Kylie Stewart, who we have ranked as our #3 recruit in the class of 2014, has verbally committed to the defending NCAA Champions the University of Georgia.
Stewart, among numerous accomplishments, is the 200 meter backstroke Junior World Champion of 2013, when she upended heavy favorite from Russia Daria Ustinova in the final.
The Dynamo Swim Club senior can swim just about anything on the collegiate schedule. In yards, she’s been 22.88/48.98/1:45.26/4:43.96 in the 50-500 yard freestyles: which happen to be Georgia’s specialty events.
She also, obviously as a Junior World Champion, is the top 200 yard backstroker in the class, with a best of 1:50.66 that would have ranked her 3rd at last year’s NCAA Championship meet. There are other more comparable 100 yard backstrokers, but her 52.15 should put her in tandem with current UGA freshman Olivia Smoliga as the best 1-2 backstroke punch in the country east of Berkeley, California.
If needed, Stewart also goes 54.0/1:58.8 in the 100 and 200 yard butterflies, plus 1:58.0/4:09.1 in the 200/400 yard IM’s. She won’t likely be needed a whole lot in those fly races, with Megan Kingsley and Stephanie Peters both in the Bulldogs’ class of 2014 as well.
Georgia is the defending NCAA Champions, but with the graduation of Megan Romano and Allison Schmitt, they will be a very different-looking team in the 2013-2014 season. They still, however, return Olympian and World Championship team member Shannon Vreeland as the focal point of their team.
Not a surprising choice from Miss Stewart.
Georgia responds to Cal and Stanford!
But there’s still a big question.
Which team will hit the jackpot with Simone Manuel?
Great news for UGA!!! Agree with everything you said JS. Meaghan would be a great addition to Kylie, Megan and Stephanie. Thank you Kylie…. we Dawgs love you!!! Woof! Woof! Woof!
Great choice for her. Her 500/200 free and 200 back will do this team wonders. She could possibly be on all 5 relays too; but for sure the freestyle ones due to miss smoliga. Can’t wait for those two to push eachother at practice; the next generation of American backstrokers. Meaghan raab would be a great compliment to this class and would do wonders in the bulldog environment.
Up next: Gunnar bentz to Georgia. Would instate swimmers be comsidered #purebreddawgs? 😛