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The Swimming World August 2021 Issue Presents
The Top High School Recruits
By Chandler Brandes
Swimming World takes a look at the swimmers it considers to be the 10 best high school recruits—both male and female—from the Class of 2021 and where they’ll be attending college in the fall. (The number following each school’s name indicates this year’s NCAA finish.)
GIRLS
VIRGINIA (#1)
For what the Class of 2021 lacks in breaststroke capabilities, it sure makes up for it in sprint freestyle, with none other than Gretchen Walsh leading the charge! Based on her best times, she could have scored 46 individual points at this season’s NCAA Championships last March—and we could write a novel on the relay value she brings.
While Virginia may only have one recruit on this list, there is no shortage of talent as the program is on pace to have another standout season after clinching its first-ever NCAA title in 2021. The rise of the Cavaliers’ program proved there is something special going on in Charlottesville, and Walsh will aid in their continued prominence on the national stage.
NC STATE (#2)
If you have not heard of Grace Sheble, make sure to listen up. Last year’s national runner-up North Carolina State landed a big one in Sheble as the Wolfpack will aim to fight for that No. 1 spot in the future. Despite modest improvements as of late, the best 400 IMer and 200 butterflyer in this year’s class is already a threat at both the conference and national stage. Better yet, she is as versatile as any elite-level 400 IMer is, with a solid 200 freestyle that just might find a spot on a Wolfpack relay one day.
MICHIGAN (#6)
Lindsay Flynn is a straight-forward sprinter who can also piece together a decent 100 butterfly, but perhaps that is just what Michigan needs as Maggie MacNeil enters her senior season. Although Flynn lacks versatility compared to the other sprint freestylers in her class, what she does, she does well—really, really well. Her speed already puts her in position to score at the NCAA Championships, and she has the very real potential to be an immediate weapon on four of the Wolverines’ relays right from the get-go.
BOYS
TEXAS (#1)
The future of the Longhorns’ program still looks bright—especially since Eddie Reese, who indicated in March he would retire following the Tokyo Olympics, announced in July that he will remain as head coach. Austin, home of this year’s national champions, will soon welcome two of the top recruits and most versatile talents from the Class of 2021: Tim Connery and Anthony Grimm.
Although both swimmers are just on the outskirt of scoring range at the NCAA level right now, they each boast some of the top times in various events in their class. Both also come with strong relay potential, with Grimm likely focusing more on the sprint and medley relays and Connery a strong candidate to carry on Texas’ long-standing 200 free dominance.
It is unclear what events these jack-of-all-trades will focus on once they get to college, but it’s certainly a “problem” the Longhorns know how to figure out. No matter what is on the lineup for Connery and Grimm over the next four years, all disciplines and distances at Texas just got that much deeper.
CAL (#2)
The Cal-Texas showdown is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, as the Golden Bears also have two swimmers in Jack Alexy and Trent Frandson cracking the top-10. Similar to the Longhorns, both incoming freshmen would not have scored at last year’s NCAA Championships, but each has incredible range across all freestyle events.
Alexy, who recently made waves for breaking Caeleb Dressel’s national age group record in the 100 meter freestyle at Olympic Trials, has truly exploded onto the scene throughout his high school career. Frandson’s sweet spot seems to be in the 200-500 combo, while he can also extend his speed to the mile.
While the two are not necessarily versatile outside of freestyle, both will be major contributors on all relays and be immediate point scorers at the conference level. Cal could not have landed a better duo in Alexy and Frandson as the 2021 national runners-up look to rebuild their freestyle squad.
INDIANA (#6)
The Hoosiers landed a huge commitment in Josh Matheny, the best breaststroker in his class who would have scored 20 points at this year’s NCAAs. He will arrive in Bloomington with an impressive international résumé as well, winning the 200 meter breaststroke and earning silver in the 100 breast at the FINA World Junior Championships in 2019. Indiana certainly knows how to develop breaststroke talent—think Ian Finnerty and Cody Miller—and although Matheny has some work to do to nail down his third event, his elite-level prowess will be a threat at the conference and national level.
Chandler Brandes earned her bachelor’s degree in communication with a double minor in coaching and sport management in 2019 from the University of Vermont, where she also swam for the Catamounts. She received her master’s degree in sport administration from the University of Louisville in 2021 and has served as Swimming World’s high school content manager since 2018. A native of Burlington, Vt., she is currently the athletic communications assistant at the University of Kentucky.
