Dec. 3, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame men’s swimming head coach Tim Welsh recently announced the signing of six prep student-athletes. The tandem of Bill Bass, Jordan Berry, Christopher Johnson, Wesley Mullins, Kevin Overholt and Mason Weber is set to join the Irish in the fall of 2009 to continue their academic and athletic careers.
“The incoming class for fall 2009 is a big `wow’,” Irish head coach Tim Welsh said. “They are exciting, fast, well experienced and fills the gaps we have in our program right now. Just as important, these young men are really good students, so we think both academically and athletically, we have a great incoming class.
“We are right on the cusp of being an every-year NCAA Championships team. So what we are looking for is a group that will help us get over that cusp. We think this class has a good chance to do that. If you go back a few years, we were looking for a class that would help us become an every year contender for the BIG EAST Conference title. That class arrived and graduated a couple of years ago and it allowed us to build up momentum that has sustained us as a contender in the BIG EAST. And now what we are looking for is the next step. It is to become an every year NCAA team, so we are looking for that type of commitment and performance.”
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Bill Bass
Chesterton, Ind.
Bill Bass
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The Bass File: The 13th-ranked recruit in the nation according to CollegeSwimming.com … prepped for Chesterton (Ind.) and guided his team to a 10th consecutive sectional title as a junior … steered his 200 Medley Relay team to a best time of 1:32.05, which topped the national rankings in 2008 … also won the 500 Free and then anchored the 200 Free Relay to set another sectional record (1:27.32) … … Chesterton record holder in the 200 Free, 500 Free, 200 Free Relay and 400 Free Relay … team MVP in 2006 and 2008 … … anchored high school state champion 200 Free Relay in 2008 … led team to state title in 2008 … Indiana Senior Club state meet record holder in the 200 IM (1:50.44) … member of National Honor Society … best long course times: 50 Free (24.24), 100 Free (52.93), 200 IM (2:07.26) … best short course times: 200 Free (1:39.70), 500 Free (4:32.64), 100 Fly (49.43), 400 IM (3:56.98).
Irish coaching staff on Bass …
“Bill is one of the most versatile guys in this signing group. He can go anywhere from a 50 Free in a relay through the 500 Free. He can swim the fly events, individual medleys and is really going to help especially to add versatility and movement in our dual meet lineups so we can move some guys around with different lineups each day.”
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Jordan Berry
Fort Mill, S.C.
John Berry
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The Berry File: Won two individual titles on top of a team championship at the state meet in 2008 for Nation Ford (S.C.) as a prep … also guided the 400 Free Relay and 200 Medley Relay teams to state records at the meet … four-time regional champion … nationally ranked on three occasions … 2008 South Carolina individual state champion and record holder in the 200 IM (1:50.94) and 100 Fly (49.79) … competes on the club circuit for SwimMAC Carolina and helped the team win a junior national championship in 2007 … named a North Carolina Swimming All-Star from 2003-07 … National Select Camp qualifier and attendee … member of Southeastern Zone team in 2003, 2005 and 2006 … son of Susan and Anthony Berry … father graduated from Notre Dame in 1982 … member of National Society of High School Scholars and Beta Club … tabbed a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American in 2007 and 2008 … recipient of high school’s athletic/academic award in 2008 … received school’s Cirrus Award for highest grade-point-average within the foreign language department.
Irish coaching staff on Berry …
“Jordan has had a big fall, winning two state tiles and breaking state records. His best events might be in the non-traditional high school events so we could see some more good things to come in out of him. He is pretty familiar with Notre Dame with his father attending school here. He comes from a great background with David Marsh as one of his club coaches, and we are looking forward to having him here for the next four years.”
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Kevin Overholt
Naperville, Ill.
