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Athena Vanyo, a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American from Charlottesville, Virginia, has made a verbal commitment to the University of Virginia class of 2025. Vanyo had originally committed to Virginia Tech for 2021-22.
“I have decided to verbally recommit to swim at the University of Virginia. I thank my family, teammates, and coaches for supporting me and my love for swimming. I want to follow my heart and I believe home is where the HOOS are! #wahoowa”
Vanyo specializes in butterfly and is the two-time defending state champion in the 100 fly at the Virginia High School League 3A Championships. She first won the title as a sophomore in 55.06, then repeated last season with 54.51 at the 2020 state meet. Class 3A includes the second-smallest group of high schools in the state, and Vanyo’s time was the 5th-best among the 5 Virginia public high school state championship meets for the second year in a row. At the 2020 state meet, she was runner-up in the 200 IM with 2:04.52, a PB by about 1 second.
Vanyo does her club swimming with Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA (CYAC), a program that was recently taken over by Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo. She was a B-finalist in the 100 fly at 2019 Winter Juniors East, where she picked up PBs in the 50 free and 100 fly.
Best SCY times:
- 50 free – 23.72
- 100 free – 51.77
- 100 back – 57.29
- 100 breast – 1:07.07
- 100 fly – 54.33
- 200 IM – 2:04.52
Vanyo will start in the class of 2025 at UVA with Abby Kapeller, Caroline Pennington, Ella Bathurst, Gretchen Walsh, Kate Morris, and Reilly Tiltmann. The Virginia women’s team was seeded to score the most points at the 2020 NCAA Championship meet before that meet was eventually canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
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How much time will she have to drop to make the travel team or conference team?
I don’t get it so perhaps someone can tell me: why even “verbally” commit to a school? As evidenced by this story and many others, It seems these verbal commitments don’t really mean much.
They certainly aren’t binding, but it gives athletes great peace of mind and 99% stick with their original commitments. But if there is reason to change, then they have that flexibility. If these kids were being actively recruited from June 15th after sophomore year until Dec of senior year that would be incredibly stressful and tough on coaches. Yes, would be nice to push start of recruiting back a year, but those are the current rules.
The disrespect…
Colors definitely go better with her hair.
Boo hoos