Free/Breast Specialist Patrick France Commits to Washington & Lee for 2021

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Current high school senior Patrick France of Ensworth High School in Nashville, TN has chosen to join Washington & Lee University’s D3 swimming program in Lexington, VA for the fall of 2021. He also swims club for Ensworth Aquatics.

Extremely proud to announce my commitment to continue my academic and swimming career at the collegiate level at Washington and Lee University. I’d like to thank coaches Christian Bahr and Joe Goeken for believing in me from the very beginning and teaching me to love this great sport. I extend a heartfelt thank you to my family and especially my classmates, friends and teammates who were always there during the highs and lows. Can’t wait for the next four years. Go Generals!!

France recently represented Ensworth High School at Tennessee’s HS State Championships this past April. He swam the 200 free and 100 breast individually, touching 39th and 17th respectively in this year’s timed finals format. He also swam the breaststroke leg on Ensworth’s 200 medley relay, helping them to a third-place finish. These swims boosted Ensworth’s men’s team placement to a fifth-place finish overall, just seven points behind fourth-place team Maryville High School. 

His best times mostly stem from meets prior to the onset of the pandemic, but he popped a personal best in the 50 free at the 2021 Southeastern Senior Championships back in February. This swim sliced a tenth off his previous best from 2020, which incidentally came from that year’s edition of the same meet.

Top Times SCY: 

  • 50 Free- 22.40
  • 100 Free- 48.78
  • 200 Free- 1:45.66
  • 100 Breast- 58.94
  • 200 Breast- 2:11.46

Washington & Lee University competes in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, where they have dominated the annual conference meet since 2015, which was the inaugural championship for men’s swimming. The men’s program held a five-time winning streak, with their most recent win coming from the 2020 edition. They did not compete in the 2021 edition of the meet, along with three other schools. 

France, a freestyle/breaststroke specialist, would rank in the middle of the pack in the sprint events. On the 2019-2020 roster, he projects as the fourth-best breaststroker in both the 100 and 200. 

The program has a large incoming class of 2025, which includes Drew Leydig, Stephen Ewing, Matt Snyder, Jacob Teer, Scott Showalter, Xavier Raymondson, Reese Nelson, Matthew Fritz, Devin Bateman, Luke Osleger, Jackson Flower, Sam Stelter, Payton Crawford, Luke Nagel, and Baxter Smelzer

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Julia Bats
3 years ago

What do you need SIXTEEN incoming freshmen for? Geez.