COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 30. THE Ohio State men's swimming and diving team welcomes 15 newcomers for the 2007-08 season. The group boasts a wide range of talent hailing from nine states, including four from Ohio.
Coming from Yavne, Israel, Ohio State University is proud to welcome backstroke specialist Itai Chammah. Chammah is a member of the Israeli national team as well as a 2008 Olympic Games qualifier in both the 100-meter and 200-meter backstrokes.
Chuck Allison joins the team from Franklin, Wis. As the Wisconsin high school state runner-up in the 100-yard butterfly, Allison will add depth in the butterfly events. He also is a YMCA national finalist.
Justin Farra of Cincinnati brings experience in all four strokes to the team. He received designation as a NISCA All-American in 2006. Farra captured the 100-meter breaststroke title and was part of the winning 400-meter medley relay team at the 2006 YMCA Nationals in 2006. The following year he captured the 200-yard backstroke title at the same meet. Farra also qualified for the finals at the 2006 Ohio high school state meet in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke.
Michael Hulme, a native of Bozeman, Mont., who attended the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla., will immediately impact the team in all four strokes. Hulme is an Olympic Trials qualifier in the 400-meter individual medley and a Florida high school state runner-up in the 200-yard individual medley.
Bobby Jenrow is a distance freestyle and butterfly specialist out of Redford, Mich. Jenrow has participated in the junior nationals and has qualified to compete at the 2007 Spring Senior Nationals.
Elliot Keefer will remain close to home when he attends OSU in the fall. Keefer is a breaststroker out of Loveland, Ohio. He also is a Senior National qualifier in the 100-meter breaststroke and an Ohio high school finalist in the 100- yard breaststroke.
Hailing from Overland Park, Kan., Jayson King will add depth to the freestyle events. In 2006, King was named an All-American by USA Swimming in both the 200- and 500-yard freestyle. In 2007, he was the Kansas state high school champion in the 500- yard freestyle. In addition, he aided teammates in two Top 5 finishes as the anchor of the 200- and 400-medley relays at the 2006 Summer Junior Nationals. King also competed at the U.S. Open in 2006.
Quincy Lee of Portland, Ore., joins the Buckeyes as a highly talented sprint freestyle and flyer and as the Oregon high school state champion in the 100-yard butterfly.
Coming to Ohio State from Sidney, Ohio will be sprint freestyle specialist, Paul Miller. Miller is an Ohio high school state champion in the 50-yard freestyle, as well as 2 x YMCA National finalist in both the 50- yard and 100- yard freestyles.
A Chesterland, Ohio native, Andrew Misich enters Ohio State as a two-time All-American and Ohio high school state finalist in multiple events. Misich owns his high school's records in the 100-yard butterfly, backstroke and freestyle events. He additionally holds the 50-yard freestyle record, and participated on three record-breaking relays.
On the diving side of things, Ohio State welcomes Sean Moore to Columbus. Moore, the son of former Buckeye diving great and 1972 Olympian Tim Moore, comes to the Buckeyes as the Junior National West champion. This Denver, Colo., native also will represent the United States this summer at the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand and will add great depth to an already strong team.
Thomas O'Neill will make the move from Malverne, N.Y., to begin his tenure as a Buckeye. O'Neill is a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, as well as a New York high school champion in the 500-yard freestyle. He also is a Senior National qualifier in the 1,500-meter freestyle and an Olympic Trials qualifier in the open water 10K.
Joining Jenrow in the move from Michigan to Ohio is Ben Savonen (Carleton). Savonen was a finalist at the Michigan high school state meet in the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle.
Philip Seleskie of Hastings, Minn., joins the team as a four-time All-American. Displaying an early talent for backstroke, Seleskie first won the 100-yard backstroke his freshman year of high school. As the 2007 Minnesota state champion in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard backstroke, he is expected to immediately impact the team. Seleskie led the Hastings High School swim team both his junior and senior seasons as a captain and also is a Senior National qualifier.
Rounding out the class for the Buckeyes is Dan Simco from Poundridge, N.Y. Simco comes to Columbus as a junior national qualifier in sprint backstroke and butterfly.
Special thanks to Ohio State for contributing this report.