“Building a successful program at the college level is not a given,” Holloway said. “The process asks for special types of individuals who are good fits for the respective institution, the program and the coaching staff. We are excited about this group and are very much looking forward to being a part of their collegiate experience.”
The men’s class features eight student-athletes from around the country, along with three international recruits. On the women’s side, nine recruits are from the U.S. and an additional two recruits are international.
“The staff has worked extremely hard to recruit the top student-athletes from around the states, including our own in North Carolina,” Holloway said. “We are grateful to the club and high school coaches who have embraced our vision and supported their student-athletes’ decision to further their career with the Wolfpack. Our goal is to build a championship caliber program the ACC and NC State community will be proud to call their own.
“Our incoming international swimmers, as well as other members of the Class of 2017 who have represented their country on the international level, represent what we desire to be as a team: a program that is nationally and internationally recognized and respected in the pool.
“The 23-member signing class includes several student-athletes who qualified for the 2013 World Championship Trials, 2012 US Olympic Trials, won state championships in high school as individuals and were selected as high school All-Americans. In addition to the strong swimmers in the class, State also bolstered its diving corps by signing three divers: two on the women’s side and one for the men.
“I am very excited about our freshman divers,” said diving coach Josh Karshen. “These divers will have an immediate impact on the team. They work extremely hard and have a presence in the pool that is going to motivate and challenge everyone around them. There is no doubt in my mind that future All-Americans are in this group. The Pack just got a whole lot stronger.”
Men’s Signees
Geoffrey Carter
Breaststroke/IM – Lilburn, Ga.
High School: Parkview
Club Team: Swim Atlanta
Honors: High School All-American, Scholar Athlete, Georgia High School State Champion Team Member, Junior National Finalist, Senior National Qualifier
Personal Bests: Breaststroke 100: 56.82, 200: 2:02.36, IM 200: 1:50.81
Philipp Forster
Butterfly/IM – Weisbaden, Germany
High School: Diltheyschule
Club Team: SC Weisbaden 1911
Honors: No. 34Overall Ranked Prospect in the Class of 2013, European Junior Championships Bronze Medalist
Personal Bests: Butterfly 100: 53.80lcm, 200: 2:04.18lcm, IM 200: 2:01.94lcm, 400: 4:28.53
Alexander Hamilton
Freestyle – Toronto, Canada
High School: Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute
Club Team: North York Aquatic Club
Honors: Canadian Olympic Trials Qualifier (9th place 1500m), 9x Canadian Age Group National Champion, 2013 Canadian Junior Team, 3x North American Challenge Cup Canadian Team
Personal Bests: Freestyle 400: 4:01.80lcm, 800: 8:22.71lcm, 1500: 16:01.91lcm
Chad Harrington
Freestyle– Coconut Creek, Fla.
High School: Boca Raton High School/Indian River State College
Club Team: Indian River State College
Honors: 2013 Junior College National Champion 200 Freestyle, 6x Junior College National Champion, 13x Junior College All-American, Dean’s List Student-Athlete,
Personal Bests: Freestyle 100: 44.04, 200: 1:36.57
Derek Hren
Breaststroke/IM – Euclid, Ohio
High School: St. Ignatius
Club Team: Euclid Marlins
Honors: High School All-American, Senior Nationals Qualifier, US Open Qualifier
Personal Bests: Breaststroke 100: 55.57, IM 200: 1:50.34
Scott Johnson
Freestyle – Raleigh, N.C.
High School: Leesville Road
Club Team: Marlins of Raleigh
Personal Bests: Freestyle 50: 20.59, 100: 45.60, 200: 1:41.90
Adam Linker
Freestyle/IM – Cary, N.C.
High School: Cary Academy
Club Team: Marlins of Raleigh
Honors: Junior National Qualifier, Scholastic All-American, NC High School State Champion
Personal Bests: Freestyle 500: 4:32.13, 1000: 9:15.82, 1650: 15:32.34, IM 400: 3:58.73
Matt O’Donnel
Freestyle/Backstroke/IM – Bradenton, Fla.
