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Lakeside Swim Team’s Ava Grazziani will join the Crimson Tide next fall as a member of their high school 2026 recruiting class. As a current junior at Sacred Heart Academy, Grazziani is a Kentucky High School State Champion and backstroke/sprint freestyle specialist.
I’m so excited to announce my verbal commitment to further my academic and athletic career at The University of Alabama. A huge thanks to my family, friends, and coaches for their continuous support. I’d also like to thank Coach Margo and Mike for this amazing opportunity!! Roll Tide 🐘🔴⚪️
Grazziani had a successful sophomore year campaign for Sacred Heart, helping them