CHARLESTON, Ill. -- The Eastern Illinois men's swimming program picked up an impressive honor from www.collegeswimming.com, as the first recruiting class of Panther head coach Matt Bos earned recognition by the online organization.

Eastern was listed as one of 22 top collegiate squads with 'recruiting classes of note', marking the first-time the Panthers have earned such a designation in program history.

"I am excited about our class and what they can do for our program,” said Bos. “To get guys like Ken (Tiltges) and John (Wilson), who are destined to make such an immediate impact on our program, is huge. The great thing is that all these guys have made huge gains over the past year so they will only get better and better."

The full online description of the EIU recruiting class via collegeswimming.com is:

“Eastern Illinois – A year ago, with an aging pool, retiring coach (Ray Padovan) and worsening economy, which eventually claimed Western Illinois, Eastern looked like a team on the brink. Now the Panthers are on the brink of something great. “I am pumped about what this class can do for the future of Panther swimming,” coach Matt Bos is quoted as saying.

The 2009-10 recruiting class consists of six prep standouts, with all but one hailing from the state of Illinois -- Daniel Engel (Edmond, Ok.), Mike Lacine (Champaign, Ill.), Mike Lehman (Naperville, Ill.), Colin McGill (Champaign, Ill.), Ken Tiltges (Saint Charles, Ill.), and John Wilson (Orland Park, Ill.).

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID