Cal Secures Verbal Commitment from Versatile Ian Platts-Mills for 2025-26

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Ian Platts-Mills from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has announced his intention to continue his academic and athletic careers at the University of California, Berkeley beginning in the 2025-26 school year.

“I am super excited and honored to announce my commitment to swim and study at the University of California, Berkeley! I would like that thank my coaches, my teammates, and my amazing parents and family. Also, thank you to the Cal coaches for granting me this opportunity. Go Bears!”

Platts-Mills is a junior at Durham Academy. He swims year-round with the club team North Carolina Aquatic Club. We named him to the “Best of the Rest” section on our Way Too Early list of top boys’ recruits from the high school class of 2025 for his IM times.

In high school swimming last year, he competed in the 200 IM and 500 free at the North Carolina Independent Schools Division 1 State Championships. With lifetime bests in the IM (1:52.23) and 500 free (4:30.86), the sophomore finished 2nd and 3rd in the respective events.

Two weeks later he was at the North Carolina LSC Senior Short Course Championships, racking up more PBs. He placed 10th in the 200 free (1:42.10), 2nd in the 500 free (4:33.73), 3rd in the 1000 free (9:22.78), 2nd in the 1650 free (15:51.45), 8th in the 200 back (1:53.55), 19th in the 200 breast (2:10.44), and 4th in the 400 IM (3:58.88). He took home new times in the 200/1000/1650 free, 200 breast, and 400 IM.

And yet, he wasn’t done for the season. A month later, at Christiansburg Sectionals, he lowered his PBs in the 200 free (1:41.57), 1000 free (9:18.95), 1650 free (15:39.65), and 400 IM (3:57.56) and added a PB in the 200 fly (1:53.84). A week after that performance, he wrapped up the short course season with new best times in the 50 free, 1000 free (9:16.92), 50 breast, 50 fly, 100 IM, and 400 IM (3:53.42) at Tar Heel States.

He had an outstanding showing at NCSA Summer Championships, wrapping up long course season with PBs in the 400 free (4:04.35), 800 free (8:19.21), 1500 free (16:10.61), 200 back (2:09.63), 200 breast (2:26.02), 200 fly (2:05.24), 200 IM (2:09.10), and 400 IM (4:29.51).

Platts-Mills will join the Golden Bears’ class of 2029 with fellow verbal commits Caiden Bowers and Andrew Shackell.

Best SCY times:

• 400 IM – 3:53.42
• 200 IM – 1:52.23
• 1650 free – 15:39.65
• 1000 free – 9:16.92
• 500 free – 4:30.86
• 200 free – 1:41.57
• 200 back – 1:52.36
• 200 fly – 1:53.84

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