has nabbed two in-state recruits, along with one international swimmer among the group.

Will Brenner

Brenner set a school record in six different dives at Huron High in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Brenner was a state qualifier in swimming, diving, and tennis. As a high-school tennis player, he won two state team titles and one individual title.

“Will is a special athlete,” Long said. “He made state in tennis, swimming, and diving. It’s not too often you see that.”

Ben Colin

Colin grew up a Hawkeye fan in Dubuque and followed in his father’s footsteps in enrolling at Iowa.

“I didn’t think I was good enough to swim here,” Colin said. “About my sophomore year was when I realized I could do it, and it was a dream come true.”

Colin wrote for his high-school newspaper and is now a journalism student at Iowa. He said he hopes to work at ESPN someday. He will be a freestyle swimmer for the Hawkeyes.

“Ben is a hungry athlete,” Long said. “He’s a hard-working competitor. He’ll be a key guy in some distance events.”

Drew Eisen

Eisen has swimming in his blood; father Bill Eisen swam at Michigan State.

However, Eisen grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, playing on a nationally ranked club baseball team, not in the pool. His father tried to keep him out of swimming because of the toll it took on him in his own career.

Drew Eisen eventually found his way into the water, and he will be a freestyle swimmer for the Hawkeyes.

“Drew will be a distance specialist for us,” Long said. “We see him swimming the 1,000 and above.”

Matt Kamin

For Kamin, swimming in college did not appear on his radar until his second year of high school.

He qualified for the Illinois state swimming meet as a sophomore, and his swimming coach persuaded him to quit football and focus on the pool.

“I didn’t even start swimming seriously until high school,” Kamin said. “I did the typical six-week country-club thing in middle school.”

Kamin will compete in freestyle events for the Hawkeyes as well.

“We’re really excited about Matt,” Long said. “He’s a real spark for us in the pool.”

Tanner Nelson

Much like Colin, Tanner Nelson was born a Hawkeye fan, though in Bettendorf.

Nelson said he is fulfilling his grandfather’s dream by attending Iowa.

“My grandpa really wanted one of his grandkids to go to Iowa,” Nelson said. “It makes him really happy that one ended up being an athlete.”

Nelson broke a 34-year-old state record in the 100 breaststroke as a junior at Bettendorf High, then broke his own time the next year as a senior.

“Tanner is an Iowa kid for us who had a great summer,” Long said. “He’ll be great for us in the breaststroke.”

Quinn Risley

Growing up in Riverside Brookfield, Illinois, Quinn Risley knew he wanted to swim in the Big Ten.

Brother Graham Risley swam at Penn State, and father Jay Risley swam at Indiana.

Risley said he was envious of his brother because he was so good in the pool growing up, and that motivated him to be a better swimmer.

“Quinn is a guy that we’re moving around a lot,” Long said. “He’s been a sprint freestyle guy, but we’ve had him practicing the breaststroke. We think he could be really good there.”

Sam Sauerbrei

Growing up in Nevada, Sauerbrei wanted to swim in the Big Ten.

He said when he visited Iowa, the fit was obvious right away, and he wanted to be a Hawkeye.

Sauerbrei was a member of a four-time Nevada state championship team and received the Outstanding Swimming Performance of the Year award in 2014.

“Sam will be a 200 fly specialist for us,” Long said. “We’ve been doing a lot of shorter stuff in practice, and he hasn’t really had a chance to shine yet.”

Jack Smith

Smith, from Stoke-on-Trent, England, is the one international recruit in the freshman class.

He said he had visited the United States before enrolling at Iowa and loves the people in the States.

“Everyone is so friendly over here,” Smith said. “They are a lot nicer than the Brits.”

In 2013, Smith was selected to represent England in the World School Games in Brazil as a member of the gold-medal-winning 4×100 medley-relay team.

“Jack is the guy with probably the most credentials coming in,” Long said. “He had a great career in England. He has great range.”