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Raleigh, North Carolina native Hailey Hicks has verbally committed to the University of Georgia. Hicks is in the early weeks of her senior year of high school and is scheduled to join the Bulldogs in the fall of 2021.
Representing JO Sanderson High School, Hicks won the 50 and 100 free at the North Carolina High School Class 4A Eastern Regional Championship in January. There she swam 23.75 in the 50 free and 51.43 in the 100 free.
At the 4A State Championship meet, for the state’s largest schools, she added two tenths and placed 6th in the 50 free, but dropped two tenths and finished 3rd in the 100 free.
Her best times during her junior season didn’t come at a high school meet, however. Rather it came at December’s YOTA Arena Capital Classic, hosted by the YMCA of the Triangle Area, her club team.
There, she went best times in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 back, and 100 breast.
Best Times in Yards:
- 50 free – 23.33
- 100 free – 51.01
- 200 free – 1:54.89
- 100 back – 56.63
- 100 breast – 1:07.33
- 100 fly – 58.52
Her four-stroke versatility indicates that she has potential in the IM races, though so far she hasn’t done much there – her best time is an early-season 2:14 from October of 2019.
The Georgia Women finished 4th at a hyper-competitive SEC Championship meet last season, just 1.5 points behind Kentucky for 3rd place.
The freestyles are the foundation upon which Georgia has won 4 national championships since 1999. With the graduation of Veronica Burchill at the end of last season and SEC Championships A-finalist Gabi Fa’amausili graduating at the end of this season, the Bulldogs are looking for sprint reinforcements.
Even with only 4 freshmen on their roster for 2020-2021, they still are getting help in that area this season from Sloane Reinsetin (23.4/50.9/1:49.1) and World Junior Championships swimmer Maxine Parker (22.50/48.99/1:46.21). They’re going after the sprint frees again in a bigger class of 2021; in addition to Hicks, they’re bringing in sprinters Lily Gardner, Hailey Galbraith, Briana Roberson, Elsa Fretz, and Ava Kennedy.
The rest of the class so far includes Mary Martin, Dune Coetzee, and Rachel Stege.
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Very happy for Hailey! Great girl! Way to go!!!!