Kevin Overholt
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The Overholt File: Tabbed as the 36th top prospect by CollegeSwimming.com … nine-time All-American and all-state performer … achieved a 2008 Olympic Trials qualifying time in the 100m Free (51.43) … National Junior Team qualifier in the 100 Free … posted three career-best times at the 2008 Speedo Grand Prix: 20.59 in the 50 Free, 1:38.71 in the 200 Free and 4:35.44 in the 500 Free … placed second in the 200 Free – while clocking the nation’s 10th fastest time in the event on the season – and fourth in the 100 Free (46.00) at the 2008 Illinois state meet while representing Naperville Neuqua Valley (Ill.) … helped his squad claim the title in the 200 Free Relay at the meet en route to the overall team title … long course state champion in the 200 and 100 Free and the senior 800 Free Relay and 400 Medley Relay … went 23.53 in the 50 Free (long course), which qualifies him for the upcoming U.S. Summer Nationals … earned four varsity letters … began swimming when he was eight … son of Peggy and Ken Overholt … has one younger brother … first member of his family to attend Notre Dame … played the bassoon in school’s concert band … competed for school’s water polo team for two seasons.
Irish coaching staff on Overholt …
“Kevin is a much needed sprinter in our program, and his long course times are evidence that he can step in and contribute. Toss him into the mix with our current roster and he can turn into a big contributor for us over his four years here.”
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Wesley Mullins
Owensboro, Ky.
Wesley Mullins
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The Mullins File: Junior National qualifier … 2007 Easterns Champion … U.S. Open qualifier … Short Course Nationals qualifier … Peddie (N.J.) team captain … earned four national rankings throughout his career … held the 200 Fly record at the New York City Open from 2007-08 … won the 500 Free at the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Prep League Championships … top times include: 100 Fly – 57.91 (long course) and 51.70 (short course), 200 Fly – 2:05.13 (long course) and 1:52.30 (short course), 400 IM – 4:36.07 (long course) and 4:05.42 (short course), 500 Free: 4:10.26 (long course) and 4:39.73 (short course) … part of school’s academic honor roll and Blue Key Society … in 2006, awarded school’s 1954 Boys’ Team Trophy, given the team’s most improved swimmer … son of Cherri and Alan Mullins … mother was a gymnast at Indiana State … has two younger siblings.
Irish coaching staff on Mullins …
“Wesley is from Kentucky, lives in Texas during the summer, and attends Peddie (N.J.) during the school year. He has a few coaches during the year, so hopefully when we have him here under one philosophy, things will continue to improve for him. He’s pretty versatile and can swim a number of events on the collegiate level. We certainly think he can come in and help us a great deal.”
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Mason Weber
Marshall, Mo.
Mason Weber
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The Weber File: Four-time high school All-American at Marshall (Mo.), collecting the honors in the 100 Breast and 200 IM in both his junior and senior seasons … 10-time all-state performer with eight individual and two relay accolades … USA Swimming National Championship qualifier in the 100 Breast (56.05) and 200 IM (1:51.97) … his 100 Breast time was the second-fastest in the history of the Missouri high school state championship meet … undefeated during prep regular-season meets for three years … four-time team captain and MVP of high school team … earned four letters … holds each of his school’s records in each event … top times: 100 Breast – 56.05, 200 Breast – 2:05.52, 200 IM – 1:51.97, 400 IM – 4:08.79 … two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American … three-time honoree on the Missouri Valley Swimming LSC All-Academic team … member of National Honor Society … president of Future Business Leaders of America … son of Amy and Dan Weber … grandfather played football for Missouri and semi-pro baseball … great-grandfather was a four-sport letterman at Emporia (Kan.).
Irish coaching staff on Weber …
“Mason is a great young man out of Missouri that we had the pleasure of meeting at the junior national championships in Minnesota this summer. He has shown a great deal of improvement this fall, and I think he can help us with our big void in the sprint breaststroke along with some individual medley efforts as well.”
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Christopher Johnson
St. John, Ind.
Christopher Johnson
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The Johnson File: Defending state champion in the 100 Breast (56.56) as a prep for Lake Central (Ind.) after finishing runner-up in the 2007 edition of the event … the former effort ranked as the nation’s 11th best time in 2008 … went 20.60 during the 2008 Crown Point Sectional in the 50 Free to win the event while bettering that mark with a 20.57 in the event less than one year later … won the 50 Free at the 2008 high school sectional meet … top long course times: 24.59 – 50 Free, 1:05.87 – 100 Breast, 2:27.85 – 200 Breast … son of Kathy and Greg Johnson.
Irish coaching staff on Johnson …
“With Chris being from Indiana, it’s nice to keep him close to home. He was the state champ in the 100 Breast, and will join Mason Weber in filling our void in the breaststroke events. We think he will compete for relay spots right away and we look forward to him helping us move up the rankings.”
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