May 23, 2002

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The North Carolina men's swimming and diving team received a considerable boost Thursday as Head Coach Frank Comfort announced eight swimmers and divers for the spring recruiting period. These prospective student-athletes either signed letters of intent or accepted admission to the University beginning in the fall 2002 term.

These eight swimmers and divers will join Chad Ames and Josh Glasco who committed to Carolina last fall.

The group includes Jon Albrecht, Owen Alexander, Robbie Layser, Ryan Matuszak, Michael Pigassou, Jon Van Assen, Josh Weavil and Patrick Woodruff.

"I am extremely pleased with the 10 men we are bringing in next fall," says Comfort. "I think in terms of talent and depth we significantly improved ourselves. Between the fall and the spring we added some people who will help us in the sprint freestyle and middle distance freestyle. We really needed to do that in this year's recruiting class."

Josh Weavil of High Point, N.C. and Ryan Matuszak of Rochester Hills, Mich. are both divers and will give the 2002-03 Tar Heel team a deep corps of five divers.

Albrecht and Pigassou will join Ames in the freestyle corps. Albrecht, of Akron, Ohio, swims for the Firestone/Akron Swim Team. His personal bests are 21.00 in the 50-yard freestyle, 45.54 in the 100-yard freestyle and 1:38.32 in the 200-yard freestyle. Pigassou is a native of Narbonne, France and a junior transfer from Alabama. His top career clockings are 20.83 in the 50-yard freestyle, 45.81 in the 100-yard freestyle and 1:39.35 in the 200-yard freestyle.

Alexander and Woodruff will add depth in the distance freestyle. Alexander hails from Shaker Heights, Ohio, swimming for the Lake Erie Silver Dolphins. His times are 4:38.25 in the 500-yard freestyle, 9:33.12 in the 1000-yard freestyle and 16:01.50 in the 1650-yard freestyle. Woodruff is from Shoreline, Wash., swimming for Cascade Swim Club. He has gone 4:41.59 in the 500-yard freestyle, 9:33.07 in the 1000-yard freestyle and 15:58.52 in the 1650-yard freestyle.

Layser and Van Assen will improve UNC in the specific stroke events. Layser is from Newport News, Va. where he swims for the Coast Guard Blue Dolphins. He has gone 52.02 in the 100-yard backstroke and 1:53.15 in the 200-yard backstroke. Van Assen is from South River, N.J. (Scarlet Aquatic Club). He has career top times of 1:41.92 in the 200-yard freestyle, 50.71 in the 100-yard butterfly, 51.36 in the 100-yard backstroke and 1:52.33 in the 200-yard backstroke.