OMAHA, Neb. – College of Saint Mary is pleased to announce that Valeria Benitez-Socarras has signed to continue her swimming career with the school in the 2026-27 academic year.

Benitez-Socarras is from Rushville, Neb., and a senior at Gordon-Rushville High School. She is the daughter of Jose Benitez and Sylmarie Socarras.

CSM Coach Liz Germonprez said she's excited to get her new recruit into the program.

"Valeria is everything CSM swim values!'' she said. "She is positive, a hard worker, a leader, an ideal teammate. She had massive improvement in her swimming this last year and will thrive in our training groups next season.''

At Gordon-Rushville, Benitez-Socarras also has participated in volleyball and track & field. Her greatest sports moment to date is qualifying for state three years in a row.

Benitez-Socarras enjoys reading and watching hockey in her spare time. She said the more she learned about CSM, the more she liked.

"It was my college choice because I loved talking to Coach Liz, Coach Maddy (Craig) and the team, and being able to get to know the team,'' she said. "When I visited campus, I ended up really loving it.''