High School: Cardinal Mooney School
Club Team: Sarasota YMCA Sharks
Honors: YMCA National Medalist, YMCA National Team Champion Member
Personal Bests: Freestyle 500: 4:29.51, 1000: 9:14.61, 1650: 15:29.80, Backstroke 200: 1:49.44, IM 400: 3:58.11
Grant Saale
Diving – Dublin, Ohio
High School: Dublin Jerome
Club Team: Ohio State Diving
Honors: High School All-American, High School All-Ohio, 2x USA Diving Junior National Finalist
Andreas Scheilerrup
Backstroke/Freestyle – Birkerod, Denmark
High School: Allerod
Club Team: Sigma-Ns
Honors: No. 28 Overall Ranked Prospect in the Class of 2013, Danish Junior Record Holder (50 Backstroke), Danish National Record Holder (50 Backstroke) 6x Danish National Champion
Personal Bests: Backstroke 100: 52.83scm, 200: 1:57.32, Freestyle 50: 22.32scm, 100: 49.83scm
Stuart Sharp
Freestyle – Houston, Texas
High School: Langham Creek Senior
Club Team: Cypress Fairbanks Swim Club
Honors: No. 4 Ranked Prospect from the State of Texas
Personal Bests: Freestyle 50: 20.58, 100: 45.12, 200: 1:38.21, 500: 4:28.99
Women’s Signees
Katie Bell
Freestyle – Roswell, Ga.
High School: Pope
Club Team: Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club
Honors: High School All-American Consideration, Spring Junior National Qualifier, Colorado High School State Champion Team Member
Personal Bests: Freestyle 200: 1:54.09, 500: 5:03.07, 1650: 17:47.07
Kayla Brumbaum
Breaststroke – Fredericksburg, Va.
High School: Riverbend
Club Team: Rappahannock YMCA Stingrays
Honors: 2012 US Olympic Trials Qualifier, 2013 World Championship Trials Qualifier, Virginia High School State Champion, YMCA National Champion, High School All-American, Scholastic All-American
Personal Bests: Breaststroke 100: 1:02.63, 200: 2:16.31
Addisynn Bursch
IM/Breaststroke/Freestyle – Spokane Valley, Wash.
High School: Penn
Club Team: Pro Swimming
Honors: No. 1 Ranked Prospect from State of Washington, (72nd Overall in class of 2013), 2012 US Olympic Trials Qualifier, 2013 World Championship Trials Qualifier
Personal Bests: Freestyle 100: 50.71, 200: 1:48.98, Breaststroke 100: 1:03.21, 200: 2:15.72, IM 200: 2:00.08, 400: 4:15.53
Lydia Jones
Butterfly/Freestyle – Lawrenceville, Ga.
High School: Archer
Club Team: Swim Atlanta
Honors: No. 4 Ranked Prospect from State of Georgia, 2012 US Olympic Trials Qualifier, Georgia High School State Champion
Personal Bests: Butterfly 100: 54.96, 200: 2:00.34, Freestyle 50: 23.58, 100: 52.80, 200: 1:51.87
Natalie Labonge
Freestyle/Butterfly – Greensboro, N.C.
High School: Grimsley
Club Team: Greensboro Swimming Association
Honors: No. 2 Ranked Prospect from the State of North Carolina, Junior National Qualifier, 3 Time Scholastic All-American, Summa Cum Laude Graduate
Personal Bests: Freestyle 50: 23.33, 100: 51.37, Butterfly 100: 55.75
Kelly Martin
Diving – Apopka, Fla.
High School: Lake Brantley
Honors: USA Gymnastics: 2010 Eastern National Qualifier, 2nd in the All Around at nationals, 2010 Regional Vault, Bars, and All Around Champion, 2010 Florida State Vault, Beam, and All Around Champion, 2008 Regional All Around Champion, 2008 State All Around Champion, 2007 Regional All Around Champion, 2006 State All Around Champion
Gabrielle McDermott
Diving – Springfield, Ill.
