NEW COMMITS: The University of California, Berkeley has picked up a pair of verbals for the 2021-22 season and beyond from Jack Alexy and Jacob Soderlund. Both swimmers announced their college choices via CollegeSwimming and will join Kai Crews and Trent Frandson as members of the Golden Bears’ class of 2025.
Both swimmers will provide valuable depth for Cal in their respective events. Under head coach Dave Durden, Cal earned their second-straight Pac-12 Championship title and were crowned National Champions after a convincing team win at NCAAs last season.
JACK ALEXY
Hailing from Mendham, N.J., Alexy swims year-round with Somerset Hills YMCA and is a member of the 2019-20 USA Swimming National Junior Team. He placed 26th in the 100m free and 27th in the 50m free at Phillips 66 Nationals in August before going on to lead off the winning 4x100m free relay during prelims of the FINA World Junior Championships in Budapest. Last winter, he won the 100 free at both Junior Nationals and YMCA Nationals.
A current junior at The Delbarton School, Alexy is already a four-time finalist at the New Jersey Meet of Champions. The NISCA All-American earned silver in the 100 free and bronze in the 200 free during his sophomore season while grabbing gold in the 50 free and 100 back as a rookie. He currently owns the 2020 Olympic Trials cuts in the 50m and 100m free.
His best times include:
- 50 free – 20.07
- 100 free – 43.07
- 200 free – 1:36.81
- 500 free – 4:26.25
- 100 back – 48.17
- 200 back – 1:46.19
Alexy will make an immediate impact or the Golden Bears both individually and on relays when he arrives in Berkeley in the fall of 2021. His best time in the 100 free is just shy of scoring in the A-final at the Pac-12 Championship level while his 50 free and 200 free would’ve placed in the C-final at last season’s conference meet.
JACOB SODERLUND
Photo Courtesy: Jacob Soderlund via CollegeSwimming
Soderlund does his club swimming with Triggerfish Aquatics and owns the U.S. Open cut in the 100 breast with the Summer Juniors cut in the 200 breast. The Concord, Calif. native raced the two breaststroke events at Junior Nationals this past summer where he finished 24th in the 100m breast , achieving best times in both. Last winter, he competed at Nationals before going on to record three top-8 finishes at WCAB Winter Seniors.
Also competing for Monte Vista High School, Soderlund won the 100 breast at the CIF North Coast Section Championships as a sophomore after placing sixth in the event during his freshman season. The USA Swimming Scholastic All-American was also the runner-up in the 100 breast at the 2019 CIF State Championships.
Regarding his commitment, he said:
“Super excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of California-Berkeley in 2021! A special thanks to my coach and everyone who has supported me along the way. Can’t wait to be a part of the Cal family–Go Bears!”
His best times include:
- 100 breast – 54.24
- 200 breast – 2:04.64
- 100m breast – 1:04.28
- 200m breast – 2:25.75
Soderlund will add valuable depth to the Bears’ breaststroke training group and he’ll have one year of overlap with Reece Whitley. He’s just on the brink of scoring range in the 100 breast and it took a 2:01.05 to place in the 200 breast at the 2019 Pac-12 Championships, but Soderlund has consistently made improvements each season.
If you have a commitment to share, please send a photo and quote via email to hs@swimmingworld.com.