NEWARK, DE -- University of Delaware men’s and women’s swimming and diving head coach John Hayman has announced that five current high school student-athletes have signed NCAA National Letters of Intent to attend the University and compete for the Blue Hens during the 2007-08 season.

The group includes women’s swimmers Cortney Barry of Laurel, MD (Reservoir High School) and Erinne Butler of Mechanicsburg, PA (Cumberland HS), and men’s swimmers Matt Wehrman of Macungie, PA (Emmaus HS), Craig Young of Newark, DE (Glasgow HS), and Bobby MacLeish of Dover, DE (Salesianum HS).

Barry competes for the Fairland Aquatics Club team and earned All-American honors by USA Swimming during the 2005 season. She placed in the top three in the 50, 100, and 200 freestyle events at the county meet last season. Her top career times are 1:54.72 in the 200 freestyle, 5:02.14 in the 500 freestyle, and 4:41.13 in the 400 individual medley. She also has competed in the 100 backstroke.

Butler has been a standout at Cumberland Valley High School where she was a Pennsylvania state finalist in the 50 freestyle, 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, and 400 freestyle relay as a junior in 2006. She won the consolation finals in the 50 freestyle and anchored the medal-winning 200 medley relay. She has led CVHS to three straight conference titles and had the best 50 freestyle time (24.19) in the conference a year ago. As a member of the West Shore YMCA Club team, Butler has won several district titles and anchored the team’s second place YMCA National Short Course medley relay last season. Her other top times include 53.71 in the 100 freestyle and 1:00.32 in the 100 butterfly.

Wehrman has been a standout at Emmaus High School and led the team to the Pennsylvania state team title in 2006 when he placed seventh in the 500 freestyle and placed third as part of the 400 freestyle relay team. He won the district title in the 400 freestyle relay each of the last two seasons, placed second in the 500 freestyle in 2005, and placed second in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events last season. Emmaus won the team district title in both 2005 and 2006. His top career times include 4:38.31 in the 500 freestyle, 1:44.73 in the 200 freestyle, 9:50.27 in the 1,000 freestyle, and 16:16.43 in the 1,6500 freestyle. He is also a member of the EMAC Club Team and set the team record in the 1,000 freestyle and competed in the 200, 500, and 1,650 freestyle at the 2006 Junior Nationals.

Young is one of the top swimmers in the state at Glasgow High School and is a member of Team Delaware Club. He has earned All-Blue Hen Conference honors three straight years at Glasgow and was a second team All-State selection as a sophomore in 2005 and first team All-State selectoin as a junior last season. He placed seventh in the 100 backstroke and ninth in the 100 butterfly at the 2005 state championships and won the 2006 100 backstroke state title while also placing third in the 100 butterfly as a junior last season. His top career times include 53.6 in the 100 backstroke, 1:57.2 in the 200 backstroke, 53.3 in the 100 butterfly, 2:01.2 in the 200 individual medley, and 49.3 in the 100 freestyle. He has also competed for the Glasgow lacrosse team the last three years and was twice named the team’s top offensive player.

MacLeish has been one of the top swimmers for state power Salesianum School and also is a member of the Team Delaware Club team. A three-year first team all-conference selection at Salesianum, he has competed at the state meet each of the last three seasons, placing 15th in the 200 freestyle and 11th in the 500 freestyle as a freshman in 2004, sixth in the 200 freestyle and ninth in the 500 freestyle as a sophomore in 2005, and third in the 200 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle as a junior last season when he led the team to the state title. His top career times include 48.20 in the 100 freestyle, 22.45 in the 50 freestyle, and 1:46.23 in the 200 freestyle.