Gabrielle Kopenski, our #7 recruit in the high school class of 2018, has elected to remain in her home state of Texas and will swim for Texas A&M beginning in the fall of 2018. Her social media post announced:
“I’m super excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and further my academic career at Texas A&M! ❣️?? #GigEm”
Kopenski is wrapping up her junior year at Prosper High School in Prosper, Texas, where in high school swimming, she has never lost the 200/500 freestyle events at the UIL 5A State Meet. As a freshman she set the state record in the 500 with her winning 4:42.16, and the 5A record in the 200 with 1:46.80. The next year she won both events again, this time with 4:44.56 and 1:47.13, respectively. And while she didn’t compete in high school as a junior, she dropped her 500 time to 4:37.94 in December, winning the event at 2016 Winter Junior Nationals East.
Her best events are not swum in high school, however; she is one of the top distance swimmers of her cohort. In addition to the 500 she also won gold in the 400 IM (4:11.50) and was runner-up in the 1650 free at 2016 Winter Juniors. Her personal best of 15:56.39, from 2014 Winter Juniors, still stands as the meet record, and would have scored 11th at 2017 NCAAs.
Kopenski swims year-round for Texas Ford Aquatics. As a member of the U.S. National Junior Team, she won the bronze medal in the 1500 free at the 2015 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Singapore, and took fifth in the 800 free. This spring she won the 500/1000/1650 freestyles and 400 IM at College Station Sectionals, taking another 1.6 seconds off her IM time. She also competed in the 5K at 2017 USA Swimming Open Water Nationals, where she finished 24th.
Top SCY times:
- 1650 free – 15:56.39
- 1000 free – 9:35.79
- 500 free – 4:37.94
- 200 free – 1:46.80
- 400 IM – 4:09.92
I'm super excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and further my academic career at Texas A&M! ❣️?? #GigEm pic.twitter.com/qAmDMmsi23
— Gabby (@GabbyKopenski) June 24, 2017
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected]
Terrific decision to swim for & to go to school at A&M Gabrielle. Fantastic academics & swimming program in Aggieland. Congratulations on joining an “up & coming” program. Enjoy the experience!!
A&M has a very strong group of girls coming in over the next 2 years to join a team that was already 3rd at NCAAs. With Cal and Stanford both graduating many of the olympians over the next couple of years, A&M looks very strong. Now if Julia Cook would just stay in her home pool, the Aggies would likely be in a position to win at least a couple national championships.
https://swimswam.com/julia-cook-gives-longhorn-women-first-verbal-commitment-2018/
This is BIG for the Aggies. Kopenski and Joy Field will be a great one-two punch in the distance events over the coming years.
Very exciting addition to the team! What a great event line up for the Ags, welcome to the Aggie family!
Awesome for you to encourage her Sarah, I think she will help the Aggies tremendously and help out the distance group.
Still very early but I see her as a serious contender for the US team in 2020 in the 800 free and the 1500 free. So open behind KL.
Mmh Leah Smith… not so open
Leah smith disagrees
Leah is not nearly as good in the 800 and 1500 as she is in the 200 and 400, it’s possible.