Young finalizes men's and women's swimming staff
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- Carson-Newman head swim coach Ben Young finalized the 2023-2024 swimming staff with the promotion of Aaron Bauer to full-time assistant and addition of Matthew George as graduate assistant.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.- Carson-Newman head swim coach Ben Young finalized the 2023-2024 swimming staff with the promotion of Aaron Bauer to full-time assistant and addition of Matthew George as graduate assistant.
Young's full-time hire, Bauer, is a Carson-Newman swim alumni. He swam with the Eagles as a graduate student during the 2021-2022 season before working as a graduate assistant last year. Originally from Painesville Township, Ohio, Bauer was homeschooled throughout his high school years. He attended Pensacola Christian College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business with a Sport Management Concentration. Bauer continued his education at Mossy Creek, obtaining a Master of Business Administration while swimming and working with the Eagles.
"Aaron came in fresh last year as a GA and flat out earned the assistant position. He was an integral part in our growth this past year, and I know that he will continue to be a big part of our program moving forward. His passion for not just swimming but also learning the craft of coaching altogether is inspiring to those around him, and it's just the beginning for him. He will be spending plenty of time on pool deck, but will also be heading up our recruiting this year," Young said.
During his time swimming at C-N, Bauer competed in individual and relay events. Individually, he swam 19 personal-best times and earned six top-5 finishes on the season. Bauer placed first in the 100-yard backstroke in 53.33 against Milligan and placed fifth in the event against the University of Tennessee (53.05). He contributed to the men's first-place finish in the 400-yard medley relay against Lees-McRae (3:32.10) at home.
As a graduate assistant last season, Bauer had a hand in training 13 All-American or Honorable Mention All-American swimmers including two-time national champion Manon Compagner. Bauer watched the Eagles place second in the first-ever South Atlantic Conference Swimming Championships, their highest finish ever at a league championship meet.
George is taking over as the C-N swimming graduate assistant for the upcoming 2023-24 season. He swam with the Eagles for the entirety of his undergraduate career and competed last season as a fifth-year senior. George became an All-American at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season after his contribution to the Eagles' record-breaking 800-yard freestyle relay at the 2023 NCAA DII Swimming and Diving Championships. George competed in the event with Wander Sousa, Arthur Gluzman, and Hobson Stelling, and the quartet finished 10th with a finals time of 6:32.66, breaking the program record. George helped set the previos record in 2020 as well when he swam with Caleb Howell, Nikola Tadic, and Raphael Lima for a time of 6:35.40. He also earned All-American status in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a sixth-place finish in 2:55.53. George swam with teammates Gluzman, Stelling, and Ridge McCay.
"I am pumped for Matt to be joining us this year. After swimming with C-N for 5 seasons, Matt knows what this program is all about and will be able to come in and immediately provide a wealth of knowledge for the team. He has a great deal of Swimming IQ and will be looking to increase that over the season," Young said.
George earned 16 top-5 finishes during his final season with the Eagles. He placed second in the 100-yard backstroke against Georgia Tech in 50.88, and he placed fourth in the 100 back (49.45), 200-yard freestyle (1:38.25), and 200-yard IM (1:51.00) at the South Atlantic Conference Championships.
Young's 2023-24 swimming staff is complete with the addition of two former C-N swimmers. The Eagles will kick off the season with the annual Blue v. Orange World Championships on Friday, Sep. 29 at 6:00 p.m. Stay up to date on cneagles.com.
