Auburn Signs 14 Recruits

AUBURN, Alabama, November 18. THE Auburn swimming and diving team signed 14 athletes to National Letters of Intent during the NCAA Early Signing Period, head coach Brett Hawke announced Thursday.

Set to join the 2011-12 women's squad are swimmers Erica Belcher, Autumn Brown, Katherine Daniels, Abby Duncan, Megan Fonteno, Aimee Middleton and Sarah Peterson, and divers Cinzia Calabretta and Shanna Schuelein. The men will welcome swimmers Kevin Beherns, Allen Browning, Chandler Gerlach and Tommy McKee, and diver Michael Beran.

"This is a very strong class that will be filling all the team's needs next year," head coach Brett Hawke said. "Being a part of the Auburn family is an honor and we are honored to have this group of stellar athletes join our squad next season."

A pair of five-star recruits in Duncan and Peterson join the women's squad next season. Duncan, of Champlin, Minn., is a three-time USA Swimming National Youth Team member and a three-time Minnesota state champion in the 100 breast. Peterson hails from Friendswood, Texas, and was a 2008 United State Olympic Trials qualifier and a USA Swimming Senior Nationals qualifier.

Four-star recruit Megan Fonteno is a 14-time high school All-American from Jacksonville, Fla., and attends The Bolles School. She is a Florida state champion in the 50 free, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay and 200 free relay, and was named the 2009-10 Florida Short Course Swimmer of the Year.

Belcher, a Reading, Mass., product, will be a major contributor in the individual medley events for Auburn. She is a finals qualifier in the
200 and 400 IM at the 2008 Short Course Junior National Championships and has two state titles in the 200 IM. Brown is from Pendleton, Ind., and is a five-time conference champion and six-time state qualifier.

Middleton, of Opelika and a member of the Auburn Aquatics Swim Club, is set to join the team next season. She is a junior and senior national championships qualifier and a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.
Daniels, a Dunwoody, Ga., product, is a high school All-American and a member of the three-time Georgia state champion Marist High School swimming team. She has also been a part of two state-champion relay squads.

Looking to add depth on the diving side of competition are Calabretta and Schuelein. Calabretta, who is from Orlando, is a 2010 AT&T USA Diving National Championships qualifier. Schuelein hails from Oklahoma City and has reached the finals on both the one-meter and three-meter springboards at the last two USA Diving Age Group Championships.

The men's recruiting class is led by a pair of four-star recruits in Kevin Beherns and Tommy McKee. Beherns, a Munster, Ind., native, is a USA Swimming National Youth Team member and represented the United States at the 2009 Junior Pan Pacific Games in Guam. McKee, from Wilmington, Del., has had a lot of success on the YMCA circuit, including a second-place finish in the 400 IM at the 2009 Long Course YMCA National Championships.

A pair of swimmers in Browning and Gerlach are also set to join the squad next season. Browning, of Alpharetta, Ga., is a two-time All-American and the 2010 Georgia state champion in the 200 IM. Gerlach hails from St. Augustine, Fla., and is currently a member of the Indian River State College swim team. He is a member of the NJCAA champion 200 medley relay squad and also finished third in the 100 breast at the national meet last season.

Joining the Auburn diving corps on the men's side is Beran. The Austin, Texas, product is a high school All-American and recorded first on the platform in his age group at the 2010 USA Diving Age Group Championships. He also took fourth on the synchronized platform at the
2010 AT&T National Diving Championships.

Kevin Beherns
Hometown: Munster, Ind.
High School: Munster High School
Club Team: Munster Swim Club
Notes: A four-star recruit according to Swimming World Magazine … Member of the USA Swimming National Youth Team … Competed at the 2009 Junior Pan Pacific Games in Guam … 12-time NISCA All-American and a Scholastic All-American … 2008 junior national runner up in the 100 fly … Indiana state champion in the 100 fly, 100 back and 200 medley relay.

Erica Belcher
Hometown: Reading, Mass.
High School: Reading Memorial High School Club Team: Crimson Aquatics
Notes: Six-time Massachusetts state champion … Earned three state titles in the 100 back, two in the 200 IM and one in the 100 free … A championship final qualifier in the 200 and 400 IM at the 2008 Short Course Junior National Championships … 2008 Massachusetts Division I Swimmer of the Year … Three-time Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic honoree.