High School: Sacred Heart Griffin
Club Team: Illinois Diving Academy
Honors: 2011 & 2012 Illinois State Qualifier, Sectional Champion, Conference Champion, City Champion, and All-Conference.
Rachel Muller
Freestyle – Snellville, Ga.
High School: Brookwood
Club Team: Swim Atlanta
Honors: No. 2 Ranked Prospect from the State of Georgia (96th Overall in class of 2013), 6x High School All-American, 2013 Academic All-American, 2012 Olympic Trials Qualifier, Georgia High School State Champion
Personal Bests: Freestyle 100: 50.92, 200: 1:47.84, 500: 4:49.31, 1650: 16:33.81
Lotta Nevalainen
Freestyle/Backstroke – Imatra, Finland
High School: Imatran Yhteislukio
Club Team: Vuoksen Uimaseura
Honors: No. 28Overall Ranked Prospect in the Class of 2013, European Short Course Champion 4×50 Freestyle Relay, 9x Finnish National Champion
Personal Bests: Freestyle 50: 24.80scm, 100: 54.38scm, Backstroke 100: 1:00.35scm
Kendall Pena
Freestyle – Apex, N.C.
High School: Middle Creek
Club Team: Marlins of Raleigh
Honors: 2x Scholastic All-American, Junior National Qualifier
Personal Bests: Freestyle 500: 4:59.41, 1000: 10:10.20, 1650: 17:08.58
Maddie Witzke
Breaststroke – Holly Springs, N.C.
High School: Holly Springs
Club Team: Raleigh Swim Association
Honors: Junior National Qualifier
Personal Bests: Breaststroke 100: 1:03.32, 200: 2:20.61
Alexia Zevnik
Backstroke/Freestyle – Lasalle, Canada
High School: Dawson
Club Team: Pointe Claire Swim Club
Honors: No. 45Overall Ranked Prospect in the Class of 2013, 2012 Canadian Junior National Champion (100 Freestyle), Canadian Olympic Trials Qualifier, 2013 Canadian World Trials Individual Finalist, 2013 Canadian World Trials Champion 4×100 Freestyle and 4×100 Medley Relay, Quebec Provincial Record Holder
Personal Bests: Backstroke 100: 59.89scm, 200: 2:10.19scm, Freestyle 50: 26.81lcm, 100: 56.73lcm
You can follow North Carolina State Wolfpack Swimming and Diving on Twitter here.
This is an unedited press release, aside from correcting one small error in the spelling of "Cypress Fairbanks Swim Club".
Brooks Teal is a good man and a great role model. But he didnt really have the energy needed to take State to the next level. I may be mistaken but I don’t think he was Cullen’s primary coach. Regardless, the proof is there. Holloway has turned the program around and instead of plunging to the bottom of the ACC, they are clawing their way back to the top. The men finished in the top 15 at NCAA and with the recruiting class the girls have, they should be a force to be reckoned with both in the conference and on the national level.
Thanks HSCHLER,
I realize it is potentially dangerous to ask such a question on this blog, because some folks are entirely too concerned with providing their opinions rather than ensuring they have facts. And I will confess, I’ve wondered if I should have even posted my Q. on this page.
I’ve cringed at times reading some of the things I read on this site, because we are talking about people’s reputations.
HSCHLR, I’ve been told by another person that the New AD was hired and she simply wanted to show everyone she was boss by getting rid of a few coaches, sending a message to all coaches and staffs, but again, I am the first to say I don’t… Read more »
Hey, does anyone out there know why NC State got rid of Brooks Teal, especially seems strange with the way Cullen Jones developed, doesn’t it?
I love the “Heels” poster… BEHIND the Pack fans…
Class looks strong! Could be a big year for the Wolfies…