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Westchester Aquatic Club (N.Y.) 16-year-old Luci Gutierrez has committed to join Indiana University starting in the fall of 2025, giving the Hoosiers a promising Puerto Rican freestyle prospect for the future.
A junior at Eastchester High School, Gutierrez recently placed 2nd in the 200-yard freestyle (1:48.50) and 3rd in the 500 free (4:52.57) at the NYSPHSAA Girls Federation Championship last November. Last summer in the long-course pool, she posted a personal-best 4:19.66 in the 400-meter free that earned her a spot at USA Swimming’s National Select Camp last October.
At the 2023 Puerto Rico International Open last April, Gutierrez clocked Puerto Rican 15-16 national age group (NAG) records in the 200-meter free (2:06.15), 200 back (2:19.47), and 800 free (9:05.86). As a sophomore in 2022, she placed 8th in the 200 free (1:54.16) and 12th in the 100 fly (57.70) at the NYSPHSAA Girls Federation Championship.
Last weekend, Gutierrez showed off her versatility with lifetime bests in the 200 IM (2:05.16) and 50 free (23.78), dropping almost a full second in the latter event.
Best Times (SCY)
- 100 free – 51.20
- 200 free – 1:48.19
- 500 free – 4:52.57
- 1650 free – 16:46.50
- 200 back – 2:01.22
Gutierrez’s best times would have put her into the C-final of the 200 free at the 2023 Big Ten Championships while also placing 16th in the 1650 free. The Indiana women finished 2nd at the 2023 Big Ten Championships with 1,291.5 points behind Ohio State (1,425) in head coach Ray Looze’s 17th year at the helm of the Hoosiers’ combined program. By the time Gutierrez arrives in Bloomington, the Big Ten Championships will be even more competitive with USC and UCLA joining the conference this summer from the Pac-12.
Gutierrez joins versatile distance specialist Sky Knowlton, sprint freestyler Liberty Clark, and sprint freestyler Grace Hoeper in Indiana’s 2025 recruiting class.
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Can someone clarify how she can be selected for the US National select camp but represent Puerto Rico internationally? Is it because she trains/goes to school in the US? Is it because PR doesn’t have one?
Puerto Rico is part of the United States, so even if she lived and trained in Puerto Rico, she would be living and training in the US.
But besides that, US citizens who are eligible to represent the US internationally and members of USA Swimming can be chosen for National Select Camps. Until an athlete either 1) declares that they’ll represent PR internationally or 2) actually does so, they’re eligible for either team.
Incidentally, people born in Puerto Rico can become Spanish citizens by living there for two years and so have a fairly easy pathway to representing Spain if they choose to.
Wow very interesting. I learned something new. Thank you!