2028 Swim Recruiting

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RollOnYouAll
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UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

solobear said:

Brinkleigh Hansen, 16 year old 2028 recruit, made the final in the 3KM event at the 2026 Open Water World Cup this weekend. I hope she chooses Cal.

Would be fantastic if Brinkleigh Hansen was to join our Bears!
Speaking of loading up on sprint talent, a name to keep an eye on is in-state Gabi Brito (SoCal) who is co-ranked #1 in the *2028 Recruiting Class*, along with Mikayla Tan (East Bay) & Reina Liu (NC), according to swimcloud.


UrsusArctosCalifornicus said:

OBear073akaSMFan said:

Does Brito have a sister at USC? I believe there is a freshman this year by the name of Brito.

Yes, Gabi Brito has an older sister Bella who placed 3rd in the 100 Breast with a 59.10 at this year's B1G Conference as a freshman, and 28th @ 2026 NCAAs for the Trojans. Bella was ranked #24 in the recruiting class of 2025 by swimcloud.

Chances are SC has an advantage in recruiting Gabi because of this family connection (just like we had perhaps with Rylee Erisman joining her brother Ryan here).

But I remain hopeful that the inspirational example from this year's National Championships of team bonding & spirit, of the Women's team's tight camaderie and support of each other, coupled with the Bears' overachievements @ NCAAs, their rapid upward trajectory which will put them in the conversation for the Top 3, stellar coaching, and naturally the academics at Cal, will all appeal to Gabi and mesh with her personal aspirations.



Way Too Early Recruit Rankings: Girls' High School Class of 2028


TOP TIMES IN THE CLASS OF 2028

EVENT
SWIMMER

TIME

50 Free
Gabi Brito
21.66

100 Free
Gabi Brito
47.77

200 Free
Reina Liu
1:44.49

500 Free
Brinkleigh Hansen
4:38.51

1000 Free**
Brinkleigh Hansen
9:38.87

1650 Free
Zayda Miehl
16:08.79

100 Back
Reina Liu
51.00

200 Back
Daniela Linares Danzos
1:51.87

100 Breast
Mikayla Tan
59.04

200 Breast
Mikayla Tan
2:06.74

100 Fly
Gabi Brito
50.74

200 Fly
Ellie Clarke
1:53.62

200 IM
Gabi Brito
1:55.76

400 IM
Ellie Clarke
4:06.77


TOP 10 SWIMMERS FROM THE CLASS OF 2028

1. Gabi Brito - Beach Cities Alpha - Santa Monica High School - Santa Monica, CA
2. Reina Liu - TAC Titans - Raleigh Charter High School - Cary, NC
3. Mikayla Tan - San Ramon Valley Aquatics - San Ramon, CA *
4. Ellie Clarke - Carmel Swim Club - Carmel High School - Carmel, IN
5. Karina Plaza - Mecklenburg Swim Association - Myers Park High School - Charlotte, NC
6. Daniela Linares Danzos - Pleasanton Seahawks - San Ramon Valley High School - Danville, CA *
7. Shelby Hutchinson - South Jersey Aquatic Club - Haddon Township High School - Haddon Township, NJ
8. Brinkleigh Hansen - Saint Petersburg Aquatics - Saint Petersburg High School - Saint Petersburg, FL
9. Avery Daigle - Franco's Fins - Mandeville High School - Mandeville, LA
10. Emma Hussein - Canyon Aquatic Club - West Ranch High School - Stevenson Ranch, CA

* = Bay Area
RollOnYouAll
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Way Too Early Recruit Rankings: Boys' High School Class of 2028

TOP 20 SWIMMERS FROM THE CLASS OF 2028

1. Kai Joyner - Rochester Swim Club - Mayo High School - Rochester, MN
2. David Sammons - SwimMAC Carolina - Charlotte Latin High School - Charlotte, NC
3. Syunta Lee - West Coast Aquatics (WA) - Jackson High School - Mill Creek (WA)
4. Charlie Cancelmo - Seattle Metropolitan Aquatics Club - Lakeside High School - Seattle, WA
5. Wilson York - Lakeside Swim Team - Saint Xavier High School - Louisville, KY
6. Justin Shi - Eagle Swim Team- McDonagh School - Ellicott City, MD
7. Noah Stotler - Bolles School Sharks - Clay High School - Middleburg, FL
8. Peter Kovacs - Indiana Swim Club - Bloomington South High School - Bloomington, IN
9. Grant Bellin - King Aquatics Club - Curtis High School - University Place, WA
10. Jack Maddan - First Colony Swim Team - Strake Jesuit College Prep - Sugar Land, TX
11. Trevyn Krauss - University of Denver Hilltoppers - Regis Jesuit High School - Denver, CO
12. Isaiah Silver - Livermore Aqua Cowboys Club - Granada High School - Livermore, CA
13. Cullen Kahl - Magnolia Aquatic Club - Homeschooled - Sprint, TX
14. Eli Sweet - SwimMAC Carolina - Gaston Christian School - Belmont, NC
15. Owen Miklos - Nova of Virginia Aquatics - Deep Run High School - Richmond, VA
16. Parker Van Olst - New Wave Swim Team - Enloe High School - Raleigh, NC
17. Max Garbacz - Madison Aquatic Club - Madison West High School - Madison, WI
18. Josiah Collins - Carmel Swim Club - Homestead High School - Carmel, IN
19. Austin Chu - CSP Tideriders - Clayton High School - Saint Louis, MO
20. David Davis - Marlins of Raleigh- Ravenscroft School - Raleigh, NC
swimmer19
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Thanks for getting this thread started!

Going through the rosters (and factoring in signees/verbals), some areas of need to be addressed for the team…
Women: both fly distances, both back distances, mid-distance free/IM. Another sprinter/two distance breaststroker wouldn't hurt
Men: both fly distances, both breast distances and multiple distance free/longer IM. Oddly enough I think all of our distance group is from the '25 class (minus incoming '27 recruit Colin Jacobs)

Additionally, I trust our coaches are doing due diligence in scouting recruits to find the best fit for the team. Both associate coaches are making their way around the top club teams across the country to observe/evaluate club practices as of about a month ago, many teams of which are home to these top 20 recruits.
swimmer19
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Official visits for the Class of 2028 have kicked off this weekend.

#8 Brinkleigh Hansen and #20 Madelyn Petty are at Ohio State, while #4 Ellie Clarke made the trip to IU alongside #13 Maggie Dickinson. Dickinson was also at Northwestern
swimmer19
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Big recruiting weekend for the men:

2028's #2 David Sammons, #3 Syunta Lee, #4 Charlie Cancelmo, and #5 Wilson York are on campus this weekend, decked out in the blue and gold at last night's game vs UCLA.

2027 verbals Khanh Seaton and Davis Jackson are also in Berkeley this weekend
RollOnYouAll
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swimmer19 said:

Official visits for the Class of 2028 have kicked off this weekend.

#8 Brinkleigh Hansen and #20 Madelyn Petty are at Ohio State, while #4 Ellie Clarke made the trip to IU alongside #13 Maggie Dickinson. Dickinson was also at Northwestern


Cheers swimmer19 for the heads up on recruiting for the Class of 2028 taking off!

Several highly ranked female recruits were seen on campus over this weekend:

#3. Mikayla Tan - San Ramon Valley Aquatics - San Ramon, CA
#6. Daniela Linares Danzos - Pleasanton Seahawks - San Ramon Valley High School - Danville, CA
#10. Emma Hussein - Canyon Aquatic Club - West Ranch High School - Stevenson Ranch, CA
#13. Grace Koenig-Song - NASA Wildcat Aquatics - Chicago, IL
#Honorable mention. Katrin Otaegi - San Ramon Valley Aquatics - Dublin, CA
#International. Noelle Benkler (German National Team)

There were also 2 other visitors who I was unable to identify...
swimmer19
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swimmer19 said:

Big recruiting weekend for the men:

2028's #2 David Sammons, #3 Syunta Lee, #4 Charlie Cancelmo, and #5 Wilson York are on campus this weekend, decked out in the blue and gold at last night's game vs UCLA.

2027 verbals Khanh Seaton and Davis Jackson are also in Berkeley this weekend


#9 Grant Bellin and #12 Isaiah Silver are also in Berkeley. Silver's dad, Alex is the head coach of the Livermore AquaCowboys club and also swam at Cal.

I think we're in good shape with a few of these guys, based on what I've seen on social media and the word going around the swim community
PNW
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Grant's Dad also swam at Cal under Nort
swimmer19
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Yari Brock (Chapel Hill, NC; #59 on SwimCloud) is in Berkeley this weekend. A SwimSwam BOTR recruit, her primary events are the mid-distance free and IMs, but can also swim down to the free relay distances and 200 strokes.

#20 distance freestyler Madalyn Petty is also on campus, along with another unidentified recruit.
swimmer19
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PNW said:

Grant's Dad also swam at Cal under Nort


Following his dad's footsteps, welcome to Cal, Grant Bellin!

Cal Kicks Off 2028 Recruiting with Verbal Commitment from Top Backstroker in Class, #9 Grant Bellin

"I always knew I was a bear... After numerous calls, visits and discussions, I have decided to follow my Dad's footsteps and continue my swimming & academic career at UC Berkeley! The amount of dedication my grandparents (my #1 fans), parents & coaches have put into my swimming career is simply extraordinary, and I want to give them the credit they deserve. Coach Durden, Noah & Maya all welcomed me into their family to become a future cal bear and I am incredibly thankful to have been given this opportunity. GOOOO BEEAARRSSS!!!"

--------------

The top backstroker in the cohort by a wide margin, Bellin is the #9-ranked recruit on SwimSwam's Way Too Early list of top boys' swimmers in the high school class of 2028. He will follow his father, Daniel (Cal) and his sisters, Gabi (UC Davis) and Gretta (UC Santa Cruz) as a member of the swimming and diving team at a University of California campus.

Bellin is a junior at Curtis High School. He does his year-round swimming with King Aquatic Club and was recently named to the 2026-27 USA Swimming National Junior Team.
swimmer19
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Top men's recruit Kai Joyner from MN is on campus this weekend. Grant Bellin is also back in Berkeley

#14 women's recruit Maggie Dickinson and BOTR ranked breaststroker Abigail Bonham are present as well. This is Dickinson's last visit, having taken trips to Texas, Tennessee, UVA, IU and Northwestern.
RollOnYouAll
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RollOnYouAll said:

Several highly ranked female recruits were seen on campus over this weekend:

#3. Mikayla Tan - San Ramon Valley Aquatics - San Ramon, CA
#6. Daniela Linares Danzos - Pleasanton Seahawks - San Ramon Valley High School - Danville, CA
#10. Emma Hussein - Canyon Aquatic Club - West Ranch High School - Stevenson Ranch, CA
#13. Grace Koenig-Song - NASA Wildcat Aquatics - Chicago, IL
#Honorable mention. Katrin Otaegi - San Ramon Valley Aquatics - Dublin, CA
#International. Noelle Benkler (German National Team)

There were also 2 other visitors who I was unable to identify...



Noelle Benkler has verbally committed to Cal, yay!



Benkler is ranked #17 on Swimcloud. Seems to be very versatile in all 4 strokes, which is reflected in her IM results.

At German Nationals in May 2025, Noelle won both the 200 & 400 IM, also finishing 4th in the 200 Back.

At Euro Juniors in July 2025, she was on the podium as the 2nd placed finalist in both the 400 IM & 200 IM.

At World Juniors in August 2025, Noelle achieved 5th place in the 200 IM (Audrey Derivaux, former Cal visitor but suiting up for Texas this season, took the top spot in the event for Team USA).

