ECU Adds 18 Newcomers For Upcoming Season

GREENVILLE, N.C. – ECU Swimming and Diving Head Coach Matthew Jabs has announced the signing of 18 newcomers, consisting of 13 women and five men, to the team for the 2019-20 season Tuesday.

"We are very excited to add these student-athletes to the Pirate family this fall," Jabs said. "Coach Kate Moore has done an amazing job as our recruiting coordinator, identifying the types of student-athletes that will make us better."

The women will add 11 swimmers and two divers to the team that finished the 2018-19 season with a 4-3 dual meet record and in sixth-place at The American Swimming & Diving Championships with a trio of student-athletes earning all-conference honors.

Joining the Pirates as freestyle swimmers will be Laura Benková (Žilina, Slovakia), Keyla Brown (College Park, Md.), Meghan French (York, Pa.), Brooke Morgan (Raleigh), Kristen Stege (Naperville, Ill.) and Jordan Wenner (Ashburn, Va.). Megan Mastropaolo (Bristow, Va.), Jodi Ogle (Greenville, S.C.) and Rachel Strickland (Clayton) have been added to the team to compete in the backstroke events, while Sara Niepelova (Piestany, Slovakia) and Adela Vavrinova (Pardubice, Czech Republic) will enhance the individual medley group.

Silvia Alession (Treste, Italy) and Anna Otta (Wyoming, Mich.) will join the women's diving team.

"On the women's side we will be a very young team next season," Jabs explained. "I've been at ECU for close to 20 years and I'm comfortable in saying this freshman class is one of the strongest classes we have ever signed."

The men will welcome four swimmers and one diver to the team in the fall following the loss of six seniors. The Pirates will return 19 lettermen from its 2019 American Athletic Conference Championship runner-up squad which featured four conference individual event champions, three relay team titles and seven NCAA 'B' qualifiers.

Taye Brown (Raleigh), Pedro Gueiros (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Max Kuranda (Clifton, Va.) will compete in the freestyle events, while Adam Mahler (Mountaintop, Pa.) will be a part of the butterfly group. Roy Aguayo (El Roble, Mexico) is the lone diver to join the team.

"By design, the men's class is about half the size of the women's group," Jabs said. "The men we have coming in are a mixture of immediate impact, and high potential athletes."

Women's Incoming Class (Alphabetical Order)
Name | Hometown | Event | Club
Silvia Alessio | Treste, Italy | Diver | Unione Sportiva Triestina Nuoto
Laura Benková | Žilina, Slovakia | Freestyle | KPS Nereus Zilina
Top Times - 100 Free: 55.76 scm, 200 Free: 1:59.39 scm, 400 Free: 4:16.09 scm, 800 Free: 8:50.97 scm
Keyla Brown | College Park, Md. | Sprint Freestyle | All-Star Aquatics
Top Times - 150 Free: 23.36, 100 Free: 51.52
Meghan French | York, Pa. | Distance Freestyle | York and York County YMCA
Top Times - 200 Free: 1:53.71, 500 Free: 4:59.50, 1000 Free: 10:14.58, 1650 Free: 17:09.44
Megan Mastropaolo | Bristow, Va. | Backstroke/IM | Nation's Capital Swim Club
Top Times - 100 Back: 57.84, 200 Back: 2:02.82, 400 IM: 4:32.66
Brooke Morgan | Raleigh, N.C. | Sprint Freestyle | TAC Titans
Top Times - 50 Free: 23.53, 100 Free: 50.95, 200 Free: 1:51.23, 100 Fly: 56.85
Sara Niepelova | Piestany, Slovakia | IM/Butterfly | Sportovy Playedky Klub Piestany
Top Times - 400 IM: 4:47.18 scm, 400 Free: 4:17.29 scm, 200 Fly: 2:15.09 scm
Jodi Ogle | Greenville, S.C. | Backstroke/ IM | Spartaquatics Swim Club
Top Times - 100 Back: 55.57, 200 Back: 1:57.96, 200 IM: 2:03.79
Anna Otto | Wyoming, Mich. | Diver | Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics
Kristen Stege | Naperville, Ill. | Freestyle | Fox Valley Swim Team
Top Times - 50 Free: 23.52, 100 Free: 52.26, 200 Free: 1:54.88, 500 Free: 4:58.89
Rachel Strickland | Clayton, N.C. | Backstroke | Marlins of Raleigh Swim Club
Top Times - 100 Back: 55.95, 200 Back: 2:00.25, 100 Fly: 56.92
Adela Vavrinova | Pardubice, Czech Republic | IM/ Freestyle | Plavecky Areal Pardubice
Top Times - 200 IM: 2:13.20 scm, 400 IM: 4:47.02 scm, 100 Free: 56.02 scm
Jordan Wenner |Ashburn, Va. | Sprint Freestyle | Nation's Capital Swim Club
Top Times - 50 Free: 23.74, 100 Free: 51.74, 100 Breast: 1:05.81

Men's Incoming Class (Alphabetical Order)
Name | Hometown | Event | Club
Roy Aguayo | El Roble, Mexico | Diver | CNAR Dive Club
Taye Brown | Raleigh, N.C. | Sprint Freestyle/Fly | North Carolina Aquablazers
Top Times - 50 Free: 20.95, 100 Free: 45.11, 200 Free: 1:41.02, 100 Fly: 50.88
Pedro Gueiros | Sao Paulo, Brazil | Sprint Freestyle | Esporte Clube Pinheiros
Top Times - 50 Free: 23.18 lcm, 100 Free: 51.81 lcm
Max Kuranda | Clifton, Va. | Freestyle | Potomac Marlins Swim Club
Top Times - 100 Free: 46.12, 200 Free: 1:39.64, 500 Free: 4:33.76
Adam Mahler | Mountaintop, Pa. | Butterfly | Schuylkill YMCA
Top Times - 100 Fly: 48.39, 200 Fly: 1:46.40, 200 Free: 1:41.11

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