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Guayana’s Raekwon Noel has announced his verbal commitment to Indiana University, beginning with the 2024-2025 season. Noel moved to New Jersey in 2021, where he attends Highland Regional High School and trains with the South Jersey Aquatic Club.
Noel owns ten Guyanese long course records in swimming. In addition to the recent CARIFTA Championship, he’s represented Guyana internationally at the 2022 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships and the 2021 Short Course World Championships.
At the CARIFTA Championship (LCM), Noel captured five individual victories. He won the 400m free (4:03.57), 800m free (8:29.52), 1500m free (16:17.92), 200m fly (2:05.85), and 400m IM (4:42.51). Four of his swims improved on his own Guyanese records he had set two months prior at the Republic Anniversary Swim Meet.
Noel has also had a successful short course season, capping it off at the Middle Atlantic Senior Championships in February. He finished 4th in the 200 fly (1:48.76), 100 fly (48.99), 500 (4:30.83), and 200 free (1:41.23), as well as 5th in the 1650 (15:51.50) and 7th in the 100 back (51.03).
Over the course of the past short course season, Noel’s 500 free improved by nearly seven seconds, while his 200 free has dropped by almost four seconds.
Top SCY Times:
- 200 free – 1:39.93
- 500 free – 4:30.83
- 1650 free – 15:51.50
- 100 back – 50.04
- 200 back – 1:50.79
- 100 fly – 48.99
- 200 fly – 1:48.23
The Hoosiers recently won their 2nd-straight Big Ten title and finished 4th at the 2023 NCAA Division I Championships. With his current short course times, Noel already projects to score for Indiana at Big Tens in the 100 fly, 200 fly, and 1650.
Senior Brendan Burns was the team’s top performer in the 200 fly this season. He took 2nd in the event at NCAAs at 1:38.97, while junior Tomer Frankel took 5th (1:40.34). On the distance freestyle side, senior Mikey Calvillo and junior Warren Briggs were the top swimmers in the 1650, clocking season best times of 14:53.70 and 14:56.97, respectively.
Noel joins Missouri native Ian Everett in the Hoosiers’ class of 2028. Everett is a sprinter, owning best times of 21.15/45.56/1:38.79 in the 50/100/200 free.
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WU TANG WU TANG
OMG! This is glorious…like manna from heaven! I haven’t updated my Indiana poem to include this year’s Olympic results, yet. But God bless Raekwon, God bless the Indiana Hoosiers and God Bless my friend, my mentor and my spiritual advisor, GOAT Coach Ray Looze! Today is a happy day and I will celebrate with beer and Stromboli’s at Nicks tonight while wearing my Ray Looze “Hall of Fame Coach” t-shirt. May all of my friends and detractors experience the joy I have at this moment for my Indiana Hoosiers!
-Guerra probably
Do you REALLY know who this man is? The swim community does! His reputation does perceive him BUT not in a good way.
What is looze’s reputation?
Not going down that rabbit hole. Many people (past and present) including coaches, staff members like trainers, interns, director of operations, even some of his swimmers (especially those on the women’s team) and the list goes on know exactly what I’m referring.
You probably didn’t know that several swimmers have left the program in the past 4 years. This wasn’t because of graduation.