Yeah, it's a way earlier, but the recruiting landscape has changed drastically in a shorter period of time, so we'll have to change as well! Here's a rough overview of some recruits that we may be targeting for this recruiting season. In 2020, we're losing Keaton Blovad, Alexa Buckley, Chenoa Devine, Aislinn Light, Maddie Murphy, Courtney Mykkanen, and Abbey Weitzeil.
NEEDS:
- Backstroke (replace the loss of Keaton, Aislinn, Coco, and assuming we don't get Berkoff)
- Sprint Free (Abbey as well as Maddie)
- Sprint Fly (or just fly in general)
Ironically, we aren't low in breaststroke (Ema, Ali, Izzie) or distance (our 2019 distance quartet of Ashlyn, SD3, Rachel, and Anna should be good for duals), but instead, we are low in our typical specialties of sprint free, fly, and back.
TARGETS:
Alright, so #2 Alex and #1 Regan have been discussed since the 2016 board, but it's finally their turn to be recruited!
Alex, of course, not only helps in breaststroke and backstroke, but also boasts a class-best time of 22.0/48.9/1:45.2 freestyle times, making her a 5-relay swimmer. Plus, she has an impressive 1:54.0 IM time, which would have placed 8th at the past NCAA's (the 200 IM heat was loaded this past NCAA's, by the way.) Not to mention, she would have placed 4th in both breaststrokes as a HS sophomore. Poses as a 100/200 breast and 200 IM scorer.
Meanwhile, Regan is not quite as versatile, but still has the best 100/200/500 free times in the class (48.8/1:44.4/4:41.6) as well as the best backstroke times I've ever seen coming out of high school (50.8/1:48.3), which would have placed 6th and 2nd at NCAA's. Poses as a 100 fly and 100/200 back scorer, though she could also swim the 500 free.
Not to be forgotten, of course (if we don't get Regan), is another Minnesotean, #3 Isabelle Stadden, who has been dropping time like crazy, and boasts times of 51.3 and 1:52.0 in the backstrokes. She doesn't quite have a third event, but based on her 100 IM time, she should be able to improve in the 200 IM.
For fly, VA native #4 Olivia Bray is the NAG record holder in the 100 fly, with 51.48/1:54.2 fly times, as well as a 52.0 100 back. Poses as a 100/200 fly and 100 back scorer, and brings some pretty good mid-distance free times as well to help combat the loss of Maddie. Out of Texas, #7 Emma Sticklen has a strong 200 fly time (1:54.88) as well as a great 100 fly time, and has already shown that she's a huge Dana Vollmer fan. We know where another Dana Vollmer fan decided to verbal (looking at you, Cass )
For sprint free, #8 Quinn Schaedler and #9 Maxine Parker stand out with 50 free times of 22.8 and 22.4, respectively, though Schaedler also boasts a near class best 100 free time of 48.84.
Other Recruits:
The 2020 class is loaded with studs, so here are a few more that I didn't mention:
- #5 Kaitlyn Dobler: breast (59.1/2:11.4) and sprint free (22.3/49.5), from Oregon (I think Keaton is also from Oregon?) Dropped 3 seconds in a year in the breaststroke, and that 50 free is one of the best in the class, and is better than many of the sprint specialists. Poses as 50 free and 100/200 breast swimmer at NCAA's.
- #6 Phoebe Bacon: backstroke (51.6/1:52.8), fly (52.9), also quite good at breaststroke (1:01) She's also from the same team as Cass, though not at the same site (NCAP has multiple sites across Maryland and Virginia - Cass is from VA, while Phoebe trains in MD)
- #12 Tristen Ulett: sprint fly (52.9/1:56.0), though her long course times are way better (1:00.2/2:13.6), also has a pretty good 200 free time (1:47.3). Comes from Dynamo in Georgia.
- #16 Grace Cooper: sprint free (22.3/49.6). A drop-dead sprinter (think Amalie Fackenthal, though her 100 free isn't quite at that level yet), trains in Illinois with Delta Aquatics.
- #20 Abby Harter: fly (53.5/1:56.0). From the same club as Cass, though I think she trains in a VA site (not quite sure which one). Has already been seen wearing some Cal gear, so I might be a bit biased, but she has great upside and has been improving steadily.
Some Locals:
- #19 Anicka Delgado: 100 free/back (49.4/53.4), has lots of potential in both. Goes to Santa Margarita, the same school Katie McL went to.
- HM Ella Ristic: 2017 World Junior Champs team member, with a great 200 free (1:45.6) Also from Irvine Novaquatics and Santa Margarita (Katie McL). Her other times aren't quite at the same level at her 200 free, but she still has two years left to improve them.
- Tea Laughlin (#33 Nat): Had a huge CIF champs, with new PBs in the 100 back (52.7) and 200 IM.
Note: The rankings given are their SS rankings in SS's "Way Too Early NCAA Recruit Ranks for 2020", which was posted on April 30, 2018. If they have no SS ranking, I'll use their CS ranking, even if their CS ranking is higher than those with SS rankings.