At Short Course Euros in December 2025, Noelle was 4th in the 400 IM finals

More details to follow, once Swimswam reports on this commitment...

-----------

*Update*: According to Google AI (may not be completely accurate):


" Noelle Benkler (Germany / SV Nikar Heidelberg) is currently ranked #17 on Swimcloud's Class of 2028 women's recruiting rankings (Power Index).

This comes from recent discussion on the Bear Insider forum around her verbal commitment to Cal (announced on Instagram).

She had previously been listed around #14 for all German swimmers (including professionals) for 2026; rankings shift with new times and updates to Swimcloud's formula, and she no longer appears in some publicly visible top slices of the list (internationals can move in/out of the displayed national view depending on filters or data refreshes).

https://www.swimcloud.com/country/ger/swimmers/?rank=18040113&gender=F&season_id=30&page=1

Swimcloud's Power Index rankings for the 2028 class mix U.S. high school/club swimmers with strong internationals.

SwimSwam's separate "Way Too Early" rankings (from mid-2026) focus more on U.S.-based high school prospects and do not prominently feature her in the published top lists. Rankings are dynamic and can change with new meets or formula updates.

Benkler is a versatile IM/backstroke specialist (strong results include German national titles in the 200/400 IM, silver medals in both at 2025 European Juniors, 5th in the 200 IM at 2025 World Juniors, and a 4th in the 400 IM at Short Course Europeans).

Her profile is at swimcloud.com/swimmer/1260575.

Before Benkler was moved, her ranking as #14 globally in the Class of 2028 perfectly aligns with her elite status as a European Aquatics short-course finalist and multiple-time German national champion.

Cal is getting an incredible medley and backstroke specialist!

Schroeder71
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Thank you for tracking all of the recruiting visits! GO BEARS!
RollOnYouAll
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swimmer19 said:

Top men's recruit Kai Joyner from MN is on campus this weekend. Grant Bellin is also back in Berkeley


Kai Joyner has also verballed to Bears, congrats!!!
OBear073akaSMFan
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RollOnYouAll said:

swimmer19 said:

Top men's recruit Kai Joyner from MN is on campus this weekend. Grant Bellin is also back in Berkeley


Kai Joyner has also verballed to Bears, congrats!!!


Ranked #10 on swim cloud. Keep them coming!! Go Bears!
RollOnYouAll
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Redundant post!
RollOnYouAll
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OBear073akaSMFan said:

RollOnYouAll said:

swimmer19 said:

Top men's recruit Kai Joyner from MN is on campus this weekend. Grant Bellin is also back in Berkeley


Kai Joyner has also verballed to Bears, congrats!!!


Ranked #10 on swim cloud. Keep them coming!! Go Bears!


But ranked #1 on Swimswam, which I reckon is a better measure of Kai's current best times as well as his potential ...

1. Kai Joyner - Rochester Swim Club - Mayo High School - Rochester, MN


Best Times:
  • 1650 free: 14:56.62 (best in class)
  • 500 free: 4:17.75 (best in class)
  • 200 free: 1:34.91 (best in class)
  • 1000 free: 8:55.06 (best in class)
Joyner is an elite freestyler from the 100 all the way up to the mile, and flashes some strong backstroke and IM speed as well. A 14:56.62 in the 1650 free is his standout event, the only one in the class under 15 minutes, and he is less than four seconds off the 14:52.88 it took to qualify for NCAAs this year which makes him the only swimmer in the class currently within 1% of an NCAA qualification time. Distance free is one of the areas we see the biggest improvements at the college level, and with more than two years until he joins the NCAA Joyner has a tremendously high baseline already.

Most impressively, that is a 45 second drop from last season. He was 15:41.26 as a high school freshman, but has absolutely exploded this year. His 1000 free has gone from 9:17 to 8:55, his 500 free from 4:29.74 to 4:17.75, and his 200 free from 1:38.64 to 1:34.91. All three rank top in the class.

