Charlotte Crush, #1 Recruit in the Class of 2026, Announces Verbal Commitment to Tennessee

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Charlotte Crush, the #1 recruit on our Way Too Early list of top-20 girls from the high school class of 2026, has chosen the University of Tennessee for her collegiate career.

“‘One who carries a torch stands in the shadow to give light to others.’ SO proud to be a Lady Vol 🧡🩵 All glory to God for this opportunity and blessing! Thank you Lakeside and all of the Tennessee staff! Cannot wait for the future 🍊GBO🍊”

Crush will be a second-generation SEC swimmer, as both her parents (Chip Crush and Mimi Bowen Crush) swam at Auburn. Chip held the Independent High School National Record in the 100 back in 1994, then went on to Auburn where he was a 3x SEC individual champion and an All-American. Mimi and her sister Maggie Bowen both swam at Auburn, too. Mimi won NCAA titles in the 100 fly and 200 medley relay in 1997. Maggie won 9 NCAA titles during her years with the Tigers (200 IM x3, 400 IM x3, 400 free relay, 800 free relay, 400 medley relay).

The Crush family is also present on swimming and diving rosters in the ACC. Annabel Crush is a senior at NC State, while Charlie Crush is a junior at Louisville. Johnny Crush is a freshman at Army, meaning all four Crush siblings will swim at different colleges.

Charlotte Crush is by far and away the top swimmer in the high school class of 2026. A junior at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Kentucky, she boasts the cohort’s fastest times in the 100/200 back, 100 fly, and 50/100/200 free. Her times in the 100 back, 100 back, and 100 fly would already score in the A finals at the NCAA Division I Women’s Championships, and her 50 free time would score in the B final. She is the NAG record-holder in the 13-14 SCY 100 back and 200 back and the 15-16 SCY 100 back.

Crush won the 100 fly (51.41) and 100 back (51.59) at the 2024 KHSAA State Swimming and Diving Championships. Those were repeat performances from 2023, when, as a freshman, she won the same events with 51.56 and 51.14, respectively.

Crush does her club swimming with Lakeside Swim Team. She won the 100 back (50.23) and was runner-up in the 100 free (47.86), 200 back (1:52.67), and 100 fly (50.46) at 2023 Winter Juniors East. She also came in 9th in the 50 free (22.02) and 11th in the 200 IM (1:57.38). She left the meet with new times in the 50/100/200 free, 50/100 back, 50/100 fly, and 200 IM. Three months later, she updated her PBs in the 50/200 free, 200 back, 100 fly, and 200 IM at Southern Premier, where she won the 50/200 free, 100/200 back, and 100 fly, and was runner-up in the 200 IM.

This summer, she represented Team USA at 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, placing 2nd in the 100 back (1:00.19) and 100 fly (58.19). A month earlier, she had won the 50 back (28.70), 100 back (1:00.63), 200 back (2:10.29), 50 fly (26.48), and 100 fly (58.45) at the NCSA Summer Championships.

As the Lady Vols had recently received verbal commitments from the top two breaststrokers in the class of 2026 (#3 Molly Sweeney and #13 Eliza Wallace), they now have the fastest swimmers in the cohort in all four of the 100 strokes.

Best SCY times:

• 100 back – 49.53 (best in class)
• 200 back – 1:50.55 (best in class)
• 100 fly – 50.19 (best in class)
• 50 free – 21.88 (best in class)
• 100 free – 47.86 (best in class)
• 200 free – 1:45.33 (best in class)
• 200 IM – 1:56.44
• 200 fly – 1:57.67

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBU9kKwI_5U/?img_index=1

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