Aiden Hall, who graduated from Liberty University Online Academy in 2024, is transferring after his freshman season at NCAA Division I St. Bonaventure (N.Y.)
NCAA Division I transfer Hall will strengthen Flames swimmers in distance freestyle, IM events
7/2/2025 12:01:00 PM | Men's Swimming
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Aiden Hall, who swam as a freshman at St. Bonaventure (N.Y.), will join fellow transfer JC Gordon and a group of five incoming freshmen recruits.
A second NCAA Division I transfer has Liberty University men's swimming Head Coach Heath Grishaw optimistic about the three-time reigning runner-up Flames' prospects of again contending for a College Club Swimming (CCS) National Championship next spring even after losing 10 swimmers—including five-time individual national champion Matt Davidson — from last season's team.
Aiden Hall, who spent his freshman year at St. Bonaventure (N.Y.) University after earning his high school diploma from Liberty University Online Academy, joins Virginia Tech transfer JC Gordon as the second sophomore recruit to complement a group of five incoming freshmen. Â
"He wanted to get into aviation (through the School of Aeronautics) and knew we had a club team here, and he is super excited to help us chase our first national title," Grishaw said of Hall, who is from Chesterfield, Va., a suburb of Richmond, where he swam for Nova of Virginia Aquatics, Inc., and Quest Swimming of Midlothian, Va. "We are reloading really well, and we have great depth and senior status that will really help a lot of these guys succeed. They will push our team to get through the threshold of getting second the past three years."
Hall primarily competes as a distance freestyle swimmer, but is versatile enough to swim all four strokes and could excel in the 200 yard Individual Medley and on the 200 free relay. His lifetime best in the 400 IM is 3 minutes, 56.07 seconds, nine seconds faster than the current Liberty program record, set last season by Jonah Rees, a rising sophomore.
"There's really great potential there," Grishaw said of Hall, who has also swum a time of 4:29.32 in the 500 free, slightly faster than the record set by rising junior Thomas Hill.
"He will be a great training partner for Thomas, who has been our main guy in the distance events. We are excited to be adding Aiden and JC, and also returning (rising junior) Carter Rice, who has really exploded these past couple years. Having four to five really good distance swimmers makes us more competitive in the water from practice to practice."
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Jorge Oquendo could be the Flames' second fastest breast stroker.
The Flames' top incoming freshman recruit is Jorge Oquendo from Virginia Beach who competed on the same Williamsburg-based 757swim club as rising senior Dillon Delaney, who may be the only swimmer faster than him in the breaststroke.
"Jorge should provide a great push for (rising sophomore) Malachi (Caballero) and be chomping on Dillon's heels," Grishaw said of the breast events. "He is also going to be a good sprint IMer, and a stud in the 100 butterfly."
 Incoming freshman Judah Fralic, who currently swims for the Lakeside Aquatic Club near Fort Worth, Texas, is another breast stroker in the recruiting class who will help replace Tyler Suchyj, who graduated in May.
"He's going to be someone to watch with a lot of upside to him, especially in the breast stroke and distance freestyle events," Grishaw said. "He is a good addition there and I expect him to show steady improvement throughout the years."Â
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Judah Fralic from Fort Worth, Texas, also excels in the breast events.
Ethan Wanner from Morgantown, Pa., who swims for the Ephrata Tidal Waves, can also contribute to the Flames' success in the 100 and 50 breast.
"He has had a crazy uptick in his swimming, and is ready to take on more fly and IM events as well," Grishaw said, noting Wanner met all of the benchmarks he set for him this past season.
After the graduation of four butterfly swimmers, Jonah Black, Jonah Rhodenizer, Jimmy Blackstone, and Trent Kolter, Grishaw is adding a few swimmers who can excel at that stroke, including Charlie Houston from Oak Ridge, Tenn., who swims for the Atomic City Aquatic Club. Grishaw said Houston will be great in the 200 fly and could thrive in the 100 and 50 fly as well with some sprint training under him. He will also be a decent 200 freestyler with the potential to make that another strongsuit.
Tristan Massey, who is from Oviedo, Fla., and swims for Blue Dolphins Oviedo as a former teammate of rising senior Jeff Serle, is another strong butterfly swimmer in the 100 and 200 events.
By Ted Allen/Staff WriterEthan Wanner from Morgantown, Pa., who swam for Pequea Valley, will strengthen the Flames in the breast stroke events.Charlie Houston from Oak Ridge, Tenn., who swims for the Atomic City Aquatic Club, will give Liberty a boost in the butterfly and freestyle.
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