NEW COMMITS: The University of California, Berkeley has recently scored four new verbal commitments for the fall of 2021 from Stephanie Akakabota, Elizabeth Cook, Melanie Julia, and Shelby Suppiger.
All four swimmers will join Ella Mazurek, Annika McEnroe, Jessica Davis, Mia Kragh and McKenna Stone as members of Cal’s class of 2025.
Stephanie Akakabota
Her best times include:
- 50 free – 23.12
- 100 free – 52.32
A sprint freestyler out of Lake Mary, Fla., Akakabota does her club swimming with Seminole Aquatics and recently raced the 50m free at the Toyota U.S. Open. This past summer, she won the 50m/100m free combo at Florida LCM Seniors and was the 50m free runner-up at Greensboro Futures. Also competing for Seminole High School, she earned bronze in the 50 free as a junior and took 10th in that event during her sophomore season at the Florida 4A State Championships.
Elizabeth Cook
Her best times include:
- 50 free – 23.01
- 100 free – 49.81
- 200 free – 1:47.94
- 100 fly – 53.64
- 200 fly – 1:58.64
The Portland, Ore. native swims year-round with Tualatin Hills Swim Club and recorded five best times at Juniors West this past winter where her highest finish was a fifth-place showing in the 200 fly. She grabbed silver in the 100m fly at Mount Hood Futures this past summer before going on to notch a best time at Junior Nationals. Also competing for Catlin Gabel High School, the USA Swimming Scholastic All-American is a four-time Oregon 1-4A State Championship gold medallist.
Melanie Julia
Her best times include:
- 100 breast – 1:00.80
- 200 breast – 2:13.80
- 200 IM – 2:03.59
- 400 IM – 4:27.49
Hailing from Palo Alto, Calif., Julia competes for Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics and most recently took fourth in the 200m breast at College Station Sectionals after finishing fifth in that event as well as sixth in the 200 breast at Juniors West. She raced both breaststroke events at Junior Nationals in August and was the 100 breast runner-up at the CIF State Championships as a sophomore for Henry M. Gunn High School and took fifth as a freshman.
Shelby Suppiger
Her best times include:
- 100 breast – 1:01.31
- 200 breast – 2:12.41
- 200 IM – 2:01.15
- 400 IM – 4:29.35
Suppiger of Lafayette, Calif. swims year-round with Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks and most recently finished sixth in the 100 breast at Carlsbad Sectionals after taking fourth in the 200 breast as well as seventh in the 100 breast at Juniors West. She earned bronze in the 200 IM and placed seventh in the 100 breast at the 2019 CIF State Championships for Acalanes High School while racing to eighth in the former event as a rookie.
If you have a commitment to share, please send a photo and quote via email to hs@swimmingworld.com.
