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Westerville Aquatic Club’s Zach Stump has verbally committed to continue his academic and athletic career at the U.S. Naval Academy this fall.
“I am excited to announce my commitment to further my academic and athletic career at The United States Naval Academy. I’m so thankful for my family, friends, teammates and coaches for their support. The brotherhood and dedication at the academy and within the NMSD is unmatched. Go Navy!! Beat Army!!”
Stump competed at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Wave I last summer and placed 30th in the 200 back. He is a versatile swimmer who specializes in backstroke, distance freestyle, and the 400 IM. He just graduated from Coffman High School in Dublin, Ohio where he was the OHSAA DI State Champion in the 500 free.
Stump’s speed has carried over into the current long course season. He swam a lifetime best time and Summer Juniors cut of 4:01.22 in the 400m free at the Indianapolis Sectionals in late March. There, he also blasted a best time in the 50m back (27.38).
Top SCY times:
- 50 back – 23.11r
- 100 back – 50.12
- 200 back – 1:48.87
- 500 free – 4:26.41
- 1650 free – 15:40.03
- 400 IM – 3:54.09
Most of his lifetime best times above are from the 2021 Winter Juniors meet where he finished 16th in the 1650 free, 17th in the 500 free, and 18th in the 400 IM. His 50 and 100 back times are from the 2021 OHSAA State Championships where he placed 7th in the 100 back and led the Coffman High School 200 medley relay to a 15th-place finish.
Stump is set to final in multiple events in the Patriot League Conference. In 2022, his lifetime best times would have made the A finals of the 500 free and 200 back and the B finals of the 400 IM and 100 back. His 1650 free time would have placed 9th.
Navy men won their 18th consecutive Patriot League Conference Championship title last season under head coach Bill Roberts. 100 back school record holder Caleb Mauldin led their sprint backstrokers at that meet where he won the 100 back by 2.4 seconds and split a 21.5 50 back on Navy’s winning 200 medley relay. Now that he has graduated, rising senior and team captain Nathan Roodzant, who placed 4th in the 100 back and 3rd in the 200 back, leads the Navy’s backstrokers.
Ethan Tack was another big point scorer last season as a senior. He won three events at the Patriot League Champs including the 400 IM. Assuming he is not using his 5th year of eligibility, rising junior Garret McGovern, who finished 2nd in 400 IM and 1650, will hold down the fort in those events. He set the 1650 free school record sub-15 minutes during the 2020-2021 season.
Stump will practice with incoming 2022 recruits Jack Lambert, who has best times of 15:24.23 in the 1650 free and 23.58/51.39/1:52.22 in the backstroke events, and Mitch Dubey, who swims a 15:23.47 1650 free, 25.56/51.83/1:50.94 in backstrokes, and a 3:57.04 400 IM.
With Mauldin gone, Coach Roberts is re-fortifying Navy’s backstroke empire with this large recruiting class. He also recruited backstrokers George Brooker (23.88/50.29/1:48.86) and Ben Stankovich (24.42/50.34/1:46.77). 2022 breaststroke and butterfly recruit Juan Mora also has strong sprint backstroke times of 23.90/50.33. Stump is the fastest 50 and 100 backstroker in his recruiting class so far.
Stump also joins fellow Ohio-native Carson Smith, Stephan Aguirre, Griffin Poulsen, Gavin Green, Michael Phillips, Benjamin Denman-Grimm, and Nolan Jess in Navy’s class of 2022 verbal commitments.
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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