Chloe Grimme, a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American from Land O’ Lakes, Florida, announced on social media that she has verbally committed to the University of Florida for 2020-21. Grimme is a sprint free specialist from Sunlake High School and Berkeley Aquatics. She’ll join Amanda Ray, Kenady Beil, and Madison Kolessar in the Gators’ class of 2024.
Grimme won the 50 free for the second consecutive year at the 2018 FHSAA Class 3A Championships. She went 23.04, .07 faster than her first-place finish as a sophomore in 2017. She also earned her second silver medal in the 100 free (50.43). Grimme anchored the 200 medley relay in 22.43, overcoming a 1-second deficit to tie for first place. She nearly pulled off the same feat in the 200 free relay. Sunlake was down by 2.29 seconds when she began the fourth leg. Her 22.31 final 50 free pulled them within .14 of the winning team.
In club swimming Grimme specializes in sprints. Most of her best LCM times come from 2018 Southern Zone Sectionals last March, where she won the 50 free (26.20) and earned PBs in the 100 free (57.77), 50 back, and 50 fly. Two weeks earlier she had won the 50/100 free and scored personal bests in the 100 free, 50/100 back, and 50/100 fly at the Florida Swimming Senior Short Course Championships.
The Gators aren’t quite as strong at the shorter end of the freestyle spectrum as they are in mid-distance and distance free. Current junior Isabella Garofalo was the only Florida scorer in the 50 free at 2018 SEC Championships. Garofalo was a C-finalist in both the 50 free and the 100 free. Then-senior Amelia Maughan also scored in the 100. Grimme is just out of range for the moment, as it took 22.77 in the 50 and 49.64 in the 100 to get a second swim at conference.
Top SCY times:
- 50 free – 22.99
- 100 free – 50.27
- 50 back – 27.50
- 50 fly – 26.54
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Besides relays do non free 50s matter in NCAA