UVA Welcomes World Junior Record Holder Peter Smith from South Africa to the Class of 2025!

Admin

UVA Welcomes World Junior Record Holder Peter Smith from South Africa to the Class of 2025!

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps supports SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel. Swimming in college is a dream for many athletes, and Fitter and Faster celebrates their hard work and those who helped them along the way.

Peter Smith is set to join the University of Virginia’s impressive recruiting class of 2025. This addition boosts the team’s strength in breaststroke. Smith hails from South Africa and holds the World Junior Record in the 50m breaststroke (SCM).

This year, UVA focused on adding breaststroke talent to their roster. Finnish swimmer Davin Lindholm also joined, and now with Smith’s sprint prowess, the team is looking well-rounded.

Smith’s standout moment of 2024 came at the Short Course World Championships, where he broke the World Junior Record in the semifinals with a time of 25.66 seconds. He finished eighth in the final with a time of 25.77 seconds. Additionally, he improved his 100m breaststroke, breaking 58 seconds for the first time and finishing 14th overall at 57.11 seconds. In a relay, he also clocked a personal best in the 50m freestyle (21.80 seconds), even though it won’t count officially.

His converted times show impressive potential for college competition:

  • 50m breast – 25.66 → 23.11
  • 100m breast – 57.11 → 51.45
  • 200m breast – 2:13.91 → 2:00.63
  • 50m free – 21.80 → 19.63

UVA competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference. While the men’s team has previously lagged behind the women’s, the new recruits, including Smith and Lindholm, will certainly boost their chances in the upcoming seasons. Smith’s strong times in the 100 breast would have placed him in the A final at the 2024 ACCs, and his mixed relay performance shows promise for the 50 free as well.

Along with Smith and Lindholm, UVA is adding five top recruits for the Class of 2025: #1 Thomas Heilman, #2 Maximus Williamson, #4 Nathan Szobata, #9 Thomas Mercer, and #13 Blake Amlicke.

To report a commitment, email us with a photo and a quote at [email protected].



Source link

Blake Amlicke,Davin Lindholm,Maximus Williamson,Nathan Szobata,Peter Smith,Thomas Heilman,Thomas Mercer