UPDATE => to keep track of the many recruiting trips these 2020 recruits are taking, click HERE to see which schools the top recruits are visiting (SS top 20 + others), HERE to see which recruits are visiting the top ranked teams, and HERE to see the 2020 classes shape up.
NEEDS:
- Backstroke (replace the loss of Keaton, Aislinn, Coco, and assuming we don't get Berkoff)
- Sprint Free (Abbey as well as Maddie)
- Sprint Fly (or just fly in general)
Ironically, we aren't low in breaststroke (Ema, Ali, Izzie) or distance (our 2019 distance quartet of Ashlyn, SD3, Rachel, and Anna should be good for duals), but instead, we are low in our typical specialties of sprint free, fly, and back.
TARGETS:
Alright, so #2 Alex and #1 Regan have been discussed since the 2016 board, but it's finally their turn to be recruited!
Alex, of course, not only helps in breaststroke and backstroke, but also boasts a class-best time of 22.0/48.9/1:45.2 freestyle times, making her a 5-relay swimmer. Plus, she has an impressive 1:54.0 IM time, which would have placed 8th at the past NCAA's (the 200 IM heat was loaded this past NCAA's, by the way.) Not to mention, she would have placed 4th in both breaststrokes as a HS sophomore. Poses as a 100/200 breast and 200 IM scorer.
Meanwhile, Regan is not quite as versatile, but still has the best 100/200/500 free times in the class (48.8/1:44.4/4:41.6) as well as the best backstroke times I've ever seen coming out of high school (50.8/1:48.3), which would have placed 6th and 2nd at NCAA's. Poses as a 100 fly and 100/200 back scorer, though she could also swim the 500 free.
Not to be forgotten, of course (if we don't get Regan), is another Minnesotean, #3 Isabelle Stadden, who has been dropping time like crazy, and boasts times of 51.3 and 1:52.0 in the backstrokes. She doesn't quite have a third event, but based on her 100 IM time, she should be able to improve in the 200 IM.
For fly, VA native #4 Olivia Bray is the NAG record holder in the 100 fly, with 51.48/1:54.2 fly times, as well as a 52.0 100 back. Poses as a 100/200 fly and 100 back scorer, and brings some pretty good mid-distance free times as well to help combat the loss of Maddie. Out of Texas, #7 Emma Sticklen has a strong 200 fly time (1:54.88) as well as a great 100 fly time, and has already shown that she's a huge Dana Vollmer fan. We know where another Dana Vollmer fan decided to verbal (looking at you, Cass )
For sprint free, #8 Quinn Schaedler and #9 Maxine Parker stand out with 50 free times of 22.8 and 22.4, respectively, though Schaedler also boasts a near class best 100 free time of 48.84.
Other Recruits:
The 2020 class is loaded with studs, so here are a few more that I didn't mention:
- #5 Kaitlyn Dobler: breast (59.1/2:11.4) and sprint free (22.3/49.5), from Oregon (I think Keaton is also from Oregon?) Dropped 3 seconds in a year in the breaststroke, and that 50 free is one of the best in the class, and is better than many of the sprint specialists. Poses as 50 free and 100/200 breast swimmer at NCAA's.
- #6 Phoebe Bacon: backstroke (51.6/1:52.8), fly (52.9), also quite good at breaststroke (1:01) She's also from the same team as Cass, though not at the same site (NCAP has multiple sites across Maryland and Virginia - Cass is from VA, while Phoebe trains in MD)
- #12 Tristen Ulett: sprint fly (52.9/1:56.0), though her long course times are way better (1:00.2/2:13.6), also has a pretty good 200 free time (1:47.3). Comes from Dynamo in Georgia.
- #16 Grace Cooper: sprint free (22.3/49.6). A drop-dead sprinter (think Amalie Fackenthal, though her 100 free isn't quite at that level yet), trains in Illinois with Delta Aquatics.
- #20 Abby Harter: fly (53.5/1:56.0). From the same club as Cass, though I think she trains in a VA site (not quite sure which one). Has already been seen wearing some Cal gear, so I might be a bit biased, but she has great upside and has been improving steadily.
Some Locals:
- #19 Anicka Delgado: 100 free/back (49.4/53.4), has lots of potential in both. Goes to Santa Margarita, the same school Katie McL went to.
- HM Ella Ristic: 2017 World Junior Champs team member, with a great 200 free (1:45.6) Also from Irvine Novaquatics and Santa Margarita (Katie McL). Her other times aren't quite at the same level at her 200 free, but she still has two years left to improve them.
- Tea Laughlin (#33 Nat): Had a huge CIF champs, with new PBs in the 100 back (52.7) and 200 IM.
Note: The rankings given are their SS rankings in SS's "Way Too Early NCAA Recruit Ranks for 2020", which was posted on April 30, 2018. If they have no SS ranking, I'll use their CS ranking, even if their CS ranking is higher than those with SS rankings.
UPDATE => to keep track of the many recruiting trips these 2020 recruits are taking, click HERE to see which schools the top recruits are visiting (SS top 20 + others), HERE to see which recruits are visiting the top ranked teams, and HERE to see the 2020 classes shape up.