MIAMI – FIU swimming & diving head coach Randy Horner announced the addition of 14 newcomers for the 2026-27 season, welcoming a talented signing class that includes 10 freshmen and four transfers.

"I'm excited for this signing class because we've checked a lot of boxes," Horner said. "Each of these women will make an immediate impact in the American Conference next season."

The class features Maria Alvestad, Amelia Brown, Anna Bunnell, Helene Gonzalez, Sabrina Ledwith, Carolyn Levy-Powell Dhavgely Mendoza, Livia Bella Morganti, Mercyann Najera, Sofia Nikitenko, Gaya Savran, Amiah Sparks, Timea Urogi and Rebecca Vega.

Maria Alvestad | Freshman | Backstroke
A native of Ranheim, Norway, Alvestad specializes in the backstroke. At the most recent Norwegian Short Course Championships, she captured junior titles in the 50-meter backstroke, 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter backstroke and 100-meter individual medley.

Amelia Brown | Junior | Freestyle/Backstroke
Brown transfers from Indian River State College, one of the nation's premier junior college swimming programs. A three-time NJCAA national champion, she won titles in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle in 2025 while also earning national runner-up honors in the 50 freestyle.

Anna Bunnell | Junior | Diver
The Evansville, Indiana, native transfers from Southern Indiana after two seasons with the Screaming Eagles. Bunnell earned All-Summit League honors after placing third in the 1-meter dive at the 2026 Summit League Championships. As a freshman, she became the first diver in program history to surpass the NCAA Zone qualifying standard in the 1-meter, setting a school-record score of 266.30 while earning Southern Indiana Female Athlete of the Year honors.

Helene Gonzalez | Freshman | Freestyle
A native of Kløfta, Norway, Gonzalez represented Norway at the 2021 Nordic Junior Championships. She won the 2023 Norwegian Junior National Championship in the 400-meter freestyle and ranked among Norway's top 35 swimmers.

Sabrina Ledwith | Freshman | Freestyle
Ledwith, a distance freestyle specialist from Noblesville, Indiana, competed for Carmel Swim Club and Carmel High School. She helped lead Carmel to Indiana High School State Championships in both 2025 and 2026.

Carolyn Levy-Powell | Freshman | Butterfly / Backstroke
The Pompano Beach, Florida, native competed for St. Thomas Aquinas Swimming and represents Jamaica in international competition. Levy-Powell competed at the 2025 World Junior Championships and finished as the Florida state runner-up in the 100 backstroke while placing third in the 100 butterfly.

Dhavgely Mendoza | Junior | Diver
Mendoza transfers from St. Bonaventure following two outstanding seasons. The Barquisimeto, Venezuela, native swept the 1-meter and 3-meter titles at the 2026 Atlantic 10 Championships, earning Most Outstanding Diver honors after becoming just the third diver in program history to receive the award. She also qualified for NCAA Zone Championships in both diving events.

Livia Bella Morganti | Freshman | Butterfly / Freestyle
The São Paulo, Brazil, native competed for Esporte Clube Pinheiros. Morganti claimed São Paulo State Championships in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle while also qualifying as a finalist at the Brazilian National Championships.

Mercyann Najera | Freshman | Backstroke / Breaststroke
Najera, a native of Tel Aviv, Israel, competed for Bnei Herzliya. She represented Israel at both the World Junior Championships and the European Youth Olympic Festival while specializing in the backstroke and breaststroke.

Sofia Nikitentko | Freshman | Breastroke
Nikitentko, from Moscow, Russia, competed for Nkey Swim Club. She recorded a top-10 finish in the breaststroke at the 2026 Dubai Open Championships and posted top performances in both freestyle and breaststroke at the AD-SFL International Championships.

Gaya Savran | Junior | Butterfly
Savran transfers from Wagner after two successful seasons. The Como, Italy, native earned five medals at the 2026 NEC Championships, highlighted by a conference title in the 200 butterfly. As a freshman, she was named NEC Rookie of the Meet and earned NEC Rookie of the Week honors twice after capturing four medals at the conference championships.

Amiah Sparks | Freshman | Freestyle
A native of Valparaiso, Indiana, Sparks competed for Valparaiso Swim Club and Valparaiso High School, specializing in sprint freestyle events. She helped lead her high school to a runner-up finish at the 2026 Indiana Girls Swimming & Diving State Championships and was a member of the state runner-up 200 medley relay team.

Timea Urogi | Freshman | Butterfly / IM
The Budapest, Hungary, native brings international experience to FIU. Urogi placed seventh in the 200 individual medley at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest and won the Hungarian Short Course National Championship in the 200 butterfly.

Rebecca Vega | Freshman | Diver
Vega joins the Panthers from Sheffield, England, where she competed for the City of Sheffield Diving Club. She captured gold in platform and silver in the 3-meter at the 2026 GStar Championships after earning silver in the 1-meter and bronze in the 3-meter in 2025. Vega also won bronze in synchronized platform at the 2025 GB Junior Elite Championships.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following on X (@FIUSwimDive), Facebook (@FIUSwimmingandDiving) and on Instagram (@FIUSwimDive). General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.