South Carolina Adds 6 to Incoming Freshman Class

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina swimming and diving head coach McGee Moody announced the addition of six spring signees, giving him 16 for this year’s class. The group includes Ahmed Akram Abbas, Nils Wich-Glasen and Bobby Bittner on the men’s side, and Jordyn Barham, Mairyn Branaman and Meredith Vay on the women’s.

The class is highlighted by the men’s signings of Abbas who holds Egyptian national records in the 1500-meter freestyle and the 200-meter butterfly, and German Nils Wich-Glasen, who is currently ranked No. 26 in the world in the 100-meter breaststroke.

With the latest additions, Moody believes that this year’s class has the ability to step in next year and help out the program immensely after losing several key student-athletes due to graduation.

“Things are shaping up the way we wanted it to,” Moody said. “I think this is one of the best classes we’ve had from top to bottom. We have a good, solid foundation in place and we have to just keep growing.

“We have a lot of people coming into this class that have competed at a high level, whether it be national meets in the United States or international competition for Ahmed and Nils. I think they’re probably better prepared than some classes that we’ve had come through.”

Spring Signees

Men:
Ahmed Akram Abbas – Egypt
Event(s): Freestyle/Butterfly

Nils Wich-Glasen – Germany
Event(s): Breaststroke/Sprint Freestyle

Bobby Bittner – Beaufort, N.C.
Event(s): Butterfly

Women:
Jordyn Barham – Morrisville, N.C.
Event(s): Individual Medley

Mairyn Branaman – Lexington Park, Md.
Event(s): Butterfly/Backstroke

Meredith Vay – Chester, Va.
Event(s): Freestyle/Butterfly

Fall Signees

Men:
Bryce Kananowicz – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Event(s): IM/Backstroke/Butterfly/Middle Distance Freestyle

Patrick McCrillis – Reno, Nev.
Event(s): Sprint Freestyle/Breaststroke

Travis Morrin – Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Event(s): Distance Freestyle/Middle Distance Freestyle

Tomas Peribonio – Atlanta, Ga.
Event(s): IM/Middle Distance Freestyle

Women:
Kersten Dirrane – Rumney, Mass.
Event(s): Breaststroke/IM

Heather Merritt – Charlotte, N.C.
Event(s): Backstroke/Freestyle/IM

Brittany Oxley – Folsom, Calif.
Event(s): Breaststroke/IM

Marissa Roth – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Event(s): Diving

Tierney Shimansky – Gainesville, Fla.
Event(s): Distance Freestyle

Taylor Worrell – Westampton, N.J.
Event(s): Freestyle

The above is a press release from South Carolina.