EVANSVILLE, Indiana, September 14. NEWBURGH Sea Creatures’ Lilly King, one of the top breaststrokers in the Class of 2015, has elected to stay in-state for college as she’s committed to the Indiana Hoosiers.
King is ranked 45th in the Class of 2015 by CollegeSwimming.com and is the fourth-best recruit in the State of Indiana. That’s big news for Indiana and head coach Ray Looze, as he’s typically had a tough time keeping some of the top-ranked talent in the state home, as they usually have gone to green pastures and warmer climates of the Pacific 12 and the Southeastern Conference. Keeping someone like King, who preps at Evansville F.J. Reitz High home does wonders for a Hoosier athletics department that has really put a premium on keeping homegrown talent home in the past few years.
King is an impact recruit in the water as well with some serious breaststroke ability. She is one of a handful of high school girls to ever break 1:00 in the 100-yard breaststroke with a top time of 59.67 from the 2013 Winter Junior Nationals. She also has a scorching 2:11.17 to her credit in the 200-yard breaststroke from that meet as well.
King is one of the Team USA members coming off a Junior Pan Pacific trip to Maui, where she popped a 1:07.98 in the 100-meter breaststroke and 2:29.83 in the 200-meter breaststroke for her top swims in those events.
King also has learned to translate her stellar breaststroke into some IM ability. She holds a 2:01.00 in the 200-yard IM and a 2:19.41 in the 200-meter IM as her best times in those events. Additionally, she should provide some serious speed in the 200 medley relays at the NCAA level as her highest-ranked time ever is a 31.18 in the 50-meter breaststroke from this summer’s nationals’ That’s nearly a top 20 time in the world.