Michael Beran
Hometown: Austin, Texas
High School: Anderson High School
Club Team: Longhorn Aquatics
Notes: High school All-American … Recorded first on the platform in his age group at the 2010 USA Diving Age Group Championships … Finished fourth on the synchronized platform at the 2010 AT&T National Diving Championships with partner Sean Mokhtari … Academic All-District, All-Region and All-State.

Autumn Brown
Hometown: Pendleton, Ind.
High School: Pendleton Heights High School Club Team: Southeastern Swim Club
Notes: Five-time conference champion and six-time state qualifier … Three-time team MVP … Named Herald Bulletin Athlete of the Year … Holds school records in the 50 and 100 free, 100 back and as a member of two relays.

Allen Browning
Hometown: Alpharetta, Ga.
High School: Alpharetta Raiders
Club Team: Dynamo Swim Club
Notes: Two-time All-American … Member of the 800 free relay team that took the 2010 short course and long course junior national titles … 2010 Georgia state champion in the 200 IM.

Cinzia Calabretta
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
High School: Boone High School
Club Team: Team Orlando Diving
Notes: Qualified for the 2010 AT&T National Championships on the platform … Finished fourth on the platform at the 2010 USA Diving National Preliminary Zone B … Also took fourth at the meet on the synchronized three-meter springboard with partner Chelsea Uranaka … Had a pair of first-place finishes at the 2010 USA Diving Summer Region 7 Championships on the one-meter and three-meter … Took second on the platform at the event.

Katherine Daniels
Hometown: Dunwoody, Ga.
High School: Marist School
Club Team: SWIM Atlanta
Notes: Member of the three-time Georgia state champion Marist High School … A part of the 2010 state champion 200 free relay and the 2009 state champion 400 free relay … NISCA All-American.

Abby Duncan
Hometown: Champlin, Minn.
High School: Champlin Park High School
Club Team: Aquajets Swim Team
Notes: A five-star recruit according to Swimming World Magazine … Three-time member of the USA Swimming National Youth Team … Member of the national age group record-holding 200 and 400 medley relay squads … Finished third in the 100 breast at the 2010 Junior National Championships … Three-time Minnesota state champion in the 100 breast and two-time state champion in the 200 IM … Five-time All-Conference swimmer.

Megan Fonteno
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
High School: The Bolles School
Club Team: The Bolles Sharks
Notes: A four-star recruit by Swimming World Magazine … A 14-time high school All-American … State champion in the 50 free, 200 medley relay,
400 free relay and 200 free relay … Three-time All-Area … Scholastic All-American … Team Captain … Named 2009-10 Florida Short Course Swimmer of the Year in her age group … A USA Swimming senior national qualifier … Holds a number of Florida state records.

Chandler Gerlach
Hometown: St. Augustine, Fla.
High School: Pedro Menendez High School
Club Team: St. Augustine Swim Team
Notes: Currently a member of the Indian River State College swimming program … A part of the 2010 NJCAA Champion squad … A three-time NJCAA All-American … Member of the national champion 200 medley … Finished third in the 100 breast and fifth in the 200 breast at the national NJCAA meet.

Tommy McKee
Hometown: Wilmington, Del.
High School: Brandywine High School
Club Team: Brandywine YMCA
Notes: A four-star recruit according to Swimming World Magazine … A three-time All-State and All-Conference honoree … Finished second in the
400 IM and fourth in the 200 IM at the 2009 Long Course YMCA National Championships … Took seventh in the 1500 free and eighth in the 200 free at the event.

Aimee Middleton
Hometown: Opelika, Ala.
High School: Ballard Christian Academy
Club Team: Auburn Aquatics
Notes: A junior and senior national qualifier … Two-time Southeastern Zone team member … Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American … Named a USA Swimming Athlete at Large … Named to the Southeastern Swimming Hall of Fame … Older brother Aaron swam for Auburn for two seasons (2008-10).

Sarah Peterson
Hometown: Friendswood, Texas
High School: Clear Brook High School
Club Team: Space City Aquatic Team
Notes: A five-star recruit by Swimming World Magazine … A high school All-American … Qualified for the 2008 United States Olympic Trials … Also qualified for USA Swimming senior nationals and for the U.S. Open … Earned medals at USA Swimming Grand Prix events.

Shanna Schuelein
Hometown: Oklahoma City, Okla.
High School: Casady School
Club Team: Santa Clara Dive Club
Notes: Reached the finals on both the one-meter and three-meter springboards at the 2010 USA Diving Age Group Championships … Finished fifth on the one-meter and seventh on the three-meter … Finished second on the one-meter and fifth on the three-meter at the 2009 Age Group Championships … Three-time high school All-American.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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