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Julia Fifer from St. Charles, Illinois announced her commitment in June to swim and study at George Washington University beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year.
“I am thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at George Washington University. After meeting the coaches and team, I felt at home at GW and knew it was the place for me. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years. I can’t wait to be a Colonial! #raisehigh”
Fifer swims for Saint Charles Swim Team (SCST) out of Saint Charles, IL, a suburb of Chicago. In March 2021, she earned her first Winter Juniors cut at the Illinois Swimming Winter Open. She swam a best time of 26.81 in the 50 freestyle long course. At the same meet, she also earned a best time in the 100 freestyle long course in a time of 58.61, and set short course best times in the 100 (51.92) and 200 (1:54.70) freestyles.
This summer, she has also improved on her best mid-distance and distance long course freestyle times. At the Illinois Long Course Senior Swimming Championships at the end of July 2021, she set best times in the 200 (2:10.45), 400 (4:33.41), 800 (9:19.68), and 1500 (17:55.12) freestyles.
She will begin her senior year this fall at Saint Charles North High School. Her best short course times are:
- 50 freestyle: 23.49
- 100 freestyle: 51.92
- 200 freestyle: 1:54.70
- 500 freestyle: 5:07.04
- 1000 freestyle: 10:33.16
- 1650 freestyle: 17:36.85
George Washington University is a private university located in Washington D.C. The school is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
At the 2021 Atlantic 10 Conference Championships, the George Washington women placed fourth out of 10 teams with 438 points. The men’s team won the conference title, and this was their fourth conference title in five years.
Based on her best times, Fifer has the potential to add points for the GWU women. Her best times would have earned her a spot in the A-final of the 50 freestyle and the B-final in the 100 freestyle.
Her best times in the 50 and 100 freestyle also give her the potential to be on the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. The GWU 200 freestyle relay finished sixth out of 10 teams in 2021. Fifer’s best flat start time in the 50 is faster than the first two splits of that relay. Three out of the four swimmers on that relay (depending on if the fourth uses the fifth year allowed by COVID-19) will still be on the GWU roster when Fifer arrives on campus.
The GWU women finished seventh out of 10 teams in the 400 freestyle relay. Based on her best flat start time, Fifer is faster than the anchor split on that relay. That relay will have two swimmers still on the roster when Fifer arrives on campus, but all four may still be on campus if the additional two take their 5th year due to COVID-19.
Fifer joins Ava Topolewski, Phoebe Wright, and Julia Miles in the class of 2026 that will arrive on campus in fall 2022.
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