Courtesy: Georgia Tech Athletics
Highlighted by multiple state record-holders, champions and gold medalists, Georgia Tech swimming and diving has finalized its 2019 class, head coach Courtney Shealy Hart announced on Tuesday.
The Yellow Jackets’ class features impressive student-athletes from both Georgia Tech’s region and from abroad.
“We’re really excited about this group of freshmen starting at Georgia Tech this fall,” Shealy Hart said. “Our team of coaches worked tirelessly to bring in both experienced champions in the pool and gifted students in the classroom and that’s exactly what this class is chalk full of. Whether from our backyard, the East Coast, or from all over the globe, this is a talented group to be excited about.”
Tech fans will be able to get their first glimpse at the 2019-20 Yellow Jackets on Friday, Sept. 27 when they host the White vs. Gold intrasquad scrimmage at 2 p.m. at the McAuley Aquatic Center.
Men’s Swimming and Diving Signees
AJ CARROLL
Backstroke/IM, 5-11, 165, Wake Forest, N.C./Wakefield
Main events are backstroke and individual medley … A four-year letterwinner at Wakefield while also swimming four years at YMCA of the Triangle under Jamie Bloom … Helped lead Wakefield to a Northern Athletic Conference Championship in 2019 – the first swimming championship in school history … Named a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American in 2017-18 … Was a YMCA Nationals Finalist in the 200 back in 2017 and 2018 … Broke the 200 LCM back record in the YMCA of the Triangle area in 2018 … A NCHSAA State Finalist in the 100 back (2018), 200 medley relay (2017, 2018), 200 free relay (2017) and 400 free relay (2018) … Named to the NCHSAA All-Conference team in the 200 IM (2018, 2019), 100 back (2018), 500 free (2019), 200 medley relay (2017, 2018, 2019), 200 free relay (2017) and 400 free relay (2018, 2019) … Rewrote the Wakefield record book by setting records in the 200 medley relay (2018 – 1:38.11), 200 free relay (2017 – 1:28.87) and 400 free relay (2018 – 3:13.33) … A consistent A Honor Roll student and Beta Club and National Honor Society member … Has one older sister … Intends to major in aerospace engineering, with desires of eventually working at NASA.
Freestyle, 6-1, 170, Fanwood, N.J./UCVTS Magnet
A four-year letterwinner at UCVTS, swimming all strokes and earning captain status his final two seasons … Also swam club under Chris Karealus for six years, swimming freestyle and individual medley events … Won the 500 Free Championship at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions … Also a champion in the YMCA Longcourse Nationals 200 free, 2018 400 free … Won the YMCA Shortcourse Nationals 200 Free Championship … A four-time double county champion … Also a three-time Public B state runner-up … Named a NISCA 200 Free All-American in 2017-18, as well as a NISCA All-American in the 200 and 500 free in 2018-19 … Also earned New Jersey All-State recognition in 2017-18 and 2018-19 … Shattered six school records (100, 200, 500 free and 100 fly) … Broke two county records (200 and 500 free) … Also broke the 200 and 400 longcourse New Jersey state records … Holds more than 20 club records … Has one brother …Intends on majoring in mechanical engineering.
JACKSON HARVIN
IM, 5-10, 150, Jefferson, Ga./Jefferson
Main event is individual medley … A two-year letterwinner and one-year captain at Jefferson under Tess Nunally … Named a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American in 2018 … Set multiple high school and club records in his IM events … Was nationally ranked in the 18U 200 IM (35th) … Intends to major in biochemistry premedical and become a doctor … Has a younger brother … Cousin, Brenton King, is currently a placekicker on the Georgia Tech football team.
DANIEL KERTESZ
Freestyle/Breaststroke, 6-3, 190, Ängelholm, Sweden/Nyhemsskolan (Rönninge gymnasium)
A prolific youth swimmer, holds 44 Swedish Youth National medals in total – 27 golds, 13 silver and four bronze … Shattered three Swedish Youth National records, breaking the 100 free LCM in 2013, the 100 breast SCM in 2012 and the 800 free SCM in 2014 … Also owns several Swedish age-group records (100 free at 16, 100 and 50 breast at 14, and 100 and 50 free at 13) … Swam to nine Swedish Junior National medals in total – five gold, three silver and one bronze … Holds the Swedish Junior National record in the 400 medley relay mixed … Overall, he represented the Swedish National Team at the European Youth Olympic Festival, Nordic Age Group Championships, European Junior Championships, Nordic Junior Championships, and Nordic Championships … Brother, Viktor, swam at Grand Canyon University (2016-18) … Has one older brother … Intends on majoring in mechanical engineering.
