Cal sophomore Sophia Batchelor’s absence from the Queen of the Pool meet on Friday did not go unnoticed, and as it turns out, the New Zealand-based swimmer is seeking a transfer.
In her first season in the NCAA, Batchelor earned Honorable Mention All-America status by finishing 16th in the women’s 100 fly. She ultimately was the 22nd-fastest 100 yard butterflier in the country last season. She also wound up 21st in the 200 back and 17th in the 200 fly, meaning that at her next NCAA Championship meet, she’ll likely be a three-event scorer if all goes well.
She also swam in the preliminary heats of Cal’s 400 medley relay, splitting a 51.62 on the fly leg. That was the third-fastest split of the field in prelims, and the fastest among relays that qualified for the A-Final. She was swapped out for Rachel Bootsma in finals, who went .03 seconds faster.
Internationally, New Zealand has high hopes for Batchelor’s future. She missed their 2012 Olympic Team by .01 seconds (though that was by New Zealand’s standards – per the IOC, she earned a spot). This summer she swam to a bronze medal in the 50 fly at the Oceania Games representing New Zealand, but missed out on the country’s two major meets: the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pac Championships.
Batchelor took one trip to Auburn last weekend, several sources have confirmed. We were unable to track down information on other possible landing spots, and both Batchelor and the Cal swimming program have not responded to messages for comment.
she ended up in florida
Does anyone know where sophia is going?
The Kiwi at Florida dropped several seconds from his best 200 back this summer. They also had an Australian girl go 51.13 in the 100 fly last year. I hope she visits UF as Commonwealth athletes have done very well there.
There are 2 kiwis & one Australian at Auburn & another 2 Australians at Alabama with shared histories. So far no female has combined NCAA & national L/C for Australia because the comp is too tough ( & probably not NZ ) & the timing is wrong.
it is a pretty long stint with no home recognition ( no one cares) & I imagine quite lonely at times.
Good luck to you Sophia. Enjoyed watching you swim in Berkeley last season and hope you find the school that meets your educational and swimming goals.
Thank you for your contribution last year Sophia. Nothing but the best. Go Bears!
best of luck to sophia!