April 30, 2007

Chicago, Ill.- UIC head coach Paul Moniak announced that the UIC swimming and diving program has inked the following five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent:

Brian Anderson (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East H.S.)

Mark Kalafut (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North H.S.)

Laurel Heath (Long Grove, Ill./Stevenson H.S.)

Kathryn McLeland (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago H.S.)

Patty Wegryznowicz (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township H.S.)

The five signees will begin their collegiate careers at UIC this fall.

"This concludes our most successful recruiting class in recent memory," said UIC head coach Paul Moniak. "With this class, we are anxiously anticipating the 2007-08 season."

Kalafut, who swims for the Express Swim Club, owns career-best times of :21.58 in the 50-yard freestyle and :48.10 in the 100 free. He shared eighth place overall in the 50 free finals at the 2007 IHSA State Championships.

Tying Kalafut for eighth in the state 50 free finals was fellow Flames signee Anderson. A competitor for the St. Charles Swim Club, Anderson swam a career-best :21.60 in the 50 free, :47.18 in the 100 free and 1:45.00 in the 200 free.

On the women's side, Heath will join the diving corps after placing 20th overall in the one-meter finals at the 2006 IHSA State Championships.

McLeland is a freestyler and butterfly artist with top times of 1:56.64 in the 200 free, 1:01.35 in the 100 fly and 2:16.50 in the 200 fly. She competes for the West Chicago Swim Club.

Wegryznowicz is a backstroke specialist who has also competed in the distance free events. She owns career bests of 1:01.50 in the 100 back and 2:12.56 in the 200 back. Wegryznowicz competes for CATS Aquatics in Libertyville.

The five newest additions join a class already 11-deep prior to their signings. Anderson and Kalafut join men's team signees Evan Dunn (Edmond, Okla./Edmond North H.S.), Thomas Groark (Chicago, Ill./Oak Lawn Community H.S.), Kevin Linsley (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay H.S.), Alex Pawlus (Lake Forest, Ill./Stevenson H.S.), Andrew Schmitt (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South H.S.) and Steve Yemm (Sterling, Ill./Sterling H.S.).

The trio signing with UIC's women's swimming and diving program will be joined by Emily Hare (Homer Glen, Ill./Rosary Academy), Kelly Hashoian (Brookfield, Ill./Arrowhead H.S.), Sonia Peterson (Morton Grove, Ill./Niles North H.S.), Brooke Sawyer (Muskego, Wis./Muskego H.S.) and Julia Shallcross (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago H.S.).