Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwamβs College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Patrick-Sebastian Dinu from ConstanΘa, Romania, has announced his verbal commitment to the application process* at Princeton University. He will join the menβs swimming and diving class of 2028 with Andrew Zou, Logan Noguchi, and Devyn Caples in the fall of 2024.
“I am thrilled to announce my commitment to the application process at Princeton University. I want to first and foremost thank my family, my parents and my grandparents for all of the support offered throughout my swimming career up until this point. I want to thank my coach for all the hard practices we have been through and all of the fun ones. I am truly grateful for the opportunity that coach Matt and coach Abby gave me. GO TIGERS!π ”
Dinu trains with CSM ConstanΘa, with whom he competed at the Romanian National Championships earlier this month. There, he won bronze medals in the 50 free (23.31, behind David Popovici and Constantin George Alexandru Stoica), the 100 free (50.13, behind Popovici and Stoica), and the 50 breast (28.71). He also earned gold medals in the mixed 4×100 medley and mixed 4×100 free relay.
Dinu has been breaking Romanian National Age Group Records since he was 12. He still holds long-course meters NAG marks for 15-year-old boys in the LCM 50 breast and for 16-year-old boys in the LCM 50 breast, and short course meters NAGs for 16-year-old boys in the 50 breast and 100 IM (he broke Popoviciβs record), and for 17-year-olds in the 50 back, 100 back, 50 breast, and 100 IM (also previously belonging to Popovici), and for 18-year-olds in the 50 breast. He is a member of the Romanian senior national record-holding menβs LCM 4×200 free relay and mixed LCM 4×100 free relay.
Dinu has represented Romania internationally at the Multinations Junior Swimming Meet (2021, 2022), European Junior Championships (2021, 2022), World Junior Championships (2022), and European Championships (2022). He has won silver medals as part of the boysβ 4×100 free relay at Euro Juniors in both 2021 and 2022 and with the mixed 4×100 free relay in 2022. He also played 10th in the 100 free, individually.
At Junior Worlds, he won gold with the boysβ 4×100 free relay and silver with the mixed 4×100 free relay. Individually, he was fifth in the 100 free and 14th in the 50 free.
Best times (converted):
| Β | SCM | LCM |
| 50 free | 22.34 (20.12) | 23.19 (20.17) |
| 100 free | 48.62 (43.80) | 50.05 (43.64) |
| 50 breast | 27.71 (24.96) | 28.71 (24.96) |
| 50 back | 25.19 (22.69) | 26.17 (23.03) |
| 100 back | 54.10 (48.73) | 57.25 (50.49) |
Dinuβs best converted times would have scored for the Tigers at the 2023 Ivy League Menβs Championships in the B finals of the 50/100 free and 100 back.
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].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim TourΒ
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. VisitΒ fitterandfaster.comΒ to find or request a swim camp near you.
FFT SOCIAL
Instagram –Β @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
I wonder who is footing the tuition etc. bill? Four years at Princeton will run about $350,000.00 or more these days. That’s not cheap! I imagine that the university has some nice financial aid programs, anyone have any information regarding this?
https://finaid.princeton.edu/
While Princeton doesn’t have any athletic scholarships, it has one of the best need-based financial aid programs in the nation. The support is grant-based, rather than loan-based, meaning you don’t have to pay it back and, depending on your family’s income, it can be cheaper to go to Princeton than to state schools or programs that you would assume are much cheaper, even with some scholarship money (I can speak to this from experience). I don’t know what Dinu’s situation is, but if his family needs that support, he’ll get it.
Hmmmm
Princeton on the rise ππ
These kids get enticed to going to these top academic institutions, regress in a spot that requires 40+ hours a week of work at the D1 level, and then transfer out or quit the team
Historically a very very very small percentage transfer out – I’m only aware of 2 from my own team in the last 20 years, and probably 200+ more who finished and graduated. Quitting is another story, but there are usually unique circumstances in each of those cases where the person knew they wanted to quit coming in, or they just kind of naturally burned out and reached their own peace with it (and then go get a 6 figure job in NYC after graduating and live a perfectly fulfilled life).
Students who commit to these schools are very self-selecting and usually know they could go to a less academically rigorous school and have a higher chance of achieving elite international… Read more Β»
Wrong! I’ll be the numbers who quit or transfer from Ivy League schools is a fraction of that from the typical top-20 programs. Just look at the transfer portal. Speaks for itself. Michigan…Texas….Alabama….
Very few swimmers in the Ivies transfer…some will get admitted and retire though..
As usual, Andrew, no facts to support your claim.
Go Tigers! Welcome to the family!
Great to hear!
Letβs goooπ₯π₯π₯π π π
Welcome to the Tiger family Patrick!