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Caden Martin, until recently from Fayetteville, Arkansas, has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Virginia, giving the Cavaliers their fourth top-20 recruit from the high school class of 2026. She will join #9 Roos Rottink, #17 Molly Workman, and #20 Alyssa Sagle on the UVA women’s roster in 2026-27.
“I am SO excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Virginia! I would like to thank my family, friends, teammates, teachers, and coaches for their unwavering support. I would also like to thank the entire UVA staff for this incredible opportunity! GO HOOS! ⚔️🧡💙 #gohoos”
Martin is a pure sprinter – one of the fastest in the cohort – and we ranked her the #12 overall swimmer on our Way Too Early list of top recruits from the high school class of 2026. She spent her first two years of high school at Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and swam for Razorback Aquatic Club Aquahawgs. She swam her last meet attached to RAC at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials; as of this fall, she is attached to TAC Titans in North Carolina.
In high school swimming, Martin won both the 50 free (22.78) and 100 free (49.92) at the 2024 Arkansas 4A-1A State Championships. She’s been under 23 seconds in the 50 free 12 times, with her fastest performance coming last December at the KMSC King Marlin Pro-Am Classic. Her best100 free time dates from the Arkansas Senior State Championship in March, where she also notched a PB in the 200 free (1:51.48).
In LCM, Martin clocked lifetime bests in the 50 free (25.78) and 100 free (56.95) at Columbia Sectionals in March, before dropping another .19 in the 50 to qualify for Olympic Trials in May.
Martin ranks 2nd in the 50 free and 4th in the 100 free for the class, which will make her a huge asset to UVA relays.
Best SCY times:
- 50 free – 22.21
- 100 free – 49.22
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UVA may be dominant until 2040 at this rate
THERE IT IS!!!! WHOOOHOO CADEN! Incredible swimmer, even better person. Virginia lucked out!
go hoos!
Charlotte crush gives me nc state vibes… anyone else got any thoughts on where she may go?
Yeah, but I hope she goes to UVA. She’s a great SCY swimmer, but I can only imagine she has LCM ambitions. At NC State, she has Berkhoff as a template. At Louisville, her home town, she has Worrell as a template. I don’t see her going out West or down to Texas cause that Crush family seems pretty tight and her siblings are at NC State, Louisville, and Army. I say UVA because she’s a very strong underwater swimmer who needs a proven coach at taking that talent to the big pool, and Todd has done that better and more than anyone else lately. Will be a hard sibling rivalry if she does go to UVA though, cause she… Read more »
Nah!
It’s time for Todd DeSorbo to “tap up” (Br.) Alex Shackell, the ideal replacement for Gretchen Walsh (100 FL). Special Agents for the Empire K. Douglass, A. Walsh, G. Walsh need to convince Alex Shackell to switch to the Dark Side at the 2024 Short Course World Championships. In addition, her brother Aaron no longer swims at Cal, a logical justification to abandon ship. Besides, nothing is ever official until pen is put to paper.
Or get both. Just cause Alex Shackell would be a huge win doesn’t mean Charlotte Crush isn’t also.
Probably UVA. However, NC State is a viable option, her sister goes there. Her brother goes to Louisville, and that’s where she’s from, so that could be an option that would shake some things up.
Based on the usual clues with Virginia SD, she won’t be going there.
She’s not going to uva.
That’s what I said.
Anyway, congrats to Caden!
Interesting. I’d like to ask how you know that, but not my business. Just excited to see how it all develops.
Me too!
Stay tuned…. It’s gonna get fun 😎
itll be crazy if UVA picks her up, for recruiting purposes she’s quite possibly the best high school sophomore ever. A touch behind the recent big dog freestyle sprint recruits (Walsh, Curzan, Shackell) but considerably faster in fly and back for the most part – Curzan is the only one that got close in the 100 fly
The best high school sophomore ever? Charlotte Crush did not even qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
At the age of 16, Katie Ledecky broke the World Record (LCM) in the W 800 FR, W 1500 FR at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships. In addition, Katie Ledecky also became first female swimmer to break the 4 minute barrier in the W 400 FR wearing a textile suit. Oh, never mind leading off the W 4 x 200 FR-R outpacing Camille Muffat, Bronte Barratt, Ye Shiwen.
Charlotte Crush is not in the same league as Missy Franklin. Reference the results at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships for further details.
It’s definitely debatable, but I think we are talking mostly about SCY since that is where the points are scored in college. You are talking all LCM. Crush is the #1 in her class in something like 7 events in SCY. You can tell us, but I imagine that’s right on par with where some of the folks you mentioned were in SCY when they were sophomores.
You might not know this but NCAA swimming is actually done in SCY not LCM. Ledecky swam on 3 out of 8 possible relays in her 2 years while Crush should be a clear fit on all 4 NCAA relays right from the get go and given that Huske, Walsh, and maybe Curzan will be out before Crush even starts college, she could have a real shot at being a title contender in multiple events as a freshman
True
I would put her after Claire and Missy but before ledecky cuz of relay value and Gretchen cuz versatility of but yeah she’s definitely up there
Tennessee
Charlotte crush gives me NC state vibes.. anyone else got thoughts on where she may go?
congrats. lets continue this UVA dominance forever
YES CADEN ‼️‼️