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News Release

Swimming and Diving Announces 2006-07 Recruiting Class

9/19/2006

Head coach Chad Cradock announced the 10 swimmers who will join the Retrievers this season.

Baltimore-UMBC head swimming coach Chad Cradock today announced the 2006-07 swimming and diving recruiting class, which consists of 10 freshmen - four women and six men.

“We’re excited about our incoming class, as they all come in with a good background in the sport and all will contribute a great deal to our team,” Cradock said.

The women’s class is highlighted by four out-of-state student-athletes, including one international swimmer. Tereza Kaplanova is a breaststroke and IM specialist from the Czech Republic who placed second at the 2005 Czech Championship in the 200-breast.

Joining her are Kate Chialastri from Flourtown, Pa.; Brittany Johnson from Jacksonville, Fla.; and Lindsey Sherman from Bethany, Conn. Chialastri, who adds depth to the butterfly, freestyle and IM events, was the Plymouth Whitemarsh High School MVP all four years and was an all-state swimmer as a senior.

A member of four state championship teams who has competed against local Olympians such as Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff, Johnson will compete in the breaststroke and individual medley, while Sherman, a four-time all-state swimmer and 2005 Southern Connecticut Conference 100-fly champion, specializes in butterfly and mid-distance freestyle.

They will take on the challenge of replacing Amber Harris and Elyse Gibson, who each medaled in multiple events at last season’s America East Championships.

On the men’s side, six newcomers will attempt to fill voids left by two-time team co-captains Adam Blais and Geza Szabo, as well as Ian Carey and Nebojsa Zimonjic. All four were large contributors to the Retrievers’ third straight conference title last season.

Fred Deal from Richboro, Pa., is strong in the sprint and mid-distance free events, while Rasmus Kutt, out of Estonia, specializes in backstroke and sprint freestyle. Deal, a three-time all-Philadelphia Catholic League first team member, qualified for the Speedo Champions Series in each of the last three years. Kutt is a four-time Nordic Junior champion who placed seventh in the 50-back at the European Junior Championships.

The versatile Matt Mattingly from Cherry Hill, N.J., will add depth to the sprint free, butterfly and IM events, while Zach Vonder Haar, from Gahanna, Ohio, will compete in the sprint freestyle and butterfly events, as well. Mattingly earned first team South Jersey accolades as a junior and senior, leading his Cherry Hill West team to a runner-up finish at states. Vonder Haar achieved All-Ohio status in the 50- and 100-free and All-American in the 200-medley relay.

The lone Marylander of the newcomers is Johnny Seniz from Severna Park. The Severna Park High School alum specializes in sprint freestyle and butterfly.

In addition, Glenn Berquist from Needham, Mass., becomes UMBC’s third male diver, joining senior Jeff Salgado and junior Colin Weick. Berquist is a South Central Sectionals champion and a two-time Bay State Conference titlist who has earned Bay State and Boston Globe all-star accolades since 2003.