Atzhorn signs with South Carolina
10-time state meet qualifier joins older brother Andy at SEC school
BY JASON THOMPSON Gulf Breeze News jason@gulfbreezenews.com

Jason Thompson/Gulf Breeze News Another Atzhorn at USC Aileen Atzhorn (center) signed a swimming scholarship with the University of South Carolina last week, joining older brother Andy (far left) at the Columbia school. Also pictured are parents Dave (second from left) and Teri Atzhorn and strength and conditioning coach Andy Tucker.

For Aileen Atzhorn, it was like cutting one string, but tying another.

The GBHS senior, who has qualified for state 10 times in her four-year career swimming for her coach - and mother - Teri, signed a swimming scholarship with the University of South Carolina. Atzhorn will be seeing a familiar face at Columbia - her older brother, Andy - who signed with USC two years earlier.

"I don't want everyone thinking I'm going there cause of my brother - but it's certainly a plus, having him there," said the younger Atzhorn, who also drew a lot of interest from the University of Arkansas.

"They've got a real good engineering program and I like their coaches," Aileen said.

"When we got into this when she was eight years ago, I never really pictured it'd be like this," said coach and mom. "She's getting real close to Olympic Trial time (100 meter breaststroke). She'll be an asset to the program."

South Carolina will have 27 of its 32 female swimmers returning next season.

Atzhorn is the 16th GBHS swimmer who'll swim in college since 2002 and the third at the University of South Carolina. Kyle Cormier, who didn't swim at USC this year due to injury, signed there four years ago.

She's also the second GBHS swimmer to sign this season - Ellyn Schroeder signed with the University of New Orleans a couple of months ago.