Ava Chavez Commits to Cal as Part of Tiny 2023 Recruiting Class

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Saint Francis High School (Sacramento, Calif.) senior Ava Chavez will continue her swimming career in-state at Cal this fall.

“I chose Cal Berkeley because of its amazing athletic and academic opportunities,” wrote Chavez, who trains year-round with the Sierra Marlins Swim Team in Folsom. “I look forward to being a part of such a fantastic team of women who support and encourage one another! Go Bears!!!!”

She appears to be one of just two Cal commits in the 2023 recruiting class along with Kathryn Hazle. The Bears will be losing Isabel Ivey (Florida) and Emma Davidson (Texas) next season, but it’s not yet known exactly how many of their seven seniors will be leaving the 28-swimmer roster.

Chavez is coming off a successful senior season of high school swimming that culminated in a pair of runner-up finishes in the 200-yard freestyle (personal-best 1:47.42) and 100 butterfly (53.67) at the CIF State Championships last month.

At last December’s Winter Junior Championship West meet, Chavez tallied lifetime bests in the 100 free (50.22), 50 fly (24.78), 100 fly (53.21), and 200 IM (1:59.23). A few months later, she lowered her best 100 free time to 50.19 at Novato Sectionals in March.

Best Times

• 100 free – 50.19
• 200 free – 1:47.42
• 500 free – 4:48.02
• 100 fly – 53.21
• 200 breast – 2:15.23
• 200 IM – 1:59.23

Chavez’s best times would have placed her in the B-finals of the 100 fly and 200 IM as well as the C-finals of the 200 free, 500 free, and 200 breast at the 2023 Pac-12 Championships in February.

Cal ended up placing third behind Stanford and USC at this year’s Pac-12 Championships after dealing with the fallout from former head coach Teri McKeever’s firing in late January. Dave Durden, who has coached the men’s team in Berkeley since 2007, now leads the women’s program as well.

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