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High school junior Ella Mongenel has made a verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Texas beginning in the 2025-26 school year. She wrote:
“It is with great enthusiasm and gratitude to announce my verbal commitment to further my academic and athletic career at the University of Texas! This is an exciting next step in my journey that would not have been possible without the guidance and support of my family, coaches, teammates, and friends. I would also like to thank the UT coaching staff for this amazing opportunity to be a Longhorn! HOOK ‘EM Horns & Let’s Go 🤘🧡🤍!!!”
Mongenel swims for Cedar Park High School and the club team Nitro Swimming. We named her to the “Best of the Rest” section of our Way Too Early list of top recruits from the class of 2025 for her sprint free prowess. At the 2023 Texas UIL 5A State Championships, she won the 50 free (22.90) and was runner-up in the 500 free (50.21). Two months earlier, she had competed at Winter Juniors West and gone 22.61 in the 50 free (17th place), 50.60 in the 100 free, 1:51.70 in the 200 free, and 1:03.72 in the 100 breast, all PBs at the time. She lowered her 100 free time to 49.76 at high school Regionals and at College Station Sectionals in March, she clocked new time in the 200 free (1:50.92), 100 fly (55.37), and 200 IM (2:03.27).
Also committed to the Longhorns for 2025-26 is “Honorable Mention” Avery Collins, a 1:02/2:10 breaststroker and 2:00/4:14 IMer. Mongenel will join a sprint group that has been dominated by Grace Cooper, Emma Sticklen, and Kelly Pash over the last several seasons, but there will be a changing of the guards next year as Cooper and Sticklen are seniors this year and Pash is a 5th-year.
It took 22.66/49.37 to score in the 50/100 free at the 2023 SEC Championships, and that meet didn’t yet include the Longhorns.
Beset SCY times:
- 50 free – 22.61
- 100 free – 49.76
- 200 free – 1:50.92
- 100 breast – 1:03.72
- 100 fly – 55.37
- 100 back – 57.09
- 200 IM – 2:03.27
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Congratulations, Ella!
Staying instate at a public university is always beneficial because of reduced tuition costs
Congratulations, Ella!