NEW COMMIT: Auburn University has jumped right into the Class of 2025 recruiting game and snagged a verbal commitment from Ellie Waldrep. The Chattanooga, Tenn. native will arrive on campus at the start of the 2021-22 season.
Already achieving two 2020 Olympic Trials cuts, Waldrep is primarily a backstroker with strong a sprint freestyle and swims year-round with Baylor Swim Club. She finished 27th in both backstroke events at Phillips 66 Nationals this past summer after racing to fourth in the 50m back at Southeastern LCM Championships.
Last winter, Waldrep registered 100% best times at Juniors East where she placed fourth in the 100 back and 11th in the 100 fly. She also recorded four top-20 finishes at NCSAs in March and earned a gold medal in the 100m back at Cary Futures in 2018.
A current junior at Baylor School, Waldrep is a four-time TISCA State Championship finalist. She was the 100 back and 100 fly runner-up as a sophomore after racing to third and sixth, respectively, in those events during her freshman season. The NISCA All-American also broke a pair of National SCM High School records in the 100m back (1:00.34) and as a member of the 4x50m free relay.
She told Swimming World:
“I have absolutely DREAMED of this day since I was a little girl. It is with a FULL heart and EXTREME excitement that I announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Auburn University!! I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of my family members, coaches, teachers, teammates, and friends for constantly pushing me to be the best I can be, both in and out of the pool. Each and everyone one of you mean the ABSOLUTE WORLD to me. So excited to finally take my place on the Plains!! #WAR EAGLE!!!!”
Her best times include:
- 100 back – 52.42
- 200 back – 1:56.76
- 50 free – 23.10
- 100 free – 50.55
- 100 fly – 53.87
Even with just under two years of club swimming still to go before suiting up for Auburn in the fall of 2021, Waldrep will make a big impact in their backstroke group. She would’ve scored in the A-final of the 100 back as well as the C-final of the 200 back at the 2019 SEC Championships where Auburn finished fifth overall in the team standings.
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