#13 JD Thumann Hands Cal Their 5th Top-15 Verbal Commitment for 2026

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JD Thumann from Norman, Oklahoma, has made a verbal commitment to the University of California, Berkeley’s class of 2030, giving the Golden Bears their 5th ranked swimmer for the 2026-27 school year.

“I am excited to announce I will be jumping in to the next chapter of my academic and athletic career at the University of California, Berkeley! I want to thank my tremendous support system, to include my family and my coaches, specifically Kent Nicholson, Hogan Thomas, Ben Hayes, and Jack Carter, for their unwavering support over the past 10 years. None of this would be possible without you all. Also, I want to extend my gratitude to a few special teammates. @jonathantang123, your mentorship means the world to me. @hay.its.aiden, I’ll always be chasing the bar you set! I am beyond grateful to the Cal coaches for this incredible opportunity, and I can’t wait to be a part of the 🐻 family! LET’S GO!!!”

A junior at Norman High School, Thumann is undefeated in high school swimming at the OSSAA 6A State Championships. He won the 200 free (1:40.70) and 100 fly (49.55) as a freshman at the 2023 state meet, clocking PBs in the 200 free, 50 back (23.79 relay leadoff), and 100 fly. This past season, he won the 50 free (20.15) and 100 fly (47.86), both with lifetime bests.

Thumann does his year-round swimming with Sooner Swim Club. He is a Summer Nationals qualifier in the 50 free and 100 fly, and a U.S. Open qualifier in the 100 free, 100/200 back, and 200 fly. At Winter Juniors West last December, he competed in the 50 free, 100/200 back, and 100/200 fly, leaving the meet with PBs in all five events. Three months later, just after high school season, he won the 50/100 back, 200 fly, and 200 IM at the Oklahoma LSC Senior State Championships. He also placed 2nd in the 100 breast and 3rd in the 500 free, and improved his lifetime bests in the 500 free (4:41.04), 50 back (22.88), 100 breast (58.28), 200 fly (1:47.34), and 200 IM (1:50.14).

He had an outstanding long course season, beginning in March at Columbia Sectionals where he won the 50 free (23.13), 100 free (51.44), 100 back (57.16), and 100 fly (54.26). He also placed 4th in the 50 fly (24.84) and 200 fly (2:06.44), and earned PBs in the 50/100 free and 50/100 back. At the July Sectionals meet, also in Columbia, he improved his 100 back time by .4 (56.78) and swam best times in the 200 back (2:06.28) and 200 fly (2:02.67). Thumann wrapped up his summer in Irvine, where he clocked 3 more PBs: 50 free (22.82), 100 free (50.80), and 100 fly (53.65).

The Cal Bears’ class of 2030 is shaping up to be formidable, with verbal commitments to date from #1 Baylor Stanton, #6 Tim Wu, #10 Albert Smelzer, #13 Thumann, and #15 Aiden Hammer. Stanton is #1 in the 100/200 back and 200/400 IM; Wu is 2nd in the 100 fly and 200 IM, 3rd in the 400 IM, and 4th in the 200 free; Smeltzer is only one of 2 swimmers in the class with sub-19 50 and sub-43 in the 50/100 free; Thumann brings the cohort’s 4th-fastest times in the 50 free and 100 fly and the 8th-fastest time in the 200 fly; and Hammer is the 3rd-fastest mid-distance and distance freestyler.

Best SCY times:

• 50 free – 20.15
• 100 free – 45.21
• 100 fly – 47.86
• 200 fly – 1:47.34
• 100 back – 49.06
• 200 back – 1:48.20

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