North Carolina State Champ Grace Rainey Verbally Commits to Florida for 2023
NEW COMMIT: The University of Florida has landed another big verbal commitment for the 2023-24 season and beyond, this time from Olympic Trials qualifier Grace Rainey of Davidson, North Carolina.
She will join JoJo Ramey and Michaela Mattes in Gainesville as a member of the Gators’ Class of 2027.
Regarding her commitment, she said:
“I am honored and blessed to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at The University of Florida. Thank you to all my amazing family, coaches and friends for their endless support. GO GATORS!!”
Rainey, who does her club swimming with SwimMAC Carolina, raced both breaststroke events at Wave II of Olympic Trials in June before going on to fourth in the 200m breast and seventh in the 100m breast at the Speedo Summer East Championships.
Last short course season, she won both breaststroke events as well as the 200 IM at the 18&U Winter Championships – North Carolina. She also swept the breaststroke races at Cary Sectionals.
Her best times include:
- 200 breast – 2:10.25
- 100 breast – 1:00.58
- 400 IM – 4:16.99
- 200 IM – 2:00.98
Currently a junior at William Amos Hough High School, Rainey is already a three-time individual North Carolina 4A State Championship finalist. She earned gold in the 100 breast and bronze in the 200 IM as a sophomore while taking first in the former event during her freshman season.
She has also earned both NISCA and USA Swimming Scholastic All-American honors.
Even with just under two years to go before arriving in Gainesville, Rainey’s top times in the 100/200 breast are already fast enough to score in the B-final at the 2021 SEC Championships where the Gators were the runners-up behind Kentucky.
If you have a commitment to share, please send a photo and quote via email to hs@swimmingworld.com.