Alex Sumner, who announced a year-and-a-half ago that she was committing to swim at Cal, has now stated that she plans to transfer to Yale University beginning in the fall of 2019. Sumner began at Cal this fall as a member of the Golden Bears’ class of 2022. She was present for Picture Day in Berkeley but never suited up for the women’s team so from an NCAA perspective, she has four years’ of remaining eligibility. Sumner has applied to Yale and is waiting for her formal acceptance.*
Sumner is originally from Wallingford, Pennsylvania. A two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, she graduated from Episcopal Academy in 2018. She won the 100 back (53.57) and 200 IM (2:01.24) at the 2016 Eastern Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championships, repeating in 2017 (53.41 for the meet record, and 2:01.40). In 2018 she won the 100 back (54.19) and swam on all three relays.
Sumner represented Team USA at the 6th FINA World Junior Championships in the summer of 2017, winning the silver medal in the 200m backstroke (2:09.04) behind teammate Regan Smith. She was named to USA Swimming’s 2017-18 National Junior Team and competed on the 2018 Mare Nostrum Tour at Canet-en-Roussillon and Barcelona last summer. Sumner competed at 2018 Phillips 66 Nationals in the 100m back (1:04.71) and 200m back (2:15.46) but was well off her best times. She scratched out of the 100m fly, 200m IM, and 400m IM.
All her best times (both SCY and LCM) date from the 2016-17 swim year. Her top SCY times include:
- 200 back – 1:52.33
- 100 back – 53.41
- 50 back – 25.41
- 400 IM – 4:15.08
- 200 IM – 2:00.82
- 200 fly – 1:59.05
- 100 fly – 54.91
*IVY LEAGUE DISCLAIMER: A “verbal commitment” by a coach is not an offer of admission, as only the Admissions Office has that authority. An Ivy League coach can only commit his or her support in the admissions process. Moreover, an Ivy League Likely Letter is not an offer of admission to the university.
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].
What was her reason for leaving? Was she asked to leave or did she decide to leave?
Congratulations to Alex! Wishing her the best in her move with swim and school!
Smart move by a smart swimmer doing a smart transfer to a smart program that won’t smart. More swimmers would transfer if some college swim coaches didn’t obstruct, bully, etc.
Wtf
Lol