#15 Caiden Bowers Hands Verbal Commitment to Cal for 2025-26

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Caiden Bowers from Marriottsville, Maryland, has made a verbal commitment to the University of California, Berkeley. He will join the Golden Bears with the already-committed Andrew Shackell in the fall of 2025.

He made his announcement on social media:

“I am beyond grateful and excited to announce my commitment to swim and study at the University of California, Berkeley! I would like to thank my family, friends, and coaches for all of their support in this process. I would also like to thank all of the coaches at Cal for giving me this incredible opportunity. GO BEARS! 🐻🐻🐻
“When your life doesn’t go as planned, change your perspective but do not stop dreaming”

Originally in the class of 2024, Bowers was verbally committed to Harvard. After Harvard reneged on its commitment, Bowers reclassified to the class of 2025. We then ranked him #15 on our Way Too Early list of boys’ recruits from the class.

He has a wide range of events, hovering near the top of the class in the 100 fly, 100 breast, and 200 IM. Bowers swims for McDonogh School and Eagle Swim Team. He was instrumental in McDonogh’s 5th-straight MIAA “A” title last February, winning the 100 fly (47.96) and 100 breast (54.70), earning PBs in both events and lowering his own Maryland state record in the fly.

A couple of weeks later, he won the 100/200 breast, 50/100 fly, and 200 IM at the Maryland Swimming LSC Senior Championships. He left the meet with new times in the 50 free, 50 breast, 50 fly, and 200 IM. Two weeks later, he was back at it, competing at the NCSA Spring Championships. There, he placed top-8 in the 50 breast, 100 breast, and 50 fly and was 9th in the 200 IM.

At the LCM version of that event this summer, he finished 3rd in the 50 breast (28.84), 5th in the 100 breast (1:03.46), and 10th in the 50 fly (25.20). He wrapped up the summer at Junior Nationals where he swam the 100/200 breast, 100 fly, and 200 IM.

Best SCY times:

• 100 fly – 47.96
• 200 fly – 1:49.79
• 100 breast – 54.70
• 200 breast – 2:01.23
• 200 IM – 1:48.79

Bowers will bring flexibility to the Cal roster. His sophomore-year 100 fly time would have ranked 5th among the Golden Bears last season and his 100/200 breast, 200 fly, and 200 IM times would have hovered around the top-10. With his summer improvements of 1.8 seconds in the 100 LCM breast, 3.7 in the 200 breast, 2.4 in the 200 fly, and 1.2 in the 200 IM, Bowers is poised to have a strong short-course season this year, giving the Golden Bears even more options when he suits up in the fall of 2025.

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