Razorbacks Add Three To 2018-19 Roster

Fall Signing Class

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas swimming and diving head coach Neil Harper announced the addition of three Razorbacks on Wednesday to the 2018-19 roster.

Arkansas adds a backstroke specialist from Missouri in Maddie Pearl, a sprinter from Texas in Brittney Pike and a distance swimmer from Texas in Rachel Rodriguez.

“We are very excited to add these three swimmers to our roster,” said Harper. “They each bring a lot to our team and have improved a lot just from the time they first committed to us. We are excited about the future of this program and how these three can impact that growth.”

Maddie Pearl | Kirkwood, Missouri (Kirkwood High School / Flyers Aquatic Swim Team)
Pearl joins the Razorbacks as a backstroke specialist with personal-bests times of 56.78 in the 100 back at the 2017 Speedo Sectionals and 2:03.54 in the 200 back. Ranked 12th in the state of Missouri, Pearl finished eighth at the MSHSAA Girls State Class 2 Championships last season in the 100 back in 58.03. She was a three-time finalist at the 2017 OZ Senior Championships in the 200 back (4th – 2:07.81), 200 IM (5th – 2:13.96) and the 100 back (7th – 59.36).

Brittney Pike | Boerne, Texas (Boerne Samuel V. Champion High School / San Antonio Wave)
Pike comes to Fayetteville as a sprint swimmer, who claimed the 2018 IUL Texas 5A State Championship in the 100 free, touching in a personal-best 51.59, after finishing fourth the season before in 52.60. Ranked 36th in the state of Texas, Pike was also a finalist in the 200 free in 2018, finishing sixth in 1:52.49. Pike was a two-time champion at the 2017 Texas UIL 5A Region 7 Championships in the 50 free (24.15) and the 100 free (52.51).

Rachel Rodriguez | San Antonio, Texas (Ronald Reagan High School / Alamo Area Aquatics Association)
Ranked 22nd in the state of Texas, Rodriguez was a 500 free finalist at the 2018 UIL Texas 6A State Championships, finishing sixth in 4:55.03. The distance swimmer was the 500 free champion at the 2017 Texas UIL Region 7-6A Championships with a time of 4:57.31, where she also turned in a personal-best 1:51.69 in the 200 free for a second-place finish. She recorded two more personal bests at the 2017 Speedo Sectionals in College Station in the 1000 free and 1650 free, touching respectively in seventh in 10:11.79 and eighth in 17:14.28. She also went 2:01.06 in the 200 backstroke at the TISCA Swim Championships.

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