Sloan Zallen Flips Verbal Commitment From Illinois To Join Arkansas’ Class of 2025

After originally sending her verbal commitment to Illinois, distance freestyler Sloan Zallen has flipped her commitment to the University of Arkansas for the fall of 2025.

I’m extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic careers at the University of Arkansas!! I want to thank my family, friends, and coaches for their endless support. Also, a huge thank you to Coach Neil and the rest of the staff at Arkansas for this amazing opportunity. I can’t wait for the next four years!!! GO RAZORBACKS!!🐗🐗🐗

Zallen is primarily a distance freestyler and swam at the 2023 Winter Junior Championships — West in the 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, and 1650 freestyle. She swims club for the Foothills Swim Team and her high school, Boulder.

On her high school team, she’s a multi-time finalist at the CHSAA Girls 5A State Championships in the 200 and 500 freestyle. Her best finish there was in 2023, when she took 3rd in the 500 freestyle with a time that still stands as her lifetime best. Note that she’s based at altitude in Boulder, so many of her lifetime bests are altitude-adjusted.

Also in 2023, Zallen won the 1500 freestyle at the Colorado LSC 13&O LC Championships, two years after winning the 800 freestyle at the Colorado Senior LC State Championships.

Best Times (SCY):

• 100 freestyle: 51.92
• 200 freestyle: 1:50.55 (altitude-adjusted)
• 500 freestyle: 4:53.92 (altitude-adjusted)
• 1650 freestyle: 16:55.24 (altitude-adjusted)

Zallen’s altitude-adjusted lifetime bests would’ve put her second on the Arkansas 2023-24 depth chart in the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle, and third in the 1650 freestyle. Both the athletes who would’ve been ahead of her, Becca Simpson and Reka Rohacs, will graduate before Zallen arrives on campus.

Zallen’s older sister, Zara Zallen, is a current sophomore at the University of Missouri and recently had a huge breakthrough in the 200 freestyle. Both swimmers will race in the SEC beginning next season.

The University of Arkansas only sponsors women’s swimming. The team finished 10th at the 2024 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships with 373 points, between Kentucky (446) and Missouri (332.5).