After two seasons with the Texas Longhorns, Kaitlin Harty is no longer with the program and will seek a transfer to another school.
Harty is originally from Beverly, Massachusetts, and was enrolled at Texas last semester but just dropped her classes for this semester and is heading home to train for now. Harty has told SwimSwam that she’s currently looking at four schools to transfer to, with hopes of re-enrolling at a new school for the 2019-20 season.
“I’m going to be transferring in order to finish out my swimming career elsewhere,” Harty told SwimSwam. “I loved Texas so much but it just wasn’t the right fit for me. The coaches are amazing, and Carol [Capitani] has been so great throughout this process but I definitely need a change in order to get where I want to be.”
TOP TIMES
- 100y back – 51.67
- 200y back – 1:50.68
- 200y free – 1:47.70
- 500y free – 4:43.99
- 100y fly – 53.71
Harty has spent two seasons on the Texas roster– as a freshman in 2016-17 and a sophomore in 2017-18. She did not compete at all during the 2018-19 season, so she should have two years of eligibility left. During her freshman year in Austin, she clocked third-place finishes at Big 12s in both backstrokes, and she was 3rd in the 100 back and 4th in the 200 back at the 2018 Big 12 Champs as a sophomore.
At Texas, Harty’s bests have been 53.81 in the 100 back and 1:54.28 in the 200 back. She competed in long course this summer, going 1:03.23 in the 100 and 2:15.08 in the 200.
Harty came to Austin after an incredibly successful age group career, where she was one of the top backstrokers of her class. All of her personal bests listed above are from her high school years. Additionally, Harty was a competitor at the 2012 Olympic Trials, where at just 14 years old, she made the 100 back semifinals and placed 17th in the 200 back.
She emphasized to SwimSwam that she has ‘no hard feelings’ with Texas and that she ‘love[s] Texas with all [her] heart and the girls and coaches are outstanding.’ She said that leaving Texas is the best decision for her and that she’s excited about her future opportunities.
Her brother Ryan Harty is a redshirt junior this season with the Longhorns.
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Wonder where she is looking to transfer to?? Hope she goes to Michigan!
Ileah Doctor from IU also on the transfer portal. Not on roster this semester…
I feel like there will be more and more transfers as time goes on as recruits commit earlier and do not take all of their trips to get a feel for the right fit for them. Shame on coaches who pressure these young athletes and give them deadlines before they are able to look at all the schools they are interested in.
LoneStar – this kind of thing certainly happens, but I think it would also be misguided to assume that it was true in every commitment, or every transfer. Kaitlin committed in September of her senior year to a college where her brother already attended and swam at.
At the end of the day, it’s hard as a 17-year old to always know what college will be the best fit, especially when the added wrinkle of intercollegiate athletics is thrown on top. People change, programs change, wants and needs change. I went to Texas A&M, which was perfect for me at the time. Now, 10 years later, I can’t imagine going through 4 years there again, because my wants and needs… Read more »
More Transfers, Baby Mommas, Baby Daddies, Higher Insurance Premiums, Smaller Potato Chip Bags…..all just a part of life…neither right nor wrong or good or bad.
I believe everything you listed there was bad. Poor examples.