California HS State Champ, “BOTR” Sprinter Gracyn Aquino, Verbals to Cal for 2025-26

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Gracyn Aquino from Rancho Santa Margarita, California, has announced her verbal pledge to the University of California, Berkeley. The Santa Margarita Catholic High School junior will head to the East Bay in the fall of 2025.

“I am thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic pursuits at UC Berkeley in 2025! I am thankful to God, my family, coaches and team, who made this dream a reality for me. GO BEARS! 🐻💙💛”

Aquino is a sprint free specialist. We recognized her in the “Best of the Rest” section on our Way Too Early list of top recruits from the high school class of 2025. At the 2023 California CIF-Southern Section Division 1 Championships in May, she won the 50 free (22.91) and placed 3rd in the 100 free (50.35), clocking PBs in both events. A week later she competed at the California State Meet and lowered her times to 22.68 and 50.32, respectively. She won the 50 and came in 5th in the 100.

She kicked off long course season with a flurry of best times in her home pool at the Mission Viejo-hosted Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions. She came away with new PBs in the 50 free (26.51), 100 free (57.78), 200 free (2:07.37), 50 back (29.80), and 100 back (1:03.90).

Her best SCY times are:

• 50 free – 22.68
• 100 free – 50.32
• 200 free – 1:52.06
• 100 back – 55.50
• 200 back – 2:02.26
• 100 fly – 57.44

Outside of the pool, Aquino enjoys painting with acrylics and watercolor, as well as other media like drawing and pastels. She takes Honors Advanced Painting at Santa Margarita and is a member of the National Art Honor Society. She is also a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.

Aquino comes from a family of accomplished athletes, although she is the lone swimmer. Her parents were both cheerleaders at UCLA (that’s how they met) and were two-time USA Collegiate National Champions (1996, 2002-2003). Her 12-year-old sister is a competitive gymnast and is the reigning 2023 Region 1 (CA, NV, NM, UT) All-Around Champion for Level 7. At that competition, she also won the gold on uneven bars and floor exercise against the best in the region.

Aquino shared one more bit of information with us: “Baking cakes and cookies is one of my favorite hobbies that I picked up during quarantine. I don’t get to do that much now because of my school and swim schedule, but when I bring my baked creations to family gatherings, they are gone within minutes.”

Cal has an early lead on verbal commitments from the high school class of 2025. Aquino’s future teammates, so far, will include #1 Alex Shackell and #3 Claire Weinstein.

“I’m really excited about my future at Cal and can’t wait to work with Coach Durden, Coach Marsh, and the whole staff.”

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