NEW COMMITS: The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill has secured a pair of verbal commitments for the 2021-22 season and beyond from South African twin sisters Georgia Nel and Olivia Nel. Both swimmers do their club swimming with Western Cape Aquatics.
GEORGIA NEL
Georgia recently had a great showing at the South African SCM Championships where she earned silver in the 100m free, bronze in the 50m/200m free, and recorded two additional top-8 finishes. She finished eighth in the 100m free at the South African National Aquatic Championships in April and collected three bronze medals at the South African Junior National Championships in March. She was also selected to the South African Senior Youth Squad.
In SCM, her best times include:
- 50m free – 26.26
- 100m free – 56.78 SCM
- 200m free – 2:02.91
- 400m free – 4:23.50
- 100m back – 1:03.69
- 200m IM – 2:19.69
In SCY, those times convert to:
- 50 free – 23.65
- 100 free – 51.15
- 200 free – 1:50.72
- 500 free – 5:01.14
- 100 back – 57.37
- 200 IM – 2:05.84
OLIVIA NEL
Olivia won the 50m back at the South African National Aquatic Championships last April where she also earned bronze in the 50m free and 100m back as well as placed fifth in the 100m free. She was a three-time champion at the South African Junior National Championships in March and also won the 50m back at the Grand Prix Invitational last winter. She was also selected to represent Team South Africa at the 7th FINA World Junior Championships in Budapest, but she had to withdraw due to an ankle injury.
In LCM, her best times include:
- 50m free – 26.01
- 100m free – 56.88
- 50m back – 29.36
- 100m back – 1:03.63
- 50m fly – 28.11
In SCY, those times convert to:
- 50 free – 22.71
- 100 free – 49.80
- 50 back – 25.90
- 100 back – 56.24
- 50 fly – 24.69
Their mother, Annette Cowley, was a sprinter at Texas and was part of the four-time National Championship teams from 1985-88.
If you have a commitment to share, please send a photo and quote via email to hs@swimmingworld.com.
