June 5, 2003

ATLANTA - Highlighted by local talents Natanya Harper (Atlanta) and Alison Walker (Marietta), 10 prep standouts are set to join the Georgia Tech swimming and diving program for the 2003-04 season, head coach Seth Baron announced Thursday.

"We are very pleased with our spring commitments to the swimming and diving program," said Baron. "We are excited to see Georgia's local talent staying close to home to join our family. In addition, our overall recruiting class is probably the strongest group of incoming freshman that I have been associated with at Georgia Tech. The coaching staff did a wonderful job and we are eager to get next season up and running."

Baron now has 15 newcomers in the fold for next season. This class includes student-athletes from seven states, including six Georgians, and three countries.

Natanya Harper, Atlanta, Ga., Dunwoody High School, Dynamo Swim Club
A member of Dynamo Swim Club and graduate of Dunwoody High School, Natanya Harper owns career-best performances in the 50 (23.90) and 100-yard freestyle (51.76). These marks would rank as Tech school records. She also owns a lifetime-best of 57.47 in the 100 fly.

Heather Matz, Puyallup, Wash., Puyallup High School, Tacoma Swim Club
Puyallup, Wash., native Heather Matz owns top swims of 1:52.63 in the 200 free and 4:56.62 in the 500 free, marks that would also eclipse current school records. She also owns times of 2:04.30 in the 200 fly, 2:06.80 in the 200 IM and 4:22.43 in the 400 IM.

Alison Walker, Marietta, Ga., Walton High School, Dynamo Swim Club
Another Dynamo product, Alison Walker will make an immediate impact in the breaststroke events, where her lifetime-bests in the 100 (1:04.53) and 200 (2:18.25) top the Jackets' current school records. Walker has also gone 2:07.76 in the 200 individual medley.

Conrad Aach, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Silverthorn High School, Etobicoke Swim Club
Canada's Conrad Aach is a versatile swimmer that will be able to help the Jackets in many areas. He owns converted career-best swims of 1:52.62 in the 200 IM and 3:57.38 in the 400 IM. In the 200 breast, Aach has gone 2:04.71 and has posted marks of 1:51.59 in the 200 back and 1:52.31 in the 200 fly.

Casey Arundel, Marietta, Ga., Marist School, Swim Atlanta
Marist's Casey Arundel is a standout in the 100 breast and 100 fly, with lifetime-best performances of 59.46 and 53.09, respectively.

Adam Bilbrey, Snellville, Ga., Shiloh High School, Swim Atlanta
Also a Swim Atlanta member, Adam Bilbrey will add important depth in the Tech's breaststroke events. He owns a lifetime-best of 58.70 in the 100 breast and captured the Georgia state title in that event.

James Chong, Orlando, Fla., Boone High School, Team Orlando Diving
Tech's lone diving signee, Orlando native James Chong will add depth to John Ames' talented group of divers. Chong has qualified for the Junior National Championships on multiple occasions.

Matt McGinley, Suwannee, Ga., North Gwinnett High School, Swim Atlanta
Suwannee sprinter Matt McGinley owns lifetime-bests of 22.19 in the 50 free, 48.64 in the 100 free and 55.94 in the 100 back.

Mario Montalvo, Monterrey, Mexico, Pine Crest (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.,), Pine Crest Swim Club
A teammate of women's fall signee Vesna Stojanovska, Mexico's Mario Montvalo will contribute in both butterfly races. He sports lifetime-bests of 52.50 in the 100 fly and 1:54.00 in the 200.

Alex Williams, Indianapolis, Ind., North Central High School, Washington Township Swim Club
Indianapolis native Alex Williams will help offset the loss of seniors Robbie Foster and Tomonori Tsuji in the breaststroke area. Williams owns top times of 57.36 in the 100 breast and 2:02.70 in the 200. He has also gone 1:56.28 in the 200 IM.

In addition to this impressive group, early signees for the Tech women include Amanda Korell (Lawrenceville), Vesna Stojanovska (Skopje, Macedonia) and Dana West (Brookeville, Md.). On the men's side, Ryan Bishop (Signal Mountain, Tenn.) and Anthony Burkhardt (Phoenix, Ariz.) also inked in the fall.

With these commitments, the Jackets now have nine men and six women heading to Atlanta to help Tech in its third season as a combined program. The men's team continues to impress on the national level, as the Jackets placed among the top 30 at the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive season, while the improving women's team placed sixth at the ACC Championships in just its second season of competition.

This incoming group will be the first class to spend all four years training and competing at the newly-renovated Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, which is scheduled to be opened in early July. The home of swimming and diving at the 1996 Olympic Games, this facility will give the Jackets one of the top pools in the nation.

-GT-