The University of Florida men’s swimming and diving program and 2020 Southeastern Conference Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year Anthony Nesty announced five additions to the team for the 2020-21 season.
The Gators will welcome three signees and two transfers to push their incoming class to a total of 13 newcomers for the 2020-21 season. On Dec. 2, the Gators welcomed eight members during original national signing period.
Amro Al-Wir (Amman, Jordan), Nicholas Eunice (Gainesville, Fla.) and Wesley Hyde (Ocala, Fla.) all head to Gainesville after signing their National Letter of Intent (NLI), while Erik Harper (University of Hawaii) and Anton Svirskyi (Saint Peter’s University) will join the orange and blue as transfers.
The class will look to replace 11 seniors and will be counted on to step in and contribute immediately in the water for the Gators, who are on the quest for a ninth-straight conference crown in 2020-21 after taking home the SEC title this past season with 1,194 points, 15 medals and five event titles at this year’s conference championships.
The Gators’ Pool. Photo Courtesy: Andy Ross
2020 Signee Profiles
Amro Al-Wir | Amman, Jordan
“UF is well-known for its outstanding swimmers and great educational programs, so it is perfect for helping me improve in my swimming career and gain a good education.”
- Jordanian record holder in the 50, 100 and 200 breast
- Two-time participant at the FINA World Championships (2017 & 2019)
- Semi-finalist in the 100 breast at the FINA World Junior Championships
- Second Jordanian to achieve an A-Cut for the Youth Olympic Games
- Second Jordanian to reach a final at the Asian Games
- Arab age group record holder in the 200 breast
Nicholas Eunice | Gainesville, Fla.
“To be a Florida Gator means to expect excellence in and out of the pool. When given the opportunity to contribute to such a community, the answer was obvious.”
- Florida state champion in the 200 free relay
- Four-time state championship finalist
- State runner-up in the 100 free
- 2019 Winter Junior Nationals qualifier
- Scholastic All-American
Erik Harper | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
“I chose the University of Florida because of their welcoming atmosphere, their long tradition of excellence in swimming, and their strong academic reputation as one of the top public universities in the USA.”
- Swam at Division I University of Hawaii for his first two years of college
- As a sophomore in 2018-19, he earned two eighth-place finishes in the 50 free and 200 free against Minnesota
- Competed in six meets as a freshman in 2017-18
- Canadian National Age Group and Canadian Western Nationals Qualifier
- Multi-Time Provincial Champion
- Provincial Record Holder for 4×50 LCM Mixed Medley Relay
- High school Swim Team Captain for Senior year
- High school Swim Team MVP in Junior and Senior year
- Graduated high school with Honors
Wesley Hyde | Ocala, Fla.
“I have always known that if I get the chance to swim at Florida, I would. Their academics and athletics are at a high-level. I connected well with the team and am confident that the coaching and support staff there will help me reach my goals and contribute to the team.”
- 2019 Florida 4A 500 free State Champion
- Six-time Florida 4A high school state finalist
- Competed at the 2019 Toyota US Open, 2019 Speedo Summer Junior National Championships and the 2018 Speedo Winter Junior Championships
- Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American (11th and 12th grade)
Anton Svirskyi | Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine
- Attended Division I Saint Peters University (N.J.) in 2019-20, competing in track and field and finishing with a 3.9 GPA
- Accumulated 38 gold, 12 silver, 4 bronze medals over various diving competition in his home country of Ukraine
- Competed in the first Junior European Olympic Games in Baku, Azerbaijan in July of 2019
- 1-meter Junior international champion in Mykolaiv, Ukraine
- 1-meter, 3-meter Platform Junior National Champion in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine
- 3m Synchro 3rd place with Oleg Serbin of Ukraine at Ukrainian National Championships in Kyiv, Ukraine
- Platform National Champion in Ordzhonikidze, Ukraine.
- Member of National Honor Society and volunteers for more than 600 hours in three and a half years at Brick Township High School in New Jersey.
- Speaks Russian, Ukrainian, English fluently and can read/write in Spanish
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Florida men’s swimming and diving. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.