Based purely on freestyle he would be among the top recruits in this class, but he is also one of the top 200 backstrokers and 400 IM swimmers. He is 1:45.73 in the former, third in the class, and 3:47.44 in the latter also ranks third.

Almost no one else has his blend of top-end talent and his rapid improvement curve. The one knock, which isn't really his fault at all, is that there are a ton of good distance freestylers coming into the NCAA over the next couple of years - his mile time is actually the slowest class-leading time since 2022, despite being a sub-15 swimmer as a sophomore. If his improvement curve holds up though (and he's already dropping PBs in long course), he could prove to be one of the best distance free recruits in recent years.

Schroeder71
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Kai Joyner is ranked #1 for the 2027 Men's Swim Class (above) by Swim Swam. Great write-up of Joyner's skills
itemized above.
RollOnYouAll
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Schroeder71 said:

Kai Joyner is ranked #1 for the 2027 Men's Swim Class (above) by Swim Swam. Great write-up of Joyner's skills itemized above.


Another article on Joyner, this time from Swimming World Magazine:

U.S. National Junior Team Standout Kai Joyner Verbally Commits to Cal for 2028



NEW COMMIT: The University of California, Berkeley has scored a big verbal commitment for Fall 2028 from U.S. National Junior Team member Kai Joyner of Rochester, Minn. Joyner is arguably the top recruit in this class, and he owns the fastest times among this group in the 200, 500, 1000 and 1650 free.

He will join Grant Bellin in the Bay Area as a member of the Golden Bears' Class of 2032.

With just under two years to go before arriving on campus, Joyner's best time in the mile would've ranked fourth on the Golden Bears' roster last year, while he would've ranked fifth in the 1000 free and sixth in the 200 free. He would've scored in the B-final of the 500 free at the 2026 ACC Championships and he would've placed eighth in the mile.
Schroeder71
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Both Joyner & Berlin are class of 2028. I could swear that it stated 2027 above, but it now specifically declares 2028. I'm age 77 1/2 so maybe I'm seeing things...GO BEARS!
RollOnYouAll
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My bad & sincere apologies for the confusion, Schroeder71!

The original post on Swimswam's "Way Too Early Recruit Rankings: Boys' High School Class of 2028" had a typo in the sub-heading alluding to 2027 instead of 2028. This has been corrected since. Roll on!
OBear073akaSMFan
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From Swimswam Kai Joyner

Quote:

by Anne Lepesant 4
September 29th, 2026 ACC, College, College Recruiting, Featured recruits, News

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam's College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
High school junior Kai Joyner from Rochester, Minnesota, SwimSwam's #1 recruit in the high school class of 2028, has announced his verbal commitment to the University of California, Berkeley, writing:
Quote:

"I am extremely blessed and excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic career at the University of California, Berkeley. First and foremost, I want to thank God, because none of this would be possible without Him. I also want to thank my friends and family for their tremendous support throughout this process, along with Coach Amy and everyone else who has helped me get to where I am today. Lastly, I want to thank Coach Dave, Noah, Maya, and the rest of the Cal Swimming & Diving family for believing in me and giving me this amazing opportunity. GO BEARS! "

