Leah Stevens is the newest member of Stanford’s recruiting class of 2015.
The Stanford Cardinal have put a big exclamation point on an already stacked women’s recruiting class of 2015 when Leah Stevens verbally committed on Wednesday. Stevens, who trains with the Lakeside Swim Team, is ranked as the #19 swimmer in the class of 2015.
She’s another immediate impact swimmer with NCAA scoring potential already for this Stanford class. In yards, her bests are:
- 200 free – 1:47.95
- 500 free – 4:43.10
- 1650 free – 16:07.77
- 100 breast – 1:02.94
- 200 breast – 2:16.02
- 200 IM – 1:59.95
- 400 IM – 4:12.98
Stevens’ best time in the mile would’ve put her 15th at last year’s NCAA Championships meet, and her best times in several other events (500 free, 400 IM) would’ve left her just outside of the points as well.
As a member of the USA Swimming Junior National Team in the 800 free, 200 IM, and 400 IM, Stevens is a well-known quantity in the distance free and IM races. An area where she’s really underrated, though, is in her breaststroke abilities. She dropped four-and-a-half seconds in the 100 yard breast, for example, during her junior season alone. Her IM times in yards probably aren’t quite as good as what she’s shown to be capable of in meters either (2:15.26/4:46.21 in the 200 and 400 meter races, respectively).
Stevens swam on the American team at the 2014 Junior Pan Pac Championships in Hawaii this summer where she was 9th in the 200 IM, 10th in the 200 breaststroke, and was in position to medal in the 400 IM before being DQ’ed in finals (she was third-fastest and a lifetime best in prelims).
At the 2014 Kentucky High School State Championship meet, Stevens won both the 200 and 500 yard freestyles and was a part of Sacred Heart Academy’s winning 200 and 400 yard free relays.
Other top-2o recruits in Stanford’s class include #1 Katie Ledecky and #6 Ella Eastin, in addition to other highly touted swimmers like Kim Williams and Kaitlyn Albertoli.
Wow Leah, I still can’t believe this day has finally come. You’re going to college and you’re going to be swimming for one of the best schools in the nation. I am beyond proud of you and everything you do; you’ve always worked so hard and pursued your dreams. I’d be just as proud of you if you were ranked #145. I love you and I just know you’ll be an amazing Stanford Card.
Leah is #1 in all things!!
I agree that Leah should have been ranked higher, I have met her and she is a very amazing young lady. Congrats Leah, you have an amazing future ahead of you and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for the next 4 years!!
I am so proud of Leah, she is an amazing swimmer as well as a human being, very intelligent. She is my granddaughter and I couldn’t be prouder!!
I have looked up to Leah ever since she came to talk to my team 3 years ago, her cousin Pasty is one of mine coached, she is an amazing athlete and an amazing role model and one day i hope to be as successful as her.
I’m sure Leah was number one on more than one school’s list! 1 or 19, Leah is a special young lady with loads of talent. Congratulations to Leah, Sue Ellen, Greg and Tracy!
I know life is not fair, but all the top recruits can not only go to the top schools, like Stanford and Cal. There will be no way to compete against these schools now. I don’t blame the school or the swimmer . But some rules may have to change like a draft lottery , like football just to keep it competitive. Good luck to Leah though!!!
You do realize the colleges don’t draft the students, right? There’s really only one way to stop kids from going to a handful of schools- do a better job. It’s not all ‘recruiting’ and ‘collecting’ talent. These programs and coaches have made athletes better. That’s why kids want to go there.
I don’t think Bultman was getting the quality of incoming freshman 5-10 years ago at Texas A&M as he is today. Because he did a darned good job with the kids he had. And now more and better recruits want to swim for him.
These top tier kids probably have National Team aspirations. They see the coaches from these programs consistently placing athletes on the National Team, and coaching… Read more »
Best news ever today! This makes me so happy!
Best class of 2015 (by miles) got even more DOMINANT!
Welcome Leah to the family!
You’re going to enjoy championship rings for the next 4 years!
Go Stanford! Nerd Nation! Go Card! Go Leah!
One more to go!
Swimswam is a great swim site.
But I have to disagree about your no. 19 ranking for Ms Stevens.
She should be no. 1!
http://www.collegeswimming.com/swimmer/148928/
Anyway congratulations to Leah once again! So happy for you and the team!
SWIMNERD – I’ll accept an argument for higher than 19 if you can make a good one…but there’s no planet on which she’s ranked higher than Kathleen Baker, Katie Ledecky, Katie McLaughlin, etc.
You’re going to have to come up with a better justification than the collegeswimming.com rankings to convince me.
Swimnerd is a willful provocateur. I suggest that we not take the bait.
Just a slight correction: Leah Stevens is on the right and Kim Williams is on the left. Congrats Leah! Go Card!
So many of the top programs are going to be scary in the years to come. Can’t wait for NCAA’s.