Freestyler Ian Pickles (2023) Makes Verbal Pledge to Texas Longhorns

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Ian Pickles, a senior at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, has announced his intention to swim and study at the University of Texas beginning next fall. He will join #4 Will Modglin, #5 Nate Germonprez, “honorable mention” Will Scholtz, Logan Walker, Brayden Taivassalo, and George Flanders in the class of 2027.

“I am excited to announce my verbal commitment to further my academic and swimming career at The University of Texas at Austin. I would like to thank my coaches, family, and teammates for helping me get to this point.  Hook ‘em!”

Pickles swims year-round with Swim Neptune and specializes mainly in sprint free. He won the 100 free (45.45) and was runner-up in the 50 free (20.68) in his final season of prep swimming at the AIA Division I State Championships this fall. That marked a huge improvement from his junior-year performance at the 2021 Arizona high school state meet, when he came in 9th in the 100 (48.18) and 10th in the 50 (21.75).

At Winter Juniors West, he lowered those PBs again, this time to 20.33/44.06 and added a new lifetime best in the 200 free (1:36.36) as he placed 15th, 12th, and 6th in the respective finals.

In long course season, Pickles clocked PBs in all six freestyle distances and finished with Summer Juniors cuts in the 50/100/200 (23.61/51.89/1:54.21).

Best SCY times:

• 50 free – 20.33
• 100 free – 44.06
• 200 free – 1:36.36

Texas has already had eight swimmers dip under the 20-second barrier this season: Daniel Krueger, Peter Larson, Charlie Crosby, Cole Crane, Peter Paulus, Will Chan, Alec Filipovic, and Sam Artmann. Pickles will overlap with freshmen Crosby and Filipovic and junior Paulus. Larson, Crane, and Artmann are seniors who will have the option of coming back for fifth years.

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