Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Riley Hollingsworth of Columbus, Ohio, has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study as part of Utah’s class of 2031. Hollingsworth publicized the news on Instagram, writing:
I am extremely excited and honored to announce my verbal commitment to further my academic and athletic career at the University of Utah! I would like to thank my family, friends, and coaches for all the support over the years! You all have motivated me in so many ways and I am extremely grateful! Lastly, I would like to thank the Utah coaching staff for this amazing opportunity! Go Utes!
Hollingsworth is currently completing her junior year at Upper Arlington High School. Year-round, she trains with Upper Arlington Aquatics, where she has proven herself to be a versatile threat, primarily excelling in fly and IM, while also having a strong sprint freestyle.
She is a great pickup for the Utes, as she consistently drops time year over year. Over the past 12 months, she’s made her biggest improvements in the 200s, dropping over five seconds in the 200 fly (from 2:08.20 to 2:03.09) and over a second in the 200 IM (from 2:05.39 to 2:04.07). She also lowered her personal bests from 55.63 to 55.30 in the 100 fly and from 24.04 to 23.83 in the 50 free. Her 52.55 PB in the 100 free was registered two years ago, but she’s only swum the event a limited number of times since, primarily on relays.
At the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division I State Championships as a freshman, Hollingsworth helped Upper Arlington sweep the freestyle relays, splitting 23.25 and 52.13. Individually, she placed fourth in the 200 IM (2:05.39) and sixth in the 100 fly with a then-best time of 55.63.
This past February, she helped Upper Arlington defend the state title in the 200 free relay, splitting 23.23, and contributed a 51.81 split as they finished runner-up in the 400 free relay. She again made a pair of ‘A’ finals, this time touching seventh in the 200 IM (2:04.58) and eighth in the 100 fly (56.10). In prelims, she posted then-best times of 2:04.42 and 55.45, respectively.
Over the summer, Hollingsworth ventured beyond Ohio to compete at Junior Nationals. She placed 23rd in the 100m fly (1:01.78), 32nd in the 50m fly (28.19), and 98th in the 50m back (31.24), all in personal best times.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 Butterfly: 55.30
- 200 Butterfly: 2:03.09
- 200 IM: 2:04.07
- 50 Freestyle: 23.83
- 100 Freestyle: 52.55
Utah is led by head coach Jonas Persson, who took over both the men’s and women’s programs in 2022. The women finished fifth out of 10 teams at the 2025 Big-12 Championships, just 44.5-points behind Texas Christian in fourth.
The conference meet scores ‘A,’ ‘B,’ and ‘C’ finals, and it took times of 55.09/2:02.76 in the butterfly events and 2:02.52 in the 200 IM to score in 2025. Based on Hollingsworth’s current personal bests, she’s only 0.21 seconds off in the 100 fly and 0.33 off in the 200 fly based on last year’s times. With a year and a half to improve, she could arrive as an immediate scoring factor.
On the team’s 2024–25 depth chart, Hollingsworth would have ranked third in the 200 fly, fourth in the 100 fly, and sixth in the 200 IM. With the top fly swimmers graduating before she arrives, she could quickly become a key contributor in the medley relays and the team’s go-to flyer.
Hollingsworth joins distance freestyler Makenna Sherman as one of only two publicized recruits in the Utes’ class of 2031.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
FFT SOCIAL
Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
