Wolverines Ink Six Men's Swimming Standouts to NLIs for 2020-21
11/15/2019 9:48:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's swimming and diving program announced Friday (Nov. 15) the signings of six prep standouts to National Letters of Intent for the 2020-21 season. The signees include Wyatt Davis (Carmel, Indiana), Ansel Froass (Cincinnati, Ohio), James LeBuke (Revelstoke, British Columbia), Jake Mitchell (Carmel, Indiana), Bence Szabados (Chicago, Illinois) and Yugo Tsukikawa (Mamaroneck, New York).
"This is without question one of the best classes we've ever had," said head coach Mike Bottom.
"All six of these guys are great students, hard workers and exceptional teammates. Each and every one of them is capable of coming in next year and making an immediate impact within our team. We're very excited to have them on board."
Wyatt Davis
Backstroke | Carmel, Ind. (Carmel/Carmel Swim Club)
One of the top recruits in the entire class, Davis is a member of the 2019-20 U.S. National Junior Team in three events (200-meter freestyle, 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter backstroke). He won six medals, including three gold medals, for Team USA at the 2019 FINA World Junior Championships and took eighth in both the 100-meter backstroke (55.07) and 200-meter backstroke (1:59.78) at the 2019 Phillips 66 National Championships. Davis is a five-time Indiana state champion, winning three consecutive titles in the 100-yard backstroke and two in the 200-yard individual medley.
TOP TIMES (SCY): 100 BK (46.66), 200 BK (1:43.84), 200 IM (1:45.63), 500 FR (4:26.09)
Ansel Froass
Breaststroke/IM | Cincinnati, Ohio (Sycamore/Mason Manta Rays)
Froass is a versatile swimmer capable of adding depth in breaststroke, sprint freestyle and in the IMs. He swam legs on two winning relays at the 2019 Ohio D-I State Championships and finished second in the 200-yard IM and fourth in the 100-yard freestyle. At 2019 Speedo Junior Nationals, Froass qualified for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials with a third-place finish in the 200-meter IM and a ninth-place finish in the 200-meter breaststroke. He is an NISCA All-American and USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.
TOP TIMES (SCY): 100 BR (56.06), 200 BR (2:01.87), 50 FR (20.98), 100 FR (45.22), 200 IM (1:48.27), 400 IM (3:54.71)
James LeBuke
Freestyle | Revelstoke, B.C., Canada (Claremont Secondary School/Columbia Shuswap Selkirks Swim Team)
LeBuke is a sprint freestyler on the Canadian Junior National Team. He finished ninth in the 50-meter freestyle and ninth in the 100-meter freestyle at the 2019 Canadian Swimming Trials, earning a chance to represent Canada at the FINA World Junior Championships. There, he made the semifinals in the 50-meter freestyle, finishing 11th, and took 24th in the 100-meter freestyle. LeBuke only began swimming year-round as a 15-year-old. In that time, he has significantly dropped his PRs in the 50-meter freestyle (-1.71 seconds), 100-meter freestyle (-2.99 seconds) and 200-meter freestyle (-11 seconds).
TOP TIMES (LCM): 50 FR (22.88), 100 FR (50.47), 200 FR (1:54.48)
Jake Mitchell
Distance | Carmel, Ind. (Carmel/Carmel Swim Club)
Arguably the top distance swimmer in the class, Mitchell represented the United States at the 2019 FINA World Junior Championships. He won gold on the 4x200-meter freestyle relay and finaled in three other events, finishing fourth in the 400-meter freestyle. At the 2019 Phillips 66 National Championships, Mitchell was runner-up in the 400-meter freestyle and finished fifth in the 1,500-meter freestyle and eighth in the 800-meter freestyle. He is on the 2019-20 U.S. National and Junior National Teams. In short course, he is a three-time Indiana state champion, including back-to-back titles in the 500-yard freestyle.
TOP TIMES (SCY): 200 FR (1:34.24), 500 FR (4:16.72), 1650 FR (15:09.39)
Bence Szabados
Butterfly/Freestyle | Chicago, Ill. (Whitney Young/Chicago Wolfpack Aquatic Club)
Szabados brings an Olympic pedigree to Ann Arbor. His father, Bela, swam for USC and represented Hungary in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. Bence represented Hungary at the 2019 FINA World Junior Championships, finishing as high as 20th in the 50-meter freestyle. He also was a four-time finalist at the 2018 Speedo Winter Junior Championships (West), taking second in the 200-yard butterfly, and was a four-time finalist at the 2018 NCSA Summer Swimming Championships, finishing second in both the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly. Szabados is a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.
TOP TIMES (SCY): 50 FR (19.97), 100 FR (44.39), 100 FL (47.35), 200 FL (1:44.84)
Yugo Tsukikawa
Distance | Mamaroneck, N.Y. (Hackley School/Badger Swim Club)
Tsukikawa adds more depth to the Michigan distance group. He represents Ecuador internationally, finishing 14th in the 400-meter freestyle at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru. Tsukikawa qualified for three event finals at the 2019 Campeonato Sudamericano Juvenil Natacion, finishing fifth in both the 400-meter freestyle and 1500-meter freestyle. At the 2019 Senior Metropolitan SC Winter Championships, he won the 1,000-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle and took second in the 500-yard freestyle.
TOP TIMES (SCY): 500 FR (4:26.84), 1650 FR (15:25.30)
