LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Kentucky swimming and diving coach Gary Conelly announced Thursday the signing of four student-athletes for the 2006-07 season. Alexander Forbes (Orlando, Fla.), Casey Miller (St. Louis, Mo.), Chatham Penrod (Arcanum, Ohio) and Sydney Witzky (Nashville, Tenn.) all signed national letters of intent to join the Wildcat swimming program during the spring signing period.
On the men?s side, UK signed arguably one of the country?s elite high school swimmers in Alex Forbes.
Forbes, a senior at Lyman High School in Orlando, Fla., is a multiple high school All-American and Florida state champion. Forbes captured the state title in the 100 butterfly all four years and the 50 freestyle crown three straight seasons (2003-2005). In 2004, Forbes? time of :20.22 in the 50 freestyle was the fastest in the country and a FHSAA state record. Forbes, regarded as the fastest sprint freestylers in the country, has trained under his father, Al Forbes, at the Central Florida Aquatics Club.
?We are very excited about Alex?s decision to come to Kentucky,? Conelly said. ?He is one of the best, if not the best sprinter, coming out of high school. He is a very dedicated athlete with world-class speed. His speed will help carry our 200 and 400 relays to the NCAA. Picking up a guy like Alex takes a lot of the sting out of losing Daniel Farnham to graduation. By the summer of 2008, Alex will be a legitimate candidate for the US Olympic Team.?
The women look to have strengthened their team at various positions with the signings of Miller, Penrod and Witzky.
Miller comes to UK with the abilities to make an impact in the 200 breaststroke, 200 IM and 400 IM events. The St. Louis, Mo., native swam at the Rockwood Swim Club, the same club as former Kentucky All-American Tim Patrick.
?We are looking for Casey to add depth to many of our events, Conelly said. ?She is the sort of swimmer who will be able to make serious contributions to our dual-meet lineup, being able to compete in all the strokes.?
The Cats’ backstroke group will also receive a huge boost from Penrod. Penrod is a high school All-American from Ohio. In 2006, Penrod was a YMCA national finalist and the Ohio High School runner up in the 100 backstroke event.
?Chatham is going to give us added depth in our backstroke events,? Conelly said. ?She is going to be an outstanding college swimmer. She is very talented athlete who will surprise a lot of people when she gets to college. I really feel that the team atmosphere of college is going to rocket her into the top of the SEC.?
Rounding out the spring signing class is Witzky. Witzky is a Tennessee state finalist who was coached by John Morse at the Nashville Aquatic Club. Witzky is known for her speed in the 50 and 100 freestyle events.
?Sydney is going to add critical depth to our sprint squad,? Conelly said. ?She is going to be a standout in the short races and will be a key element in our sprint relays.?
Back in December, Kentucky signed six other student-athletes for 2006-07. Anna Sirmon (Mobile, Ala.), Christina Morgan (Winter Springs, Fla.), Megan Pulskamp (Spartanburg, S.C.), Chris Richard (Sturgeon Bay, Wisc.), Kyle Greene (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Eric McGinnis (Raleigh, N.C.) also make up UK?s very promising recruiting class.