We don't normally see the #1 recruit topple so quickly, but here he is. Joyner is now the second top 10 recruit from the class of 2028 to announce his commitment to Cal: #9 Grant Bellin made his intention known a week ago.
Joyner swims for Mayo High School and Rochester Swim Club. He is the undisputed best distance freestyler in the class, with cohort-leading times in the 200 free, 500 free, 1000 free, and 1650 free. His mile time is only 3.8 seconds off of what it took to qualify for 2026 NCAAs in the event, and he achieved that time in March 2026, exactly 2.5 years before he will even step foot on a college campus.
In high school swimming, the then-sophomore won the 200 free (1:35.05) and 500 free (4:20.78) at the 2026 Minnesota High School Class AA State Championships, setting the Class AA record in the 200 with 1:35.05. He also led off the 400 free relay in a PB of 44.08 and anchored the 200 free relay in 19.80.
A month later, at NCSA Spring Championships, he won the 1650 free with a PB of 14:56.62, was runner-up in the 1000 (8:55.06, PB), won the 500 free (4:17.75, PB), was runner-up in the 200 free (1:34.91, PB). In addition, he came in 10th in the 100 back (48.68, PB), 22nd in the 200 back, and 4th in the 400 IM (3:47.44, PB), and he clocked lifetime bests in the 200 IM in prelims (1:49.56) and the 50 back leading off the medley relay (23.05). His best 200 back time dates from February 2026, when he unleashed a 1:45.73 at the RSC President's Day Meet. Both his 200 back and 400 IM times rank 3rd in the class.
Joyner had an impressive summer, as well. At U.S. Nationals, he notched PBs in the 200 free (1:48.10), 400 free (3:52.55), 800 free (8:00.86), 1500 free (15:25.08), and 400 IM (4:26.64). He was selected to represent Team USA at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships, where he earned a bronze medal in the 200 free (1:48.38). In between the two, he competed at Summer Junior Nationals and updated his lifetime bests in the 100 free (51.03), 400 free (3:52.27), 200 back (2:07.21), and 200 fly (2:03.83).
Best SCY times:
  • 1650 free 14:56.62 (best in class)
  • 500 free 4:17.75 (best in class)
  • 200 free 1:34.91 (best in class)
  • 1000 free 8:55.06 (best in class)
  • 100 free 44.08
  • 200 back 1:45.73
  • 100 back 48.68
  • 400 IM 3:47.44
  • 200 IM 1:49.56
Joyner, who made the 2026-27 USA Swimming National Junior Team in the 200/400/800/1500 free, will find an excellent training group in Berkeley with Ryan Erisman and 2027 commit Colin Jacobs, amongst others. His best times would already score at the ACC Championships in the mile (top 8), the 500 free ('B' final), and 400 IM ('C' final).

OBear073akaSMFan
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Thanks for your research & updates!
RollOnYouAll
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OBear073akaSMFan said:

From Swimswam Kai Joyner

Quote:

by Anne Lepesant 4
September 29th, 2026 ACC, College, College Recruiting, Featured recruits, News

High school junior Kai Joyner from Rochester, Minnesota, SwimSwam's #1 recruit in the high school class of 2028, has announced his verbal commitment to the University of California, Berkeley, writing:




Several interesting comments from the above Swimswam article #1 Recruit in the Class of 2028 Goes Early: Kai Joyner Verbals to Cal Golden Bears ...


bobthebuilderrocks: " Cal with 2 top 10s, Texas still waiting. Yanchulis is the man "

Roll On You Bears: " Lmao suck it Bowman. Let's go Durden "

bobthebuilderrocks: "he (Bob Bowman, UT Head Coach) can fume some more. bad news still incoming. Mostly trying to make educated guesses. Next one is #2 David Sammons to Cal "

Flatlander: " Congrats Kai! And congrats to the Cal Bears. Theyre stacking up talent and with that training group there right now big things are gonna start to happen. There's some world class talent in those younger Cal classes and with guys like Alexy and Jett and even Murph training until (or beyond) 2028 that pool is chock full of hard core guys. "
swimmer19
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New comments in that article seem to be alluding to the fact that more top recruits are likely headed to Berkeley.

Between Sammons and #3 Syunta Lee, I think one of them may be coming to Cal, but probably not both given that they swim the exact same events.
RollOnYouAll
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RollOnYouAll said:


Way Too Early Recruit Rankings: Boys' High School Class of 2028

TOP 20 SWIMMERS FROM THE CLASS OF 2028

1. Kai Joyner - Rochester Swim Club - Mayo High School - Rochester, MN
9. Grant Bellin - King Aquatics Club - Curtis High School - University Place, WA
13. Cullen Kahl - Magnolia Aquatic Club - Homeschooled - Sprint, TX



#13 Cullen Kahl has committed to Cal!

