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Las Vegas, Nevada’s Rebecca Diaconescu, who had originally verbaled to the University of Louisville, has flipped her commitment to the University of Michigan for 2024-25.
“I am very excited to announce my commitment to continue my athletic and academic career at the University of Michigan! Thank you to my family, teammates, and coaches for their support. I would also like to thank Coach Matt, Coach Bryon, and Coach Aaron for the opportunity! GO BLUE!! 〽️”
Diaconescu represents Romania internationally, as her mother, Lorena Diaconescu, did before her. Lorena competed at both the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and the 2000 Sydney Games, and swam collegiately at UNLV. Her father, also a Romanian athlete, competed at the Sydney Olympics in the modern pentathlon event.
Diaconescu is a senior at Palo Verde High School and recently moved from the club team Team Rebel Aquatics to Sandpipers of Nevada. She specializes in freestyle and backstroke and we ranked her in the “Honorable Mention” section of our list of top 20 girls recruits from the high school class of 2024.
Swimming for Romania at the World Aquatics Junior Championships in August, Diaconescu was a semi-finalist in the 50 free (13th) and 100 free (14th); she also competed in the 50/100 back. At European Junior Championships in July, she placed 4th in the 100 free final and was a semi-finalist in the 50 free and 50 back. Last summer, she was a finalist in both the 50 back (4th) and 100 back (6th) at the 8th FINA World Junior Championships.
Diaconescu was runner-up in both the 50 free and 100 free at 2022 Winter Juniors West, and her best times remain the 22.31/48.68 she achieved in Austin. Her 200 free PB also comes from that meet. Since joining the Sandpipers this fall, she has notched PBs in the 500/1000/1650 free and 200 fly.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 free – 22.31
- 100 free – 48.68
- 200 free – 1:47.15
- 500 free – 4:50.63 4:46.19
- 1000 free – 9:47.81
- 1650 free – 16:11.31
- 100 back – 53.69
- 200 back – 1:57.82
- 100 fly – 55.99
- 200 fly – 2:05.01
She will join Abby Dunford (also an “Honorable Mention) and Sophia Jahn in Ann Arbor next fall.
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How do these flipped commits come about? Once an athlete gives a verbal committment, isn’t all communication with other coaches supposed to cease? Poaching is applauded??
No. A verbal commitment is just that. A recruit is free to talk with other programs and be recruited up until they actually sign with a program.
Until someone signs an NLI their senior year, it’s only a verbal commitment and totally open. In situations where there is a new staff you don’t know how a PSAs verbal commitment process played out. They may have chosen a school based on a coach, or liked a university but not the existing staff/culture etc. In this situation you had both situations change…Josh Huger took on a new role at Cal, and UofM got a revamped coaching staff.
Fair question. It technically does until the athlete reaches out to the coaches with renewed interest for one reason or another. In this particular case, I imagine a new staff and the longevity/clout of a Michigan degree became appealing. Happens any time a staff change occurs.
Could also be the swimmer might not have been quite fast enough for their top school and then got a little faster and the top school finally said yes. Or maybe their grades weren’t quite good enough for their top school but good grades in the first quarter of their senior year were good enough and Admissions finally gave the green light. Lots of different reasons.
Seems recruits also wanted to see the results of the Invitational before signing on the dotted line.
Good grief! these times only get you an honorable mention nowadays?
They just flipped Josie Connelly from TN too 🤔
Can SwimSwam look through history to see how many Sophomores/rising juniors switch their commits? It seems irresponsible for a head coach to accept a commit from a rising Junior. And, these kids need better guidance about making decisions with 1.5-2 years to go. Their thought process changes a great deal during these years. Plus, the coaching staff and team chemistry can change dramatically in 2 years.
“ irresponsible for a head coach to accept a commit from a rising Junior”.
While the rest of your statement may be true (needing guidance, thought process, things change, etc). What’s a coach to do, not take their verbal commitment when all the other coaches will?
Easier said than done! What are coaches supposed to do, not take a verbal commitment?
A bigger issue for me is contacting underage potential student athletes. Why does the NCAA think it’s okay for adult coaches texting and calling 15/16 year olds? Safe sport rules for USA Swimming coaches strictly forbid these contacts and the NCAA doesn’t acknowledge that it’s a problem.
The rule should work the opposite way. Club coaches should be able to have easy, fair conversations with their current athletes. College coaches have no business texting a 15/16 yr old, agreed.
Hey Old Swim Coach,
I know it is easier said than done – that does not mean the coach should encourage the athlete. A good coach is far better off refusing a commit than having to deal with the kids who change their minds. Just one more stressor during an already stressful time. The coach should simply say “We are thrilled that you think you want to swim at XXXX, but now is not the time to commit. If you feel the same way in a year, we will welcome you then. For now though, enjoy your HS years.”
Completely agree that contact with 15/16 yr olds is a bad idea. As a club coach, I saw the “starry”… Read more »
The swimmers in the top tier do not have that luxury. They get calls, texts, home visits, and friends of programs contacting them all the time. The problem with your approach for these PSA’s is that the recruiting process does take a great deal of time away from their “normal” life of school, training, family, social activities, etc. It can be exhausting and I bet more times than not they are just happy to be finished with the process so everyone can leave them alone. I have seen the most grounded kids get worn down through it all.
Can a teenager change their mind on where they want to go? Absolutely. However, I’d like to compare that percentage with… Read more »
Nice flip for the Blue! Bowe is wasting not time bringing them back to prominence 💪
It’s GREAT to be a Michigan Wolverine! Coach Bowe and crew coming quick for the B1G.