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Arizona High School State Champion Tate Bahti has verbally committed to the University of Arizona. A Phoenix native and member of the Phoenix Swim Club, Bahati will make the 2-hour drive south to Tucson in the fall of 2021 to join the Wildcats.
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At the 2019 Arizona Division II Boys’ State Championship meet, Bahti won the 100 breaststroke in 56.96 and finished 3rd in the 200 IM in 1:52.57. That 100 breast time was a two-and-a-half second improvement over the 59.50 that he swam for 4th place as a sophomore.
While the Division II state meet is the 2nd among 3 in terms of high school enrollment in the Arizona high school system, Bahti’s time was the 2nd-best among all 3 divisions.
Best Times in Yards:
- 100 breast – 56.96
- 200 breast – 2:04.03
- 200 IM – 1:52.57
- 400 IM – 4:02.37
While Arizona does have a strong men’s breaststroke history under previous regimes, it hasn’t been an area of particular strength under Augie Busch. At last year’s Pac-12 Championship meet, they scored 23 points in the 100 breaststroke and 21 in the 200 breaststroke, with the highlight being a 4th-place finish from junior Sam Iida in the 200 breast (1:54.06). Arizona had no invites in the men’s breaststroke races to the 2020 NCAA Championship meet, though that meet was ultimately cancelled because of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Bahti is one of three 56-second-or-better breaststrokers in the class from the state of Arizona. The others, Shane Guelich and Nathan Kempiak, are still uncommitted, but neither is as good as Bahti in the 200. Guelich has been 56.9 in the 100 and Kempiak has been 55.7.
He joins butterflier Alex McMahon and backstroker Connor West as Arizona commits in the class of 2021. The Wildcats have added all 3 commitments this month as a late-breaking class really picks up steam.
Bahti attends Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix.
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