Gator Country

Florida Gators coach Gregg Troy signed athletes from Florida, California and New Zealand to this year's class. / Gator Country file photo by Tim Casey

The University of Florida’s head swimming and diving coach Gregg Troy announced 10 signees for the team on Wednesday. The group features six males and four females and includes recruits from Florida, California and New Zealand.

This year’s class brings in some of the top recruits across the country on both the men’s and the women’s side that will contribute immediately as part of Florida’s nationally renowned swimming and diving team.

University of Florida’s 2013-14 Men’s Signing Class:
“We are very excited about the men’s class. We were looking for a very small class and were able to get a larger one than we anticipated.”

Quinn Cassidy – Boca Raton, Fla. (St. Andrews School)
A Boca Raton native, Cassidy was a 2012 Florida state champion. He also was an automatic All-American in the 200 IM and 100 breast in 2012 and named the 2012 Palm Beach County Championship Swimmer of the Year. During his junior year, Cassidy set a meet record in the 200-yard IM at the PBC Swim Championships. His father, Sid Cassidy, was a swim coach at the University of Miami and is now the St. Andrews club coach.

Coach Troy on Cassidy:
“He is a state champion in the breaststroke and 200 IM, another athlete whose father is a swim coach. Quinn brings in a lot of versatility and is strong in each of the strokes and will improve our depth across the board.”

Alex Dehner – Tallahassee, Fla. (Lawton Chiles HS)
Alex Dehner is from Tallahassee, Fla. and attended Lawton Chiles High School. Dehner was a 2011-12 Junior National Qualifier. He currently holds school records in the 100 free, 200 free and 100 back at Chiles High School and was a scholastic All-American. He was named high school Swimmer of the Year as a freshman, sophomore and junior at Chiles High School.

Coach Troy on Dehner:
“He has rapidly improved over the last three years and is one of the most improved swimmers in the state of Florida. He is a big kid with tremendous upside.”

Emiro Goossen – Jacksonville, Fla. (Bolles School)
Emiro Goossen is the brother of Florida junior Levar Goossen. He currently swims at Bolles High School and trains with the Bolles School Sharks. He is a sprint freestyler and was named to the All-First Coast Second team in 2011.

Coach Troy on Goossen:
“He is a real tall, lanky guy who hasn’t been swimming very long. He is a swimmer that has the potential to be very successful in the future and is another sprint freestyler that can help us out.”

Corey Main – New Zealand
A member of the New Zealand National Team, Main will bring a wealth of experience. He qualified for the world championship after swimming under the FINA A-qualifying time for the 2012 FINA Short Course World Championships. In the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games he won three gold medals, the 100 back, 200 back and 50 back events. He also earned a bronze as part of the men’s 4.200m free relay.

Coach Troy on Main:
“Corey is one of the best backstrokers in the world. He was on the New Zealand National Team and will be a big impact for us.”

Young Tae Seo – La Crescenta, Calif. (Crescenta Valley HS)
Young Seo is the top recruit in the state of California and the No. 3 recruit in the nation. He well decorated already through his high school career at Crescenta Valley. He was named the 2012 Glendale News-Press Boys’ Athlete of the Year. Seo has won eight CIF Southern Section Championships in his three years and currently holds records in the 200 IM, 100 breaststroke and as part of the medley relay. He has also won three consecutive All-Area Boys’ Swimmer of the Year honors.

Coach Troy on Seo:
“Young Tae is one of the top recruits out of California and is a very well rounded athlete. He was very highly recruited and we are excited for him to come to school here and be a Gator. He is extremely versatile, swims a lot of different events so will be a huge impact on our program immediately.”

Daniel Spas – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (American Heritage HS)
Daniel Spas is a 2012 Florida State Champion in the 100 free. He also swam four All-American times at state in 2011. Spas is a Scholastic All-America for American Heritage High School.

Coach Troy on Spas:
“Daniel is one of the best sprinters in the state. He has tremendous tools and quickness and he will fill a void for us immediately.”

University of Florida’s 2012-13 Women’s Signing Class:
“This is a very solid class coming in. They cover a lot of our weaknesses so they will make an impact right away with the program.”

Autumn Finke - Clearwater, Fla. (Countryside HS)
Autumn Finke is rated as the number eight recruit in Florida. She was a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and 2013 U.S. World Championship Trials Qualifier. Finke finished eighth in the 500 free at the 2012 U.S. Open. She was a 2013 Junior Nationals Qualifier and 2013 Winter Nationals Qualifier.

Coach Troy on Finke:
“Autumn is a very good distance freestyler. She was a finalist in the state meet and we feel like she has a great potential to improve here.”

Danielle Valley - Bradenton, Fla. (Lakewood Ranch Senior HS)
A Bradenton native, Danielle Valley was the No. 1 rated recruit out of Florida and No. 15 in the country by CollegeSwimming.com. Valley qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Swim Team Trials in in two events where she made the finals of the 800m free and she also qualified and participated in the American Jr. Pan Pac’s. Valley recently defended her 500-yard freestyle state championship.

Coach Troy on Valley:
“She is the top recruit in Florida. Danielle will be a huge asset in our distance freestyle events. She competed at the USA Olympic Trials this summer. She will make an impact immediately and we are excited to have her as an addition.”

Alyssa Yambor-Maul - Tallahassee, Fla. (Lawton Chiles HS)
Alyssa Yambor-Maul is from Tallahassee, Fla. where she swims for Lawton Chiles High School. Yambor-Maul is a high school All-American and was named Big Bend Swimmer of the Year after helping her high school to it’s second-straight state championship. She also competed in the 200m backstroke at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Coach Troy on Yambor-Maul:
“Alyssa is state champion out of Tallahassee, Fla. She comes from a swimming family, her dad is a swim coach. She has a great physique for swimming and a tremendous upside for improving. She is a national sprint butterflier and will be a huge help in that area.”

Taylor Katz - Sarasota, Fla. (Riverview HS)
Taylor comes to Florida as the 29th rated recruit in the country and third in the state of Florida by CollegeSwimming.com. She is the second member of the class who participated at the 2012 Olympic Trials and was also a USA Junior National Team Member. Katz was named Florida Swimmer of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. She is a Six-time State Champion, eight-time NISCA High School All-American, USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and YMCA National Champion in the 500 free.

Coach Troy on Katz:
“Taylor, like Danielle, comes in having scored at the Olympic Trials this past year. She is a national middle distance swimmer, which is an area we need help in so will be a tremendous asset.”

Courtesy of UF Communications

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