Per Swimswam:
Ranking the 2024 Men's Recruiting Classes: #8-5
#7 California Golden Bears
- Top-tier additions: #3 Lucca Battaglini (NC sprint free), HM Nick Mahabir (CA/Singapore breast), BOTR Thackston McMullan (OH sprint free), BOTR August Vetsch (AZ sprint free), BOTR Freddy Klein (NC distance free), BOTR Carter Lancaster (FL IM), Mewen Tomac (France back)
- The "Rest": Frank Applebaum (CMS (D3) grad transfer fly/IM), Edward Huang (CA free/back/fly), Lars Antoniak (Estonia breast), Matthew Elliott (CA sprint free), Trey Hesser (AZ free), Yamato Okadome (Japan breast), Nans Mazellier (France sprint free/fly)
Speaking of international recruits, Cal is bringing in a strong group of its own, highlighted by Mewen Tomac, a French national record holder fresh off a home Olympic Games. Tomac is still getting his NCAA compliance sorted out, sources tell SwimSwam, so there's some hedging on his arrival but if that all gets straight, he adds a strong bat to an already deep Golden Bear backstroke contingent. Japan's Yamato Okadome, a 2022 Junior Pan Pacs silver medalist, and Estonia's Lars Antoniak join the Cal roster, as does France's sprint freestyler/butterflier Nans Mazellier, who arrives in Berkeley after a gap year.
Cal's recruiting class is headlined by #3 Lucca Battaglini, the fastest 50 freestyler in the class (19.04), who projects as a 50 free/100 fly/100 freestyler in the NCAA format. Battaglini's 19.04 propelled him up the class's rankings as it all but guarantees Cal another 18-point relay swimmer, even if he does not crack the 'A' relay right away. "Best of the Rest" recruits Thackston McMullen (20.20/43.67) and August Vetsch (19.71/43.21) also add fuel to Cal's formidable sprint group, as does Matthew Elliott (19.89/44.39).
This is a well-rounded class for the Golden Bears, as they add at least one swimmer to every discipline. BOTR Carter Lancaster (1:45.02/3:46.65) joins the IM crew, Freddy Klein (4:19.68/15:02.12) and Trey Hesser (4:19.37/15:15.56) join the distance freestylers, HM Nick Mahabir (55.13/2:01.09), Antoniak, and Okadome add their firepower to the breaststroke group, and Frank Applebaum (47.13/1:43.39) won the DIII title in the 200 fly twice.
A new era starts for Cal this season as they join the ACC. They're also seeking to reclaim the national title after ASU beat them in 2024. This class may help them in that mission and will certainly help them make themselves known as a threat in the ACC, but more importantly, it's an evenly spread group that should develop well in Berkeley and keep Cal at the top of the national rankings beyond this 2024-25 season.