NEW COMMIT: The University of Michigan has received a verbal commitment for the 2020-21 season from in-state breastroker and freestyle sprinter Claire Tuttle of Hudsonville, Mich.
Tuttle does her club swimming with Hudsonville Eagles Aquatic Team under head coach Ian Kobes. She most recently competed at NCSAs where she was a three-time finalist after placing fifth in the 100 breast at Juniors East. At the Michigan LCM Championships this past summer, Tuttle was the Open female high-point champion after earning four gold medals. She also plays club water polo and competes at the Junior Olympic Championship in the summer in California. Claire is a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and USA Water Polo Academic All-American Athlete.
Also competing for Hudsonville, Tuttle is an eight-time Michigan High School DI State Champion finalist and two-time state champion in the 100 breast. She currently has seven All-American Awards – 6 for swimming and 1 for water polo – through her sophomore year of high school. As a sophomore, she was also voted MVP in Michigan for girls’ high school water polo and has been part of a two-time state championship water polo team.
She told Swimming World:
“I’m thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and swimming career at the University of Michigan! I feel that the team atmosphere and the coaches are a perfect fit for me to excel! I’m excited to have the opportunity to contribute to such an accomplished team in and out of the water. I’d like to thank my coaches, family, friends and the amazing people I met through the college recruiting process for their support and guidance. Proud to be a Michigan Wolverine! GO BLUE!”
Her best times include:
- 50 free – 23.12
- 100 free – 50.91
- 200 free – 1:50.32
- 100 breast – 1:01.24
- 200 breast – 2:15.72
Even with 1.5 years of club swimming still to go before arriving in Ann Arbor, Tuttle will add valuable depth to the Wolverines’ breast and sprint group. She would’ve scored in the C-final of the 100 breast at the 2019 Big Ten Championships where Michigan finished second overall in the team standings.
If you have a commitment to share, please send a photo and quote via email to hs@swimmingworld.com.
Erin
I may be the last to notice ….
How unusual is it that two fine young female swimmers of similar age are named Tuttle and Tuggle and beyond that have exactly the same beautiful first name, Claire? ( I may be a bit biased as I have a daughter whose middle name is Claire!) Maybe we can see both Claire Ts on the same Americanrelay in Paris-2024. Or, alternatively, simply the same Olympic team, if Tuttle instead makes US Water Polo squad! What a fun world!
Good luck to both Claire T in Ann Arbor and Claire T in Clovis (and whatever college she eventually chooses)! Tuggle may be a bit ahead of Tuttle as a swimmer at this stage, but the latter has clearly put herself in the “big pond” by choosing Michigan, where she will be exposed to fine B1G level competition, which has produced multiple Olympians, and great coaching from Mike Bottom and his staff.
I may be the last to notice ….
How unusual is it that two fine young female swimmers of similar age are named Tuttle and Tuggle and beyond that have exactly the same beautiful first name, Claire? ( I may be a bit biased as I have a daughter whose middle name is Claire!) Maybe we can see both Claire Ts on the same American relay in Paris-2024. Or, alternatively, simply the same Olympic team, if Tuttle instead makes US Water Polo squad! What a fun world!
Good luck to both Claire T in Ann Arbor and Claire T in Clovis (and whatever college she eventually chooses)! Tuggle may be a bit ahead of Tuttle as a swimmer at this stage, but the latter has clearly put herself in the “big pond” by choosing Michigan, where she will be exposed to fine B1G level competition, which has produced multiple Olympians, and great coaching from Mike Bottom and his staff.