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Two years after graduating from Cherry Creek High School in Colorado, 20-year-old Jack Schuster has committed to join Arizona State’s squad this fall for the 2023-24 season.
Schuster announced his commitment on May 20, a couple months after clocking big lifetime bests in the 50-yard freestyle (19.60), 100 free (43.13), and 200 free (1:37.85). Those times would have made the C-finals at the 2023 Pac-12 Championships, where the Sun Devils captured their first conference title in program history.
“Due to some injuries, illness and Covid, I took a gap year to reflect, work and continue to train to my goal on making it to an Olympic trial meet,” Schuster told SwimSwam. “I’m beyond thrilled to join ASU, Bob Bowman and Herbie Behm to start a new chapter in my life.”
Schuster’s best short-course yards (SCY) times indicate he’s a freestyle specialist, but he could also be a factor in butterfly events in Tempe. He recently posted personal bests in the 50-meter fly (25.15 in June) and 100-meter fly (55.77 at May’s Pro Swim Series stop in Mission Viejo), but he hasn’t contested the yards versions of those events since 2019.
Best SCY Times
- 50 free – 19.60
- 100 free – 43.13
- 200 free – 1:37.85
Schuster has improved a ton since capping his high school career at the 2021 CHSAA Class 5A Championships. There, he placed 11th in the 50 free (21.50) and seventh in the 100 free (46.62). He trains at the club level with the Aquawolves Swim Team in Centennial, Colorado.
He first broke 20 seconds in 50 free in November of 2022 (19.99), then shaved nearly four-tenths off his lifetime best at Austin Sectionals in March with a 19.60 in prelims. In 100 free, Schuster hadn’t gone sub-44 seconds until Austin Sectionals, when he dropped well over a second in the event with a 43.13. And in the 200 free, his personal-best 1:37.85 marked an improvement of nearly four seconds from his best time heading into Austin Sectionals.
Schuster joins Kaden Guzman, Filip Senc-Samardzic, Leo Roden, Ilya Kharun, and Asher Havenhill in Arizona State’s 2023 recruiting class.
The Sun Devils had a deep group of freestylers last season led by redshirt junior Jack Dolan, freshman Jonny Kulow, graduate student Grant House, fifth year Max McCusker, sophomore Patrick Sammon, and redshirt senior Cody Bybee, but three of them — House, McCusker, and Bybee — exhausted their NCAA eligibility, so it makes sense to start reloading there.
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How bout Luka popping off a 1:51.7. Kid just turned 14. Might be down to 1:48 by the send of summer. LEGIT
Great, another 20 year old freshman. It could be worse though, at least he’s not going to cal
How does the 2 year gap between HS and college affect his eligibility?
It doesn’t, as long as he wasn’t taking classes and started the clock. At least that’s what I remember.
Agree. I don’t think there are restrictions on age/the gap duration between HS and college.
You have 5 years from when you graduate high school to finish your 4 years of eligibility
I could be wrong, but I do not think that’s the case. There are plenty of guys who played minor league baseball for several years, then went on to play college football for multiple years (thinking Chris Weinke, for example). I think just last year former NBA player J.R. Smith is playing golf in college. Went in as a 36 year old freshman.
I am His sister and because he took too many meets he is now not eligible. Bob and Hurbie have sent another approval form after being declined the first time. So now he is not able to compete with the team.
Grant House 2.0
yall really hating😂😂
Nah yall got it twisted. This should be the norm. I was young for my grade and a true freshman and i never made it to soph cus i went to the wrong school and it was just a whole mess. Ppl need time to find themselves and thier bodies and make sure they go to the right place. Typically these people and places define the rest of ur life for most ppl. Very important time in these kids lives. Take it seriously and think about it. If ur not sure, wait and figure it out and train hard in the meantime.
I wish more people thought this way. How many kids do you know who had their college careers completely derailed because they went to school before they were ready? I know quite a few. I have still never met a kid who was irreparably damaged by taking a gap year. Unfortunately, the education-industrial complex programs these kids from a very young age to think that they will be failures in life if they don’t take out massive loans the moment they graduate. Always nice to see young people who are able to zoom out a bit.
Theres also this military-swimdustrial complex where the coaches, swimmers (my peers), & other parents make u feel crazy or like a loser if you’re not on a certain track like everybody else. It was really heavy. I’ve come a long way in terms of self belief/ self knowledge (27 now) but at 18 its a lot harder to come by. I wish i had more perspective at the time but that angle is rare esp in this sport. Lots of closed minds at least when i was going thru it.
And don’t even get me started on the education side of US swimming. Im an artist now. There was no helping me apparently… no place for creativity as a… Read more »
Congrats man!