Brendan Feehery from Jesuit College Prep in Dallas, Texas has verbally committed to the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Feehery says that a personal connection to UNC head coach Rich DeSelm is what first got him interested in the school. Specifically, Feehery is the nephew of 1996 Olympic gold medalist Brad Bridgewater.
Feehery tells the story: “Coach DeSelm was the team manager and coach on a few of (my uncle’s) national teams. One of the big reasons I reached out to UNC was because of all the good things my uncle had to say about Rich (DeSelm).”
Like his uncle, Feehery is primarily (though not exclusively) a backstroke. Feehery’s best times in yards:
- 50 free – 23.04
- 100 free – 45.87
- 200 free – 1:42.15
- 100 back – 49.81
- 200 back – 1:46.04
- 100 breast – 56.52
- 200 IM – 1:47.60
- 400 IM – 3:54.09
This is a very important addition for the Tar Heels, who in the 2015-2016 season will have an incredibly deep backstroke group, but in the season after, when Feehery arrives, will be looking to rebuild that group.
North Carolina had 7 swimmers race a 100 yard backstroke last season. Of those 7, 2 were seniors, 4 were juniors, and one was a sophomore. Rolling that forward to the fall of 2016, only one (Patrick Riess – 49.4) will be back from a group that went 45.9 (Sam Lewis), 46.1 (Nic Graesser), 46.4 (Ben Colley) at the top last season – all three times from juniors. A similar setting exists in the 200 backstroke, where the team’s best Patrick Myers graduated after last year, and their former #2 Nic Graesser is a senior this year.
Feehery’s Jesuit Prep school is the same school that produced former Stanford All-American backstroker Matt Thompson, though Feehery trains with a different club team – the Lakeside Aquatic Club.
While Feehery is primarily a backstroker (the 100 back is his one Olympic Trials cut), he showed his versatility in February at the Texas High School State Championship meet. He won the 6A (big school) state championship in the 200 IM and was 4th in the 100 breaststroke.
Very cool!! Brendan comes from a great family and he’s going to a great college family led by a super guy, Coach DeSelm. All the best!!
…but how’s their basketball team?
Congratulations to both the Tar Heels and Brendan! Great school, great kid.
What’s poor about him?
thats a good pickup for unc. Chapel hill is a great place and Brendan should swim well there
poor kid…
Why poor kid? He will be attending a world class institution and will graduate with a degree that will secure him a fine job. As far as I know UNC also has top tier athletic facilites and a strong support staff. I’m confident he will excel as a swimmer and also beyond in life.