Winter Junior Champs Finalist Ethan Kosin staying in-state at University of Minnesota (2025)

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Ethan Kosin, a Savage, Minnesota native, will stay in state next fall to attend the University of Minnesota to swim for the Gophers. Kosin, a rising senior at Prior Lake High School, represents South Metro Storm at the club level. Kosin is primarily a backstroker, owning Winter Junior National cut times in both the 100 and 200, but he also excels in sprint and distance freestyles. 

In 2023, at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships, Kosin was a 2x finalist, taking 12th in the 200 back with a personal best time of 1:45.80 and 18th in the 100 back in 48.61, a PB at the time. Kosin also swam the 200 free (1:40.81) and 500 free (4:32.19), where he finished 67th and 50th, respectively, in prelims. Both swims were new best times. 

At the Minnesota Senior SC Championships, Kosin was a 2 time champion, sweeping the backstrokes. His 100 back (48.33) was a personal best time, while his 200 back (1:46.06) was just 2 tenths off his PB of 1:45.80. Kosin also recorded 5 top 5 finishes, 2 of which were new best times. Those best times came in the 1000 free, where he swam a 9:26.34 to finish 2nd, and the 50 free (20.80), where he took 3rd. He went on to place 3rd in the 200 free (1:40.92), 100 fly (49.73), and 100 free (46.61). With a total of 6 wins, as he helped South Metro to 4 relay titles, and 10 podium appearances, Kosin took home high point while South Metro Storm won  the meet. 

Kosin was additionally a Minnesota HS Boys Class AA State Champion this year, winning the 100 back in 48.67.* He went on to take 3rd in the 100 free, swimming a 45.89. Kosin also helped Prior Lake’s relays to a 4th place finish in the 400 free relay with a 45.95 anchor leg, and a relay title in the 200 medley relay, leading off in 22.65 for a best time. Prior Lake ultimately took 3rd overall at the meet. 

Best times SCY:

• 100 back – 48.33
• 200 back – 1:45.80
• 50 free – 20.80
• 100 free – 45.73
• 200 free – 1:40.81
• 500 free – 4:32.19
• 1000 free – 9:26.34
• 100 fly – 49.65

The University of Minnesota competes in the Big Ten, which is welcoming UCLA and USC this fall. At the 2024 B1G Championships, the Gophers finished in 5th with 849.5 points, over a 60 point improvement from their showing in 2023, where they also finished 5th. Kosin would have ranked 7th on Minnesota’s 2023-2024 roster in the 100 back and 6th in the 200 back. However, in both events, 3 swimmers ahead of him have since graduated. 

Kosin is on the cusp of what it took to score at the 2024 B1G Championships, as it took times of 47.43/1:44.88 in the 100/200 back to qualify for a second swim. 

Edward Stoltz (free/back), Jack Hackler (breast), Jackson Scheiber (distance free), Ethan Schutten (free), and Oliver Schimberg (back) have also declared their intention to swim at Minnesota beginning next fall. Schimberg, who owns best times of 47.39/1:45.00 in the 100/200 back, will join Kosin in boosting the Gophers’ backstroke group. 

*(AA classification signifies that his school is one of the 64 largest in the state).

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