NCAA All-American Sprinter Elise Garcia to Transfer to USC for 5th Year

Elise Garcia has announced that she will be transferring to USC to use her 5th year of eligibility this fall. Garcia intends to earn her Master’s through the Rossier School of Education Marriage and Family Therapy program.

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Garcia swam her first four years of eligibility at Cal. At the 2022 NCAA Championships, Garcia was a member of Cal’s 7th place finishing 200 medley relay as well as their 11th place finishing 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

In 2021, she was a member of Cal’s winning 200 freestyle relays as she split a 21.24 flying start at the NCAA Championship.

Best Times in Yards:

• 50 freestyle: 22.11 (February 2021)
• 100 freestyle: 48.59 (December 2021)
• 100 butterfly: 52.70 (March 2017)

Athletes were allowed an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 season. Many athletes took this extra year this past season, but the number is expected to fall over the next few years.

This is the second 5th year transfer USC has announced so far as diver Carolina Sculti will be transferring from Stanford to USC.

Garcia has the potential to make an immediate impact for USC at both the conference and national levels. Garcia scored 35 points for Cal at the 2022 Pac-12 Championships. USC only finished 26 points behind Cal. Her 50 freestyle flying start split at the 2022 NCAA Championships of 21.65 in the 200 freestyle relay was faster than all four of USC’s relay splits.

Garcia joins a USC team that will be led by new head swimming and diving coach Lea Maurer as Maurer was announced as the team’s head coach at the beginning of April.