------------

13. Cullen Kahl - Magnolia Aquatic Club - Homeschooled - Sprint, TX

Best Times:

  • 200 IM: 1:47.78
  • 400 IM: 3:49.65
  • 100 breast: 55.17
  • 200 breast: 1:59.58
  • 200 back: 1:48.07
Kahl has a solid breaststroke/IM combo, one of the very few swimmers in this class to crack both 2:00 in the 200 breast and 3:50 in the 400 IM. The medleys are probably his stronger events, dropping from 1:50.86 to 1:47.78 in the 200 and 3:56.41 to 3:49.65 in the 400. His freestyle split in the latter, a 51.94 that would not be out of place in a conference final, indicates that he should be a lot quicker than 1:41.13 in the 200 free. His freestyle is definitely the area for him to improve, being just 21.75/48.87 in the sprint events as well.

However, he is still a solid all-rounder, owning a best of 1:48.07 in the 200 back, a 20 second drop. And we haven't even come around to his breaststroke events yet, where the drops are slightly smaller than they were on IM, 56.37 to 55.17 in the 100 and 2:02.01 to 1:59.58 in the 200, but they are more than solid for this class. Once he adds a little more front end speed his 200 should be dangerous as well, as he split a balanced 58.21/1:01.37 in his PB at Sectionals in March. His breaststroke split in his 200 IM PB is a second huge sign towards this event being one to keep an eye on for him, as he clocked a rapid 29.63 to pull away from the field at that Sectional meet, going on to win by more than two seconds.

------------
RollOnYouAll
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RollOnYouAll said:


#13 Cullen Kahl has committed to Cal!

------------

#13 Ranked Cullen Kahl Gives Cal Their 3rd Top 20 Commitment For Fall 2028



Cullen Kahl of Sprint, Texas has announced his commitment to continue his academic and athletic careers at Cal beginning in fall 2028. Kahl is the #13 ranked recruit in the boys high school class of 2028.

Based on his best times, Kahl is a strong addition to the team's IM and breaststroke groups. His best time in the 400 IM would have been 5th on the team's roster this past season. Even with two years until his arrival, Kahl is just off the 3:48.98 it took to make it back in the 400 IM at the 2026 ACC Championships.

Kahl is the 3rd top 20 commitment for Cal in the boys high school class of 2028. He joins #1 ranked Kai Joyner who primarily swims distance free and #9 ranked Grant Bellin who primarily swims backstroke.


------------

Junior National 200 IM Champion Cullen Kahl Verbals to Cal for 2028

The University of California, Berkeley has landed another huge verbal commitment for Fall 2028, this time from Cullen Kahl of Spring, Texas. Kahl is a member of the 2026-27 U.S. National Junior Team in the 200 and 400 IM.



swimmer19
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From that article above, sounds like we got David Sammons.

#4 Charlie Cancelmo and #5 Wilson York are apparently also expected to verbal to Cal, but there's no hard confirmation on where they may be leaning/where Cal stands with them.
Schroeder71
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It appears that the men's recruiting is really picking up, again. Texas seems to be on top, but here comes Cal (I hope)...
OBear073akaSMFan
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swimmer19 said:

From that article above, sounds like we got David Sammons.

#4 Charlie Cancelmo and #5 Wilson York are apparently also expected to verbal to Cal, but there's no hard confirmation on where they may be leaning/where Cal stands with them.

It would be outstanding..but i'll wait until they sign on the dotted line though it would be verbal until then. I remember Alex Shackell & family.
swimmer19
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swimmer19 said:

From that article above, sounds like we got David Sammons.


Sammons just committed!!
PNW
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More good news is forthcoming
Nasal Mucus Goldenbear
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OBear073akaSMFan
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Holy ****!
Polodad
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If confirmed, this is quite a reload.
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