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Rachel Rymer, who is currently a senior at Strongsville High School and swimming for SwimStrongsville in Strongsville, Ohio, has given a verbal commitment to the Redbirds of Illinois State for the 2016-17 season.
“I chose Illinois State because of the academics offered and also because the team truly felt like a family. The girls all seem to like the new coaches Scott Cameron and Paige Conrad, they seem really interested in making the team better and definitely want to bring swimmers to NCAAs this year and hopefully to trials in 2020. Moving right before my senior year of high school and switching swim teams because my dad is in the military posed some challenges. It’s all been very chaotic, but ISU admissions and coaches have been very understanding. I really look forward to being a Redbird next year and swimming fast!!”
Rymer came to Strongsville from Yorktown, Virginia, where she had attended Grafton High School and swum for Coast Guard Blue Dolphins. At the Virginia 4A High School Championships in February, 2015, Rymer finished second in the 500 free and fifth in the 100 fly, in addition to swimming on the Grafton 200 free and medley relays. The previous year she had been third in both the 200 free and 100 fly, and had been on Grafton’s winning 200 medley relay and runner-up 400 free relay.
Despite the disruption of her family’s moves, Rymer has managed to achieve nearly all of her top times over the season. Her best short-course yards times are:
- 100 fly – 57.39
- 200 fly – 2:08.71
- 50 free – 25.42
- 100 free – 54.41
- 200 free – 1:55.43
- 500 free – 5:13.37
Rymer’s 100 fly would have made the “A” final at the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Championships; her 200 fly would have been a “B” final qualifier. This is good news for the Redbirds, who have lost their top butterfly scorers from last year’s conference meet.
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