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Lucy Thomas of Brookfield, Wisconsin has announced she will be continuing her academic and athletic careers at Stanford beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. Thomas is the #8 ranked recruit in the SwimSwam girls class of 2023.
“I couldn’t be more excited to finally announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic journey at Stanford University!! I couldn’t have done this without the help of my family, friends, coaches, teachers, and teammates who have made this possible!! GO TREES🌲❤️”
Thomas swims for Elmbrook Swim Club out of Brookfield, WI. She competed at NCSAs in March 2022. There she swam in the A final in seven out of her eight individual events. She was highlighted by a first place finish in the 50 freestyle (22.41), 50 breaststroke (27.25), and 100 breaststroke (58.93). Notably, her 100 breaststroke time was a personal best time. It also was her first time under the 59 second mark. In addition, she also finished second in the 200 breaststroke swimming a personal best time of 2:09.16.
Thomas was also a member of the Elmbrook 200 and 400 medley relays that set 15-18 National Age Group (NAG) records. She split a 26.89 50 breast on the 200 medley and a 59.67 100 breast on the 400 medley relay.
Thomas will enter her senior year of high school at Brookfield East this fall. Thomas won the 100 breast (1:00.00) and 200 free (1:46.82) at the 2021 Wisconsin Girls Division I State Championship. The Brookfield East girls won the team state championship as well.
In April, Thomas competed at US International Team Trials. There she was highlighted by a sixth place finish in the 50 breast (31.67) and a 17th place finish in the 100 breast (1:08.98).
Her best short course yards (SCY) times are:
- 100 breast: 58.93 (best in class)
- 200 breast: 2:09.16 (best in class)
- 50 free: 22.33
- 100 free: 49.23
- 200 free: 1:46.82
- 200 IM: 1:59.16
Thomas is a huge commit for Stanford. Both of her breaststroke best times are at the top of the girls high school class of 2023. Her best time in the 100 breaststroke would already earn her an NCAA invite time and her 200 breaststroke would have been 0.01 seconds off this past year. This is huge as Stanford only had one swimmer Allie Raab swim the 100 breaststorke at the 2022 NCAA Championships. Raab is taking a fifth year this next season so Thomas will arrive just as Raab graduates. Raab was also the only member on the roster this past season to swim a sub-1:00 100 breaststroke.
Notably, Thomas’ best time in the 100 breast also would have earned a spot in finals at the 2022 NCAA Championships. Her best time would have finished tied for 11th. Thomas’ best times also have the potential to boost Stanford’s medley relays.
At the conference level, Thomas’ best times would have finished second in the 100 breast, sixth in the 50 free, and seventh in the 200 breast.
Stanford commits usually announce their verbal commitments later in the recruiting process due to admissions. Thomas is the second breaststroke commit of the week for Stanford as Caroline Bricker announced her commitment yesterday. Bricker and Thomas are huge commits for Stanford as both have been under the 1:00 mark in the 100 breaststroke.
The Stanford Cardinal won the 2022 Pac-12 Championships and finished third at NCAAs, only six points behind Texas.
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].
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Aw, was kinda hoping she’d stay in state and be a Badger, but congrats all the same! Stanford needs a breastroker real bad.
Congratulations Lucy!
was expecting this since where else would someone uncommitted be committing to but wow now Stanford truly has a killer medley relay (well in a year)
To answer your question, the ivy league is the only real place that comes to mind
I think that used to be true, but as the Ivy Leagues have gotten better-and-better recruits, they’ve also been announcing commitments earlier-and-earlier.
Heck, even the academies have kids announce earlier than they used to (and there are a lot of decommits from there as well when kids don’t get in).
Team USA + breaststroker.