Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Morgan Knox has verbally committed to the admission process* at the University of Pennsylvania for 2026-27. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am SO excited to announce my verbal commitment to the admissions process to further my academic and athletic careers at the University of Pennsylvania!! I’m extremely grateful for my family (especially my parents) and friends who have supported me along the way, and Coach Dave who constantly pushes me to be my best. I would like to give a huge thank you to Coach Mike and the rest of the Penn coaching staff for this incredible opportunity. GO QUAKERS!!
A senior at Marvin Ridge High School in Waxhaw, North Carolina, Knox has competed for her school’s varsity swimming and diving team all four years. She also trains year-round with Mecklenburg Swim Association, where she specializes in breaststroke.
Knox has dropped time in both breaststroke events each season throughout her career, most recently improving by 1.48 seconds in the 100 breast and 7.15 seconds in the 200 breast during the 2024-25 season. Her personal bests come from club meets—she set her 200 breast best of 2:20.27 at the North Carolina Senior Championships last February, while her 100 breast best of 1:02.28 came at the SwimAtlanta Best of the South meet in March.
Knox most recently competed at December’s Winter Juniors East, her first time swimming at the meet, finishing 29th in the 100 breast (1:03.07) and 62nd in the 200 breast (2:21.13).
At the high school level, Knox placed 20th in the 100 breast as a freshman and 16th (1:05.13) as a junior at the 4A North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Championships. She did not swim at the meet as a sophomore and typically doesn’t fully taper for high school competition, focusing her training on club meets.
Knox could benefit from developing a third event for the collegiate level, with the 50 free (24.65) and 200 IM (2:13.15) as potential options, though she hasn’t raced either at a championship meet.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 Breaststroke: 1:02.28
- 200 Breaststroke: 2:20.47
Penn, a Division I swimming program competing in the Ivy League, is led by head coach Mike Schnur, who is entering his 18th year at the helm. The women finished fifth out of seven teams at 2025 conference championships.
Based on the results from the 2025 Ivy League Championships, Knox would have landed in the ‘B’ final in the 100 breast and the ‘C’ final in the 200 breast, setting her up to be a strong contributor right from the start. Her PB in the 100 breast is notably just two hundredths shy of what it took to make the championship final.
On the team’s 2024-25 depth chart, Knox would have ranked third in the 100 breast and fifth in the 200 breast. However, with Penn graduating key breaststrokers after this season, Knox is positioned to move up. She would rank second in the 100 breast on next year’s returning roster behind junior Kate Handley (1:01.56), giving the two one year to train together.
Knox won’t be shouldering the rebuilding effort alone, as Penn has assembled a strong breaststroke-heavy recruiting class. She’ll be joined by fellow breaststrokers Sophia Gao (1:03.8/2:15.8), Hailey Preuss (1:02.9/2:16.5), and Katelynn Zhou (1:02.8/2:16.4), giving Penn a strong foundation to reload in the event and create strong depth for the medley relay spots. The class also includes middle-distance freestyler Allison Liu.
*Note: A verbal commitment between an Ivy League coach and a prospective student-athlete is not an offer of admission, as only the Admission Office has that authority. The coach can only commit his or her support in the admission process. Ivy League Admission Offices do not issue “Likely Letters” before October 1 of the prospective student-athlete’s senior year of high school. The Likely Letter, while issued after an initial read of the student’s application, is not an offer of admission to the university.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
FFT SOCIAL
Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