[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK]
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SWIMMING WORLD AUGUST 2021 FEATURES
012 | READY FOR A NEW CHALLENGE
by David Rieder
Torri Huske finished her high school career by setting national high school records in the 100 yard fly and 200 IM and by being named Swimming World’s Female High School Swimmer of the Year for the second time (2019, 2021). The 18-year-old senior from Yorktown High School (Arlington, Va.) will be moving on to Stanford in the fall, but first, she set an American record in the 100 meter fly at U.S. Trials that earned her a trip to Tokyo to compete in her first Olympics.
014 | TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
by Dan D’Addona
Everything appears to be OK for Norman North (Okla.) High School senior Aiden Hayes. He set two national high school records (100 fly and 50 free) this past season. He competed and gained experience at the U.S. Olympic Trials as the fastest 18-year-old in the country in butterfly. And he was named Swimming World’s Male High School Swimmer of the Year.
016 | CREAM OF THE CROP
by David Rieder and Andy Ross
There were some mighty fast swimmers who finished the 2020-21 high school season right behind Swimming World’s Female and Male High School Swimmers of the Year, Torri Huske and Aiden Hayes. Of the four runners-up, two of them are underclassmen and will be returning for more fast swimming in 2021-22.
018 | TOP HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITS
by Chandler Brandes
Swimming World takes a look at the swimmers it considers to be the 10 best high school recruits—both male and female—from the Class of 2021 and where they’ll be attending college in the fall.
021 | NUTRITION: WHAT TO EAT BEFORE THE “BIG RACE”
by Dawn Weatherwax
To reach your swimming goals, it is important to know what to eat—at what times and in what amounts. It is different for everyone, but very important to master.
022 | ISHOF: THE U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS—DONNA DeVARONA AND THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SWIMMING
by Bruce Wigo
At the recent U.S. Olympic Trials, there was one moment that linked the past with the present and future of swimming like no other. It came when Donna de Varona presented Olympic qualification medals to Katie Grimes, the youngest member of the 2021 Olympic swimming team, and three-time Olympian Katie Ledecky.
025 | ONE OF THE GREATEST SPRINTERS OF ALL TIME
by John Lohn
The 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney are widely remembered for the home-nation success of Australia, which was spearheaded by teenage sensation Ian Thorpe. But the Games Down Under also served as a redemptive locale for the Netherlands’ Inge de Bruijn, who used the stage to define herself as one of the sport’s legends.
028 | MENTAL PREP: BEFORE THE BEEP WITH KATE DOUGLASS
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COACHING
030 | SPECIAL SETS: TRAINING KAYLA WILSON
by Michael J. Stott
Coach Richard Hunter of TIDE Swimming in Virginia Beach, Va. discusses goals and workouts for one of his top swimmers, Kayla Wilson, a rising senior at Norfolk Academy who recently committed to Stanford for fall 2022.
034 | SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: MAXIMIZING SWIMMING VELOCITY (Part 4)—MINIMIZING THE ARM ENTRY PHASE TIME IN BACKSTROKE AND BREASTSTROKE
by Rod Havriluk
To minimize the arm entry phase time in backstroke, a swimmer must quickly move the hand downward directly behind and below the shoulder. Minimizing the arm entry phase (glide phase) in breaststroke requires precise control of the timing between the finish of the kick and the beginning of the pull. A decrease in the non-propulsive entry phase decreases the time for a stroke cycle, increases stroke rate and increases swimming velocity.
038 | SPECIAL SETS: ENERGY SYSTEM TRAINING
by Michael J. Stott
George Heidinger, former USA Swimming National Team High Performance Consultant and owner of Pikes Peak Athletics (Colo.), specializes in long-term athlete development. As such, he is well-schooled in the science of energy systems and shares some sample sets he has given to rising high school senior Quintin McCarty and his PPA senior teammates.
040 | A COACHES’ GUIDE TO ENERGY SYSTEMS (Part 3): WHILE THEY’RE YOUNG
by Michael J. Stott
In Part 3 of our series on energy systems, two age group coaches—one from Clovis, Calif. and one from Richmond, Va.—share how they inform and guide their younger athletes through energy system training.
043 | Q&A WITH COACH NICHOLAS ASKEW
by Michael J. Stott
044 | HOW THEY TRAIN: MILES SIMON
by Michael J. Stott
TRAINING
033 | DRYSIDE TRAINING: GOLD MEDAL WORKOUT
by J.R. Rosania
JUNIOR SWIMMER
036 | GOLDMINDS: 10 GREAT REASONS TO GET BACK IN THE POOL
by Wayne Goldsmith
47 | UP & COMERS: BRIAN HAMILTON
by Shoshanna Rutemiller
COLUMNS
008 | A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
011 | DID YOU KNOW: ABOUT ETHELDA BLEIBTREY?
046 | HASTY HIGH POINTERS
048 | GUTTERTALK
049 | PARTING SHOT
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