Canadian teenage star Sinead Russell has made her college decision, and has made a verbal commitment to swim for the University of Florida next fall.
Russell made the decision after taking trips to both Florida and the University of Texas last weekend.
“With my training background, I thought it fit better with the University of Florida, from what I’ve seen,” Russell said of her decision. “I also felt really comfortable when I was there.”
Russell is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, fish in the class of 2012 even lined up alongside the likes of Jasmine Tosky (USC) and Liz Pelton (Cal). She is a Canadian National Record holder, and will more-than-likely be an Olympic Finalist in London if all goes according to plan.
She has long course bests of 59.68 and 2:08.80 in the 100 and 200 backstrokes, respectively, both of which were done at last summer’s World Championships. Both of those marks landed her in the world’s top-10 in 2011. She’s also going to be a huge freestyler for the Gators, as she goes 25.92/55.55/1:59.70 in the 50-through-200 freestyles.
This is exactly the piece that the Gators needed to boost their squad back towards National Championship contention. She will simultaneously fill the holes left by the graduations of both Sara Bateman (their top sprint freestyler) and Teresa Crippen (an All-American 200 backstroker). Additionally, she will add a legitimate top-5 backstroking option to the medley relays, which is something even the great Elizabeth Beisel can’t give them.
Another huge effect of this decision is that the Gators now have maybe the only backstroker who can break up the monopoly that Cal will have over the 100 for the next 3+ years. The combination of her and Beisel will be crucial pieces if the Gators build their way back to national championship contention. They’ve made excellent use of the scholarship money left over by a sizable group of graduates.
With the class they’ve brought in this year (Lindsay McKnight, Natalie Hinds, Ashlee Linn, Sierra Kuhn, Taylor Roy), and renewed focus on the college pool in the post-Olympic year, the Gators look like they’re going to be dangerous in 2014.
Poolside……. fact ……. most foreigners at NCAA Division I championships scoring points for their schools are indeed on substantial athletic scholarships from their coaches.
Fact….. there are plenty of US kids worth recruiting instead. Many college coaches chose the easy way out and grab a “ringer” from abroad than spend time and effort developing local talent.
Under your scenario, there would be no problem with a team winning NCAAs with a majority of athletes from abroad? …….. No thanks. Remember you can’t have an American record with relay full of foreigners. By the way…… It’s not 1976. We don’t put 2-3 men on the podium in each event at the Games anymore. A sad fact that most people don’t recognize…… Read more »
College coaches choose to recruit the best swimmers for their programs.It is their job to put together the best team for the University.No one takes away money from someone else.If your swimmer has posted the times needed, and has the grades, they will be recruited.Swimmers are not entitled to a scholarship simply because they are US swimmers who have paid their dues each year.
And just because a foreign swimmer has been recruited does not mean anything was taken away from a US swimmer.The foreign swimmer has earned the right to be recruited each time they have posted a time that attracts the attention of a College Coach.Same goes for a University Team,I have heard parents complain that other… Read more »
Predicta57…. so you seem to be of the view that the world of competitive sport would be better off if everyone stayed home and played in their own back yards? Don’t want those foreigners taking medals and money from our home grown athletes.
We need competition to thrive and excel in sport. Having kids from abroad join our school teams brings fresh perspective to our student athletes and challenges them to step up to the competition.
As for money… have you ever looked at the inflated tuition colleges charge international students or considered that they are not eligible for many scholarship or financial aids domestic students might access. Many of these athletes are still paying their way and in many… Read more »
Shocked…. Remember Bracken is from Auburn where this type of recruiting is the norm. As for parent of swimmers….. They’re paying the tuition bills. It’s not about “hating'”…. It’s about money and opportunity for your kid.
aswimfan……… I applaud the Aussies and their programs. They make their athletes in the pool themselves and always have.
A little worrying seeing parents on here with such strong opinions about foreign athletes on their kids university team.
On another note, I know UT has separate programs, but does anyone know why Brackin does not follow Reese in not recruiting international kids?
Canswim wrote this:
Lowe and Spofforth didn’t leave Britain to go to Australia to train or to a Canadian National Training Center/Academy. They went to the Gators. Kitajima, Mellouli & Efimova didn’t leave their countries for Australia or a Canadian National Training Center/Academy. They went to the States. Neethling and Schoeman didn’t leave SA to train in Australia or at a Canadian National Training Center/Academy. They went to the Wildcats in Arizona. I rest my case
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Sure there are many foreign swimmers training in the USA, but there are also a number of olympics and worlds champions who have been training in Australia:
Ellen Gandy (who won silver at worlds as opposed to Jemma Lowe who won… Read more »
I’m on board with beachmouse and predicta57. Scholarships in swimming, especially for men are hard to come by. I’m sick of seeing these foreign “kids” (many of them 20-21 year old “kids” who are suddenly freshmen in college) coming over here and taking scholarships from US swimming 17-18 year olds who have supported US swimming since they were 5-6 years old. My kid is at one of these schools that recruits foreign swimmers who represent other countries….gotta love what Eddie Reese has done at UT – never recruits foreign swimmers and is in the hunt every year at NCAA’s.
Beachmouse….. you bring up a painful point. Cavic’s younger age group history is covered with superb performances in the USA Swimming rankings. Yet he chose not to represent the US at the Games. Certainly he was fast enough to make the US team and decisively beat Crocker in China. Then again, he is not the first Berkeley swimmer to jump ship and represent another country and swim against the US.