Italy’s Alan Vergine, a Euro Juniors Semi-finalist, Commits to Pitt for 2025-26

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[Editor’s note: this is one of the best-written and most fascinating commitment emails I have ever received. As I could not do justice to his story, I left it alone and simply added a bit of context at the end.]

“Hi, I’m Alan Vergine, and I come from Corte Franca, a small town in northern Italy, nestled in the province of Brescia. It’s a place I truly love — surrounded by vineyards, hills, and beautiful mountains. The landscape here is peaceful and inspiring, and it has always helped me stay grounded. Whenever I need to clear my mind, I often head to the mountains. Being in nature, away from everything, gives me clarity and helps me reconnect with myself.

“I grew up in a family of four: my older brother Steve, my mom Josephine Njoki Wangoi, and my dad Gianfranco Vergine. Sport has always been at the center of our lives. Both my parents were elite marathon runners — my mom from Kenya, my dad from Italy.

“My mom was born and raised in Naivasha, in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. She discovered her passion for athletics at a young age, even without formal training. In 1993, she met my dad when he traveled to Kenya for a high-altitude training camp with other Italian marathoners. That’s where their story began.

“They both had incredible careers — my dad ran a personal best of 2:14:59 at Enschede marathon in 1987, and my mom ran 2:37:21 at the 2009 Treviso Marathon. Despite their deep roots in running, they decided to introduce me to a completely different sport: swimming.

“Currently, I swim for GAM Team Brescia, under the guidance of Giorgio Lamberti and Tanya Vannini  two former swimming champions. My favorite stroke is definitely butterfly, but I also love freestyle and individual medley.

“Last season, I had the honor of representing Italy at the European Junior Championships, where I qualified in the 100m butterfly and reached the semifinals in the 200m. This year, however, has been challenging. I had to face my final exams at high school and struggled with some health issues just before the most important competitions of the season. Over the past few years, I’ve also dealt with multiple injuries during training, which made it difficult to maintain high-level performance and consistency. On top of that, I’ve been juggling long commutes 30 minutes each way to both school and the pool.

“Through it all, I never stopped believing in the dream. The opportunity to join the University of Pittsburgh is something truly special. It came at a time when I really needed to find new motivation and, in a way, reconnect with myself after a tough period. I’m incredibly excited to train in an environment where I can live and work like a professional athlete. Both Coach Chase Kreitler and I believe there’s so much potential to unlock, and we’re ready to give everything to take things to the next level.

“At high school I studied business and computer science. It gave me a solid foundation in both economics and technology. Over the years, I developed a real passion for computer science  I enjoy solving problems, working with technology, and understanding how things work behind the scenes. That’s why I plan to study it at university alongside my athletic career.

“My family has always taught me that dedication, resilience, passion and respect make the difference. They’ve always inspired me and raised me with an open mindset  one that embraces change and seeks growth. That’s why, when the opportunity to go to Pittsburgh came, I knew deep inside it wasn’t just a sports decision it was a life opportunity. A chance to grow as an athlete, but even more as a person. I carry their legacy with me, and I’m ready to write the next part of my story this time, across the ocean.”

Vergine will join the Panthers’ class of 2029 with Evan Witte, Joseph Gardner, and Luka Carapovic. He would have been Pitt’s fastest 200 flyer last season and he would have ranked #2 in the 100 fly, #5 in the 200 free, and #6 in the 100 free. His best converted 200 butterfly time would have scored in the ‘B’ final at the 2025 ACC Championships.

Best times:

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