Most names on the Grand Valley State men’s swimming and diving roster are listed alongside their respective states and hometowns. Others, however, need a country for clarification.

GVSU counts on a number of international students to contribute to the team’s success. Swimmers hail from countries such as Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Spain, Slovakia and Mexico. After a trio of recent additions — Metin Aydin (Cologne, Germany), Gabriel Souza (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Jesus Morales (Madrid, Spain) — the team has increased its number of international swimmers to 10.

“It is trickier to recruit international students to the swim team because they don’t tour the campus or take visits before they decide whether or not they want to come here or not,” said GVSU coach Andy Boyce. “We have to get ahold of them via Skype, rely on a lot of the international recruiting sites that give us information and then tell them about all the opportunities that they will have once they come to GVSU.”

For two of the new swimmers, Aydin and Souza, it didn’t take long to make a splash.

On Saturday against Wayne State, Aydin set a pool record with a first-place performance in the 200 back (1:50.44). Not to be outdone, Souza set a pool record in the 100 fly (49.68).

Junior standout Gianni Ferrero is a prime example of the team’s international dynamic. Ferrero, who owns a number of records for the Laker program, has been a key contributor since moving from Idstein, Germany. He said transitioning to a new country can be a huge adjustment for newcomers.

“You have to deal with the language barrier when you come here, having to have different classes and even meeting people of a different culture were a big challenge that I faced when I came here,” he said. “Even though it was a huge adjustment for me, it’s been a great experience. I am sad that I only have a year and a half left at GVSU; it was the best decision that I have ever made.

“We are like one big huge family, not only hanging out at practice but we hang out outside of practice. We all get along great and it helps make the adjustment easier.”

After their impressive debuts, Aydin and Souza figure to give No. 5 GVSU a considerable boost for the remainder of the season. GVSU hosts three more events in Allendale before the GLIAC Championships take place from Feb. 11-14 in Jenison, Mich.

“We have very high expectations for the international students when we bring them to the team,” Boyce said. “When we first look at them, we look at their international times and we expect them to continue to improve their times, getting wiser and stronger throughout the season. We are looking toward them helping our team out in the conference and even at a national level.”

GVSU returns to action at home Saturday in a dual meet against the University of Indianapolis at 2 p.m.