RUBEN LECHUGA
Diver, 5-11, 152, Tijuana, Mexico/Technologico de Monterrey
The 1-meter National Champion in 2019 … Placed third in the 3-meter as well … Finished fifth in the 3-meter at the 2019 Junior Pan Am games … In 2018, finished second in the 3-meter and third in the 1-meter … Placed third on the 3-meter in 2016 and 2017 … Also finished second at Nationals in the 1-meter in 2015 … Placed second at Nationals on the 1-meter in 2014 … Sister, Ximena, is currently a diver at San Diego State … Has one younger sister … Intends to major in mechanical engineering.
Freestyle, 5-11, 155, Lilburn, Ga./Brookwood
Main event is freestyle … A four-year letter-winner and two-year captain at Brookwood High School in Lawrenceville, Ga. … Helped lead Brookwood to three Georgia 7A State Championships (2016, 2017, 2018) and four Gwinnett County Championships (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) … Was named an All-American in 2018 … earned all-state honors all four years (2016-19) … Anchored the winning 200 free relay team at the Georgia State Championships to help Brookwood win its third-straight title … Set two Brookwood school records in 2019 – 500 free (4:31.26) and 100 free (45.66) – at the Gwinnett County Championship meet … finished with top-10 times in Swim Atlanta’s record book in the 200 free, 500 free, 1650 free and 400 IM … Was also an AP Scholar and National Honors Society member, finishing in the top-10 of his class … Has one older sister … Intends on majoring in chemical engineering.
SAM WITCHER
Diver, 5-7, 165, Atlanta, Ga./Lakeside
Four-year letterwinner at Lakeside under Tricia Newmyer … Spent three years as a captain … Helped take Lakeside to a third-place finish in GHSA 7A … Finished second his senior year at States … Named a 2018 NISCA All-American … Also earned 2019 first-team all-State selection in GHSA diving … Set multiple DeKalb County and Lakeside diving records … A National Honors Society member … An all-around athlete, also lettered one year in baseball as a catcher … Has a younger brother and sister … Intends on majoring in chemical and biomolecular engineering.
Women’s Swimming and Diving Signees
IMANE EL BARODI
Breaststroke/Freestyle, 5-6, Ozoir-la-Ferriere, France/American International School of Riyadh
Swam competitively with premier Al Yamama Swim Team (AYST) from 2008-2019, earning team captain status … Also competed with Aqua Club Pontault Roissy (ACPR) as a team captain from 2012-present … A multi-sport athlete in high school, swam with AIS-R and was also a midfielder/attacker in soccer at American International School for four years … Helped lead AYST to be a top 3 ranking team at the AFSA Nationals and Regionals Championships from 2009-2014 before leading the team to a top 5 ranking from 2015-2019 … Led AIS-R swimming to a first place finish at the ACS Athens Open in Greece in February 2018 … Three-time qualifier at French Elite National Championships (SCM and LCM) (2017-18) … Consistently medaled at French National and Regional Championships from 2015-19 … Ranked as a top-3 swimmer in Ile de France region for the 50 and 100 breast, 50 fly, and 50 and 100 free from 2012-19 … Also ranked as a top-5 swimmer at French Promotional Swimming Championships in March 2017 … A Moroccan National medalist (SCM and LCM) in 2018 … Holds Moroccan National records for the 50, 100 and 200 breast, 50 free, 50 fly, and 4×100 mixed free and mixed medley relay … A multi-time Saudi Arabian National Champion 2007-19 … Broke more than 26 Saudi Arabian national records and eight mixed relay records over the past seven years … Earned two gold medals at the Arab Championships in 2018 (50 and 100 LCM breast) … Earned a gold medal (50 LCM breast), and two silvers (50 fly and 100 LCM breast) at African Youth Games in 2018 … Has three siblings … Cousin, Anas Attmani, is on the National Moroccan Waterpolo Team … Cousin, Nabile Aloulou, plays professional soccer in France … Intends on majoring in mechanical engineering with aspirations of working postgrad in a bio-mechanical engineering or artificial intelligence field.
