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Nicole Zettel from Holly Springs, North Carolina, has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Tennessee for 2025-26.
“I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Tennessee! A big thank you to all my teammates, friends, coaches and family for being so supportive! Another big thank you to all of the amazing people I have met throughout this process. I can’t wait to join such a supportive team with amazing coaches! Go Vols!!🧡🤍”
Zettel, the #15-ranked recruit on our Way Too Early list of top girls from the class of 2025, is the second sister to commit to an NCAA swimming and diving program. She will likely avoid competing against her older sister, Brooke Zettel, in part because Brooke swims for Virginia Tech in the ACC and in part because Brooke is currently a junior in college. Nicole, meanwhile, is a junior in high school. She attends Apex Friendship High School and swims year-round for TAC Titans.
Zettel won the 500 free (by 2 body lengths) and placed 3rd in the 200 IM at the 2023 NCHSAA 4A State Championships, earning a PB in the 200 IM with 1:59.46. A month later she competed at Cary Sectionals and tore up the pool with PBs in the 200/500 free, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM. She won the 500 free, 200 fly, and both IM events.
In long course season this past summer, she picked up new times in the 200 fly (2:17.89) and 400 free (4:22.21), but most of her best LCM performances come from 2022 Sectionals and Futures, where she went times of 2:03.82 in the 200 free, 2:16.77/4:49.95 in the 200/400 IM, and 1:02.59 in the 100 fly.
Zettel will be an immediate-impact player when she arrives in Knoxville in the fall of 2025. Her best times would already score in the B finals of the 200 fly and 400 IM and the C final of the 200 IM at SEC Championships. She will join Avery Luedke and Lilly Robertson in the Vols’ class of 2029.
Best SCY times:
- 400 IM – 4:11.10
- 200 IM – 1:59.27
- 500 free – 4:46.58
- 200 free – 1:47.80
- 100 free – 50.95
- 100 fly – 54.25
- 200 fly – 1:58.26
- 100 back – 55.87
- 200 back – 1:59.24
- 1650 free – 16:48.67
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I would have thought Florida.
Huge pickup!! Solid class to date. Felt like Hueger would always add some international studs to cap things off. Hope that trend continues with him in Berkeley!
What about Meredith Whelehan
Yup…. They missed mere in this write up. Good catch
They haven’t posted her story here yet. Feel like they’re usually a week or two behind unless it’s a big dog. Zettel committed last week.
Makes sense
GBO!