Alabama Swimming and Diving Adds 14 During Early Signing Period

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - A total of 14 swimmers and divers have signed up to join the Alabama swimming and diving teams for the 2020-21 season, head coach Coley Stickels announced this week.

The Crimson Tide men and women both signed seven in the fall period, a total that includes 12 swimmers and two divers.

Head Coach Coley Stickels Says

"This is a great group that is going to help us in a lot of different areas. We are always looking for tremendous athletes who want to get a great education, who are dedicated to the standard of excellence that Alabama represents, and these men and women certainly live up to that criteria."

Men (7)

Bernardo Bondra de Almeida, Butterfly and Freestyle, 6-2, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Colégio Horizontes

Member of Brazil's 2019 Fina Junior World Championships team
Finished in the top seven in the 50 and 100 and 50 butterfly and as part of the 400 freestyle and 400 medley relays at the 2019 FINA Junior World Championships
Swims for Tiago Moreno at Esporte Clube Pinheiros

Mohamed Farouk, Diving, 5-7, Cairo, Egypt, El Nasr High School

Silver medalist at the 2019 Fina Diving Grand Prix in Cairo as the youngest diver in the meet
Member of Egypt's 2016 and 2018 Fina World Junior Diving Championships teams and the 2018 Fina Diving World Cup team
Dives for Helmy Fawzy at Heliopolis Sporting Club

Matthew King, Freestyle and Butterfly, 6-0, Seattle, Wash., Glacier Peak High School

USA Olympic Trials Qualifier and USA Junior National runner-up in the 50-meter freestyle
USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and Washington State Champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle
Swims for Andrew Nguyen and Ash Milad at Bellevue Club Swim Team and Ron Belleza at Glacier Peak High School

Christopher O'Connor, Backstroke, 6-5, North Canton, Ohio, Hoover High School

USA Olympic Trials Qualifier and USA Junior National Championships 100 backstroke runner-up
National Honor Society and slated to graduate Summa Cum Laude
Swims for Mike Davidson at Canton City Schools and Rick Morrison at Hoover High School

Blake Peeples, Freestyle, 6-0, Madison, Miss., Madison Central High School

USA Junior National Qualifier in the distance events and five-time Mississippi state champion
National Honor Society, High Honor Roll and Mississippi State High School record holder in the 500 freestyle
Swims for Eddie Ware and Brian Ware at Mississippi Makos and Eddie Ware and Bridget Carmody at Madison Central High School

Eric Stelmar, Backstroke and Freestyle, 6-2, Mansfield, Texas, Mansfield Legacy High School

Two year All-American and three-time USA Swimming Futures Champion
USA Scholastic All-American and TISCA Academic All State Award
Swims for Cody Huckabay at Mansfield Aquatic Club and Nicholas Johnson at Mansfield Legacy High School

Trey Michael Sheils, Breaststroke and Freestyle, 6-1, Daphne, Ala., Daphne High School

All-American and Alabama state champion in the 100 breastroke and 200 individual medley
USA Scholastic All-American and National Honor Society
Swims for Jan Mittemeyer at TNT Swimming and Bryan Hunter and BK Grey at Daphne High School

Women (7)

Gracie Felner, Freestyle and Breaststroke, 5-8, Normandy Park, Wash., Mount Rainier High School

Medaled in the 100 freestyle and 200 and 400 freestyle relays at the 2018 Winter Junior National West Championships and 2020 USA Olympic Trials Qualifier
Member of Deca Club and Honors Society
Swims for Andrew Nguyen and Ash Milad at Bellevue Club Swim Team and Chris Veraya at Mount Rainier High School

Reese Hazan, Individual Medley, Butterfly and Backstroke, 5-5, Las Vegas, Nev., Palo Verde High School

2020 USA Olympic Trials Qualifier, All-American and led Palo Verde to the Nevada High School Championship
Palo Verde Swimmer of the Year and Nevada High School state champion in the 200 individual medley
Swims for Ron Aitken at Sandpipers and Brent Gonzalez at Palo Verde High School

Bella Matesa, Freestyle, 5-10, Cincinnati, Ohio, Ursuline Academy

Three year All-American and Ohio State Champion in the 200 medley relay
USA Scholastic All-American and member of National Honor Society
Swims for Ken Heis and Mark Sullivan at Mason Manta Rays and Amanda Rom-Herdeman at Ursline Academy

Madelyn Josephine Mechling, Freestyle and Backstroke, 5-9, Mansfield, Texas, Mansfield High School

Three year All-American and USA Swimming Futures Champion in the 200 back
USA Scholastic All-American, NICSA Academic All-American and member of National Honor Society
Swims for Cody Huckabay at Mansfield Aquatic Club and Matt Bold at Mansfield High School

Selina Reil, Freestyle and Breastroke, 5-6, Independence, Ky., Dixie Heights High School

All-American who was chosen for the USA Swimming Open Water National Select Camp and won silver in the Kentucky State Championships in the 500 freestyle
National Honor Society and Dean's List student
Swims for Chad Rehkamp, Karen Chitwood and Sherry Lentsch at Northern Kentucky Clippers and Chris Schoettker at Dixie Heights High School

Jada Renee Surrell, Freestyle, Butterfly and Backstroke, 5-7, Denver, Colo., Regis Jesuit High School

Three year All-American and Colorado state champion in the 100 freestyle
Two-time Junior National Championships qualifier
Swims for Nick Fraiser-Smith and Erik Downs at Denver Swim Academy and Brian Davenport, Kenzie Weed, Kristin Rapaci, Fraiser-Smith and Downs at Regis Jesuit High School

Courtney Russo, Diving, 5-4, Winter Garden, Fla., Orange County Virtual School

Five-time USA Diving National Championships qualifier and two-time YMCA national champion on the platform
National Honor Society and top-20 finisher on the platform at the USA Junior National Championships
Dives for Dave Burgering and Mikey Lewark at Fort Lauderdale Diving Team and Cindi Brasch at Orange County Virtual School

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