Butterfly/IM, 5-4, Greensboro, N.C./Page
Main events are butterfly and individual medley … A four-year letterwinner and one-year captain at Page under Nicole Krasowski, competing in the butterfly, IM and breaststroke events … Helped lead Page to conference and regional championships in 2017-18 … Earned Most Valuable Performer honors every year in both high school and club since her freshman year … Named a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American in 2017 and 2018 … Garnered YMCA National Swimming All-America honors every year from 2015-19 … Named her conference’s Swimmer of the Year in 2017 and 2018 … Lauded by the Greensboro News & Record as the Female All-Area Swimmer of the Year in 2017 … Swam the 10th-fastest 200 SCY free relay time in the 15-16 age group in 2018 … Finished fourth in the 200 LCM fly event in 2018 with multiple top-16 finishes … Earned the 2018 State Championship in the 200 LCM fly … Holds multiple record in the butterfly, breaststroke and IM events in her high school, club and summer league swim teams … Also ran cross country for a season … Was a member of the National Honor Society, Math National Society and Spanish National Honor Society as well as a Junior Marshall … Has an older brother and sister … Intends on majoring in industrial engineering.
ABBY COHEN
IM, 5-11, Durham, N.C./St. Pius X
A four-year letterwinner at St. Pius X under coach Scott Carter, earning captain’s status her junior and senior year … Led SPX to runner-up at state championships in 2019 … Named SPX Swimming MVP 2016-19 … Garnered GHSA Class 4-5A First-Team All-State honors … Back-to-back GHSA Class 4-5A State Individual Champion in the 500 free (2018, 2019) … Back-to-back state runner-up in the 200 IM … Garnered St. Pius X Citizenship Award – given by faculty to the most well-rounded senior in academics, athletics and community service … Also earned the Georgia Swimming Bill Young Award – given for achievement in academics, swimming and community service … The middle child with two sisters … Father, Scott, ran Division III track and cross country for Binghamton University (1987-89) … Sister, Paige, rows Division I crew for College of the Holy Cross (2017-present) … Intends on majoring in neuroscience.
KYRSTEN DAVIS
Freestyle, 5-8, Fairfax Station, Va./South County
A four-year letterwinner and one-year captain at South County under Meredith Harris … Named Most Valuable Performer in 2018 and was an All-American consideration in 2018 … Also earned an all-met honorable mention honor in 2018 and 2019 … Currently holds the school records in the 100 and 200 free … Broke the free relay school record to place fifth at the 2017 high school state meet her sophomore season … A consistent member of the Honor Roll and National Honor Society member … Grandfather, James Davis, played football at Tulane (1961-64) … Has an older sister and a younger sister and brother … Intends on majoring in computer science.
AMANDA HOEJBERG
Freestyle, 5-5, Virum, Denmark/H.C. Ørsted gymnasiet
Has been ranked as a top-10 freestyle sprinter in Denmark since she was 13 … A perennial junior national team and national team member for her age group … In 2017, finished third at the Danish LC Championship in the 400 free relay … Won gold in the 200 freestyle relay at the Danish SC Championship … Finished second at the Danish SC Championship in the 400 free relay … In 2016, finished second for young seniors at the Danish LC Championship in the 50 free … Also placed second in the 400 free relay at the Danish LC Championships … In 2015, recorded a third-place finish (50 free) and fourth-place finish (100 free) at the Danish LC Championships … In 2014, touched the wall fourth at the Danish SC Championships in the 50 free and sixth in both SC and LC for the 100 free … Set the Danish record in the 200 free relay en route to a gold medal at the Danish Championships … Was a three-time Danish SC Champion in 2013 (400 free relay, 400 IM relay and 200 free relay) … Has three siblings … Father, Lars, played underwater rugby for Danish National Team, finishing as a two-time World Cup silver medalist and one-time European silver medalist, and winning 15 Danish Championships total … Intends on majoring in chemical and biomolecular engineering, concentrating on biotechnology.
BROOKE SWITZER
Freestyle, 5-10, Markham, Ontario/Bill Crothers Secondary School
Main event is distance freestyle … Represented Swimming Canada for open-water racing in Spain and France during the European Championships … A multi-faceted athlete, also ran cross country for two years in high school … Has one younger brother … Intends on majoring in biomedical engineering.
CARMEN WOODRUFF
Diver, 5-3, Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Day
Competed at USA Nationals from 2013-16 and in 2018 … Competed in the platform at Senior Nationals … A member of National Honor Society, making Dean’s List all four years … Has a younger brother … Intends to major in chemistry and work in the medical field.