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Sprint and breaststroke ace Thor Johannessen recently sent his verbal commitment to Arizona State University.
Hailing from the Cleveland area, Johannessen is a part of St. Ignatius High School’s class of 2027. He competes for the Blazing Barracudas, where he has developed into one of Ohio’s top talents.
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“I am thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic careers at Arizona State University! I want to thank the Lord and the support of my family, friends, teammates, as well as Coach Eric, Coach Tyler, Coach Jim, Coach Will, and Coach Bob. I would also like to thank Coach Herbie, Coach Jack, and the rest of the ASU coaching staff for this incredible opportunity! Forks Up! 🔱😈”
One of Johannessen’s brightest displays of talent came during his sophomore year at the Lake Erie Senior Champs. At the short course meet, Johannessen picked up three wins in best time fashion: the 50 breast (26.09), 100 breast (56.34), and 50 fly (23.01). He also partook in four victorious relays with the Barracudas at the meet, notably leading off the 400 free relay in 46.16 and anchoring the 200 free relay in 20.57. In addition to these wins, he scored top eight finishes in the 50 and 100 backstroke as well as the 100 fly, showing his versatility across all sprint disciplines.
This long course season, he attended a trio of elite meets – Speedo Sectionals in Columbus, Futures in Greensboro, and U.S. Junior Nationals. In the latter meet, Johannesson advanced to the B final in the 50 free, stopping the clock in an impressive 23.25.
In the high school sphere, Johannessen reaped a 2nd and 3rd place in the 50 free and 100 breast, respectively, at Catholic High School Nationals. His times were 20.78 and 57.02.
Johannessen still has nearly two years to rack up more high school and club swimming accolades before heading to Tempe.
Johannessen’s Best Times (SCY)
- 50 free – 20.78
- 100 breast – 56.34
- 100 free – 46.16
- 100 fly – 50.79
His versatility in the sprint events will be invaluable to the Sun Devils, as he can plug in to any medley relay spot the team needs and swim a variety of events at dual meets.
The Arizona State roster features several top-notch sprint swimmers, including Ilya Kharun and Adam Chaney.
Scoring on Arizona State’s dominant conference team will likely take another second drop in the 50 free for Johannessen, while the 100 breast could require a several-second shave in the next two years.
The Sun Devils’ class of 2031 is already five men strong, including Johannessen and Ben Daggers, Gavin Halusic, Harrison Tater, and Aidan Collins.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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