University of Georgia Athletics
Bauerle Announces 2020 Signing Class
November 14, 2019 | Swimming & Diving
ATHENS, Ga. – Tom Cousins Swimming and Diving Head Coach Jack Bauerle announced the signing of six swimmers and one diver to the University of Georgia swimming and diving program Thursday afternoon.
The Class of 2024 promises to add exciting depth to the Bulldogs' existing roster, featuring Luca Urlando (Sacramento, Calif.), Jake Magahey (Dacula, Ga.), Maxine Parker (New Canaan, Conn.), Connor Haigh (Kennesaw, Ga.), Sloane Reinstein (Palo Alto, Calif.), Tommy-Lee Camblong (Villelongue De La Salanque, France) and Meghan Wenzel (Lansdale, Pa.).
"With the athletes we'll have returning next year, this class will be very formidable," said Bauerle. "This will back up a really great freshman class that we have right now. They will help put us where we want to be."
Luca Urlando | Sacramento, Calif. | CK McClatchy HS | DART Swimming
One of the most-heralded recruits in Bulldog history, Luca Urlando swims for CK McClatchy High School under Coach Steve Plescia and for DART Swimming under Coach William Doughty. Urlando is one of four male swimmers rated the nation's best recruit by CollegeSwimming.com, in addition to the top recruit in California. Urlando is a member of the 2019-20 USA Swimming National Team and a two-time Scholastic All-American, as well as a 2019 NISCA All-American. In record-setting performances, he broke Michael Phelps' 17-18 National Age Group record in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:53.84, the third-fastest American mark of all-time, and broke the Public High School record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 45.88 at this year's California CIF Sectional Championships.
At last summer's FINA World Junior Championships, Urlando won gold in all five of his events (200 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x200 freestyle relay, mixed 4x100 freestyle relay) while serving as one of Team USA's five captains. Prior to Junior Worlds, he won the 200 fly at the Phillips 66 National Championships after finishing third in 2018. In other competition, Urlando won four events at both the 2018 Speedo Winter Junior Championships and the 2018 Junior Pan-Pac Championships, along with five top-three finishes at the 2018 Mel Zajac Invitational.
Urlando will be a second-generation Georgia student-athlete, following his father, Alex, who competed for the Bulldogs track and field team from 1992-96. Alex became Georgia's first All-American in discus in 1994 with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, and set a still-standing school record throw of 201-5 in route to the 1996 SEC individual title.
"I am so happy to officially be a Bulldog," said Urlando. "I am excited to be a part of such an outstanding program with world-class coaches and facilities."
"He's a great swimmer, but he's also a great young guy," said Bauerle. "He brings a lot to a team, and may be one of our most exciting swimmers in USA Swimming right now. The nice thing about Luca is that he's not only willing to, but he's able to swim anything, and he's good at everything."
Jake Magahey | Dacula, Ga. | Mill Creek HS | Swim Atlanta
Jake Magahey swims for Mill Creek High School under Dr. Rick Creed and for Swim Atlanta under Coach Chris Davis. Magahey joins Urlando as one of four swimmers rated the nation's best recruit by CollegeSwimming.com, in addition to the top recruit in Georgia. He is a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and NISCA All-American, as well the 2019 Gwinnett Daily Post Boys Swimmer of the Year. At Mill Creek, he has won four Georgia 6-7A state championships, taking both the 200 and 500 freestyle in the last two seasons. In this year's 500 race, his winning time of 4:15.63 broke the national public high school short course record, which had stood since 1983.
Along with Urlando, Magahey competed for Team USA at the FINA World Juniors, reaching the finals of the 400 free, in addition to placing ninth in the same event at the Phillips 66 National Championships. In other competition, he has earned three titles at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships, including back-to-back wins in the 1650 free, and he medaled three times at the 2018 Junior Pan-Pac Championships (gold in 4x200 freestyle relay, silver in 200 freestyle and bronze in 800 freestyle).
"I'm excited to become a Bulldog, as well as for the next few years to come. Go Dawgs!" said Magahey.
"The great thing about Jake is, number one, he's in-state, and secondly, he and Luca are going to give us a big push," said Bauerle. "He's getting known for his range—he can help you anywhere. He can go the mile, he's one of the best 100-meter freestylers at his age in the country right now, the 4x100, the 4x200, any of them. I'm not sure he won't have another great event that's not freestyle as well—he can swim. He's one of the most sought-after recruits in the country, and we're glad we got him."
Maxine Parker | New Canaan, Conn. | Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics
Maxine Parker swims for Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics under Coach Dave Schraven after previously competing for CATS Aquatics (Ill.) and Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club (N.Y.). Parker is rated the No. 1 recruit in Connecticut by CollegeSwimming.com, as well as the 16th overall nationally. With the fifth-fastest American 50 freestyle time this year, Parker was named to the 2019-20 USA Swimming National Team, while also earning a spot on the Scholastic All-American Team.
At FINA World Juniors, Parker joined Urlando in winning gold in the mixed 4x100 freestyle relay and in serving as a team captain, along with taking a silver medal in the 50 free. In that event, she placed seventh at this year's U.S. Nationals and won gold at the 2018 Junior Pan-Pacs, in addition to being a three-time finalist at Speedo Winter Juniors. In high school competition, she was a seven-time finalist at the Illinois Swimming Senior Championships, earning five runner-up finishes.
"We're excited about Maxine. She will add to a long list of successful sprint freestylers here at Georgia," said Bauerle. "She was extremely successful this summer at Junior Worlds. I think she's about the most exciting young swimmer in that class. I still think she's scratching the surface—she's someone who will provide immediate help."
Connor Haigh | Kennesaw, Ga. | Kennesaw Mountain HS | Tidal Wave Swimming
One of Georgia's two homegrown recruits, Connor Haigh swims for Kennesaw Mountain High School under Coach David Reason and for Tidal Wave Swimming Club under Coach Jeff McGinnis. Haigh won the 200 breaststroke at this year's Georgia Senior State Long Course Championships, while also placing second in the 50 and 100 breast and reaching the finals in the 200 and 400 IM. In 2018's championships, he was a finalist in the 200 breast and 200 IM. At the 2019 Georgia 6-7A state championships, he was the runner-up in the 100 breast and finished sixth in the 200 IM.
"I can't wait to take swimming to the next level with some of the best breaststroke coaches in the country, while swimming with an incredible group of teammates. Go Dawgs!" said Haigh.
"Connor's a great student, great kid. He has dropped significantly in one year," said Bauerle. "We view him as someone who can help us immediately. I watched him at States last year and I thought we was one of the most raw swimmers out there, and he made a quantum leap this summer. He's going to have an important place on the team."
Sloane Reinstein | Palo Alto, Calif. | Sacred Heart Preparatory | Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics
Along with Urlando, Sloane Reinstein joins Georgia's stable of swimmers from Northern California, swimming for Sacred Heart Preparator under Coach Kevin Morris and for Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics under Coach Tony Batis. Reinstein is a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and is rated the No. 13 recruit in California by CollegeSwimming.com. She was a finalist in the 200 freestyle at this year's California CIF State Championship and has been a six-time finalist at the CIF Sectional Championships. In national competition, she took the 200 free at the Far Western Short Course Championships and was a four-time finalist at the USA Swimming Futures Championships, placing third in the 100 free.
"We're excited about having Sloane," said Bauerle. "She's a great kid that comes from a great program in PASA. She'll be well-prepared to do what she does best in the middle-distance area."
Tommy-Lee Camblong | Villelongue De La Salanque, France | Canet 66 Natation
The first Frenchman on the Bulldogs since Sébastien Rouault, Tommy-Lee Camblong swims for Canet 66 Natation under Coach Cyrille Gualbert. Camblong was a two-time finalist at this year's FINA World Juniors, placing sixth in the 800 and eighth in the 1500 freestyle. Earlier in the year, he finished fourth in the 800 and sixth in the 1500 free at the LEN European Junior Championships, while placing third in the 200 free at the French Elite Championships. At the French Junior Championships, he won the 400 and 800 free, while finishing second in the 1500m free.
"We're excited about having Tommy-Lee join the team," said Bauerle. "He's a vastly improving swimmer, far different from where he was just a year ago, and he's quickly approaching world-class status. He will bring not just depth, but quality to our program. He fills out a terrific freshman class and will help us have a very formidable freestyle group."
Meghan Wenzel | Lansdale, Pa. | North Penn HS | Centennial Diving
The Bulldogs' lone diver in the class, Meghan Wenzel dives for North Penn High School under Coach Kyle Goldbacher and for Centennial Diving under Coach Steven Kuttruff. Wenzel is a three-time NISCA Diving All-American and has reached the previous eight USA Junior National Championships, with her best finish coming in 2017 (seventh in 1-meter, ninth in platform, and 10th in 3-meter). In last year's competition, she took third in the 1-meter and sixth in the 3-meter at zones, while placing runner-up at the regional meet. She also advanced to the USA Diving Junior World Trials in 2018. At the Pennsylvania AAA state championships, she has finished in the top three each year, winning the title in 2018. Prior to high school, she won the 2016 AAU national championship in the 1-meter and 3-meter synchronized, while also posting top-three finishes in the platform and 3-meter.
"I am so excited to be a part of such a prestigious program with such amazing coaches and athletes," said Wenzel. "It feels good to be a Dawg!"
"I'm looking forward to Meghan coming to Georgia," said Diving Head Coach Chris Colwill. "She's had a great high school career, and she did well at Junior Nationals this past summer. We're hoping to keep her performance going and I think she'll do a great job working with her teammates. She'll excel as a team member and a student-athlete."
The Class of 2024 promises to add exciting depth to the Bulldogs' existing roster, featuring Luca Urlando (Sacramento, Calif.), Jake Magahey (Dacula, Ga.), Maxine Parker (New Canaan, Conn.), Connor Haigh (Kennesaw, Ga.), Sloane Reinstein (Palo Alto, Calif.), Tommy-Lee Camblong (Villelongue De La Salanque, France) and Meghan Wenzel (Lansdale, Pa.).
"With the athletes we'll have returning next year, this class will be very formidable," said Bauerle. "This will back up a really great freshman class that we have right now. They will help put us where we want to be."
Luca Urlando | Sacramento, Calif. | CK McClatchy HS | DART Swimming
One of the most-heralded recruits in Bulldog history, Luca Urlando swims for CK McClatchy High School under Coach Steve Plescia and for DART Swimming under Coach William Doughty. Urlando is one of four male swimmers rated the nation's best recruit by CollegeSwimming.com, in addition to the top recruit in California. Urlando is a member of the 2019-20 USA Swimming National Team and a two-time Scholastic All-American, as well as a 2019 NISCA All-American. In record-setting performances, he broke Michael Phelps' 17-18 National Age Group record in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:53.84, the third-fastest American mark of all-time, and broke the Public High School record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 45.88 at this year's California CIF Sectional Championships.
At last summer's FINA World Junior Championships, Urlando won gold in all five of his events (200 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x200 freestyle relay, mixed 4x100 freestyle relay) while serving as one of Team USA's five captains. Prior to Junior Worlds, he won the 200 fly at the Phillips 66 National Championships after finishing third in 2018. In other competition, Urlando won four events at both the 2018 Speedo Winter Junior Championships and the 2018 Junior Pan-Pac Championships, along with five top-three finishes at the 2018 Mel Zajac Invitational.
Urlando will be a second-generation Georgia student-athlete, following his father, Alex, who competed for the Bulldogs track and field team from 1992-96. Alex became Georgia's first All-American in discus in 1994 with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, and set a still-standing school record throw of 201-5 in route to the 1996 SEC individual title.
"I am so happy to officially be a Bulldog," said Urlando. "I am excited to be a part of such an outstanding program with world-class coaches and facilities."
"He's a great swimmer, but he's also a great young guy," said Bauerle. "He brings a lot to a team, and may be one of our most exciting swimmers in USA Swimming right now. The nice thing about Luca is that he's not only willing to, but he's able to swim anything, and he's good at everything."
Jake Magahey | Dacula, Ga. | Mill Creek HS | Swim Atlanta
Jake Magahey swims for Mill Creek High School under Dr. Rick Creed and for Swim Atlanta under Coach Chris Davis. Magahey joins Urlando as one of four swimmers rated the nation's best recruit by CollegeSwimming.com, in addition to the top recruit in Georgia. He is a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and NISCA All-American, as well the 2019 Gwinnett Daily Post Boys Swimmer of the Year. At Mill Creek, he has won four Georgia 6-7A state championships, taking both the 200 and 500 freestyle in the last two seasons. In this year's 500 race, his winning time of 4:15.63 broke the national public high school short course record, which had stood since 1983.
Along with Urlando, Magahey competed for Team USA at the FINA World Juniors, reaching the finals of the 400 free, in addition to placing ninth in the same event at the Phillips 66 National Championships. In other competition, he has earned three titles at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships, including back-to-back wins in the 1650 free, and he medaled three times at the 2018 Junior Pan-Pac Championships (gold in 4x200 freestyle relay, silver in 200 freestyle and bronze in 800 freestyle).
"I'm excited to become a Bulldog, as well as for the next few years to come. Go Dawgs!" said Magahey.
"The great thing about Jake is, number one, he's in-state, and secondly, he and Luca are going to give us a big push," said Bauerle. "He's getting known for his range—he can help you anywhere. He can go the mile, he's one of the best 100-meter freestylers at his age in the country right now, the 4x100, the 4x200, any of them. I'm not sure he won't have another great event that's not freestyle as well—he can swim. He's one of the most sought-after recruits in the country, and we're glad we got him."
Maxine Parker | New Canaan, Conn. | Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics
Maxine Parker swims for Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics under Coach Dave Schraven after previously competing for CATS Aquatics (Ill.) and Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club (N.Y.). Parker is rated the No. 1 recruit in Connecticut by CollegeSwimming.com, as well as the 16th overall nationally. With the fifth-fastest American 50 freestyle time this year, Parker was named to the 2019-20 USA Swimming National Team, while also earning a spot on the Scholastic All-American Team.
At FINA World Juniors, Parker joined Urlando in winning gold in the mixed 4x100 freestyle relay and in serving as a team captain, along with taking a silver medal in the 50 free. In that event, she placed seventh at this year's U.S. Nationals and won gold at the 2018 Junior Pan-Pacs, in addition to being a three-time finalist at Speedo Winter Juniors. In high school competition, she was a seven-time finalist at the Illinois Swimming Senior Championships, earning five runner-up finishes.
"We're excited about Maxine. She will add to a long list of successful sprint freestylers here at Georgia," said Bauerle. "She was extremely successful this summer at Junior Worlds. I think she's about the most exciting young swimmer in that class. I still think she's scratching the surface—she's someone who will provide immediate help."
Connor Haigh | Kennesaw, Ga. | Kennesaw Mountain HS | Tidal Wave Swimming
One of Georgia's two homegrown recruits, Connor Haigh swims for Kennesaw Mountain High School under Coach David Reason and for Tidal Wave Swimming Club under Coach Jeff McGinnis. Haigh won the 200 breaststroke at this year's Georgia Senior State Long Course Championships, while also placing second in the 50 and 100 breast and reaching the finals in the 200 and 400 IM. In 2018's championships, he was a finalist in the 200 breast and 200 IM. At the 2019 Georgia 6-7A state championships, he was the runner-up in the 100 breast and finished sixth in the 200 IM.
"I can't wait to take swimming to the next level with some of the best breaststroke coaches in the country, while swimming with an incredible group of teammates. Go Dawgs!" said Haigh.
"Connor's a great student, great kid. He has dropped significantly in one year," said Bauerle. "We view him as someone who can help us immediately. I watched him at States last year and I thought we was one of the most raw swimmers out there, and he made a quantum leap this summer. He's going to have an important place on the team."
Sloane Reinstein | Palo Alto, Calif. | Sacred Heart Preparatory | Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics
Along with Urlando, Sloane Reinstein joins Georgia's stable of swimmers from Northern California, swimming for Sacred Heart Preparator under Coach Kevin Morris and for Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics under Coach Tony Batis. Reinstein is a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and is rated the No. 13 recruit in California by CollegeSwimming.com. She was a finalist in the 200 freestyle at this year's California CIF State Championship and has been a six-time finalist at the CIF Sectional Championships. In national competition, she took the 200 free at the Far Western Short Course Championships and was a four-time finalist at the USA Swimming Futures Championships, placing third in the 100 free.
"We're excited about having Sloane," said Bauerle. "She's a great kid that comes from a great program in PASA. She'll be well-prepared to do what she does best in the middle-distance area."
Tommy-Lee Camblong | Villelongue De La Salanque, France | Canet 66 Natation
The first Frenchman on the Bulldogs since Sébastien Rouault, Tommy-Lee Camblong swims for Canet 66 Natation under Coach Cyrille Gualbert. Camblong was a two-time finalist at this year's FINA World Juniors, placing sixth in the 800 and eighth in the 1500 freestyle. Earlier in the year, he finished fourth in the 800 and sixth in the 1500 free at the LEN European Junior Championships, while placing third in the 200 free at the French Elite Championships. At the French Junior Championships, he won the 400 and 800 free, while finishing second in the 1500m free.
"We're excited about having Tommy-Lee join the team," said Bauerle. "He's a vastly improving swimmer, far different from where he was just a year ago, and he's quickly approaching world-class status. He will bring not just depth, but quality to our program. He fills out a terrific freshman class and will help us have a very formidable freestyle group."
Meghan Wenzel | Lansdale, Pa. | North Penn HS | Centennial Diving
The Bulldogs' lone diver in the class, Meghan Wenzel dives for North Penn High School under Coach Kyle Goldbacher and for Centennial Diving under Coach Steven Kuttruff. Wenzel is a three-time NISCA Diving All-American and has reached the previous eight USA Junior National Championships, with her best finish coming in 2017 (seventh in 1-meter, ninth in platform, and 10th in 3-meter). In last year's competition, she took third in the 1-meter and sixth in the 3-meter at zones, while placing runner-up at the regional meet. She also advanced to the USA Diving Junior World Trials in 2018. At the Pennsylvania AAA state championships, she has finished in the top three each year, winning the title in 2018. Prior to high school, she won the 2016 AAU national championship in the 1-meter and 3-meter synchronized, while also posting top-three finishes in the platform and 3-meter.
"I am so excited to be a part of such a prestigious program with such amazing coaches and athletes," said Wenzel. "It feels good to be a Dawg!"
"I'm looking forward to Meghan coming to Georgia," said Diving Head Coach Chris Colwill. "She's had a great high school career, and she did well at Junior Nationals this past summer. We're hoping to keep her performance going and I think she'll do a great job working with her teammates. She'll excel as a team member and a student-athlete."
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