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Eleni Gewalt from Spring Grove, Illinois has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Arizona for the 2022-23 school year and beyond.
“I am extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Arizona!!! A huge thank you to all of my friends, family and teammates that have supported me along the way and all of the coaches that have been a part of my journey. Excited to be a wildcat💙❤️ #beardown🐻⬇️”
Gewalt is a junior at Richmond-Burton Community High School, which is about halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. She swims year-round with Pleasant Prairie Patriots in Kenosha, WI. In October, she won the 100 free (52.17) and was runner-up in the 100 breast (1:03.71) at the Illinois High School Girls’ Sectional Championships in Highland Park. She competed at 2020 U.S. Open in the 100m breast (1:13.16) and at 2020 18&U Winter Championships in the 50 free (25th), 100 breast (4th), 200 breast (12th), 100 fly, and 200 IM (25th).
But since the beginning of 2021, Gewalt has unleashed a torrent of personal bests in both SCY (50/100/200 free, 50/100/200 breast, 50/100 fly, and 100/200 IM) and LCM (50/100 free and 100/200 breast). At the 2021 Colorado Connections Invite hosted by Pleasant Prairie Patriots, she was a top-8 finisher in the 100/200 free, 50 breast, 50/100 fly, and 100 IM and she earned PBs in all 6 events. A week prior, she came in 5th in the 50m free (27.36) and was runner-up in the 100m free (59.70), 100 breast (1:11.14), and 200 breast (2:40.44) at the 18&U MAC Spring Virtual Meet. And at the beginning of March, she logged lifetime bests in the SCY 50 free, 100/200 breast, and 200 IM at the Wisconsin Senior State Championships, winning the 100 breast, coming in 2nd in the 200 breast, and finishing top-8 in the 50 free and 200 IM.
Top SCY times:
- 50 breast – 28.51
- 100 breast – 1:01.74
- 200 breast – 2:16.38
- 50 free – 23.78
- 100 free – 51.15
- 200 free – 1:53.13
- 50 fly – 26.14
- 100 fly – 58.00
- 200 IM – 2:07.60
With a year left of high school to continue improving, Gewalt already has times that would score at Pac-12s. She would have been a B-finalist in the 100 breast with sophomore Hannah Farrow, and in the 200 breast with Arizona senior Kati Hage. Sophomore Jade Neser scored in the A final of the 100 breast.
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Congrats Eleni! Great pick up for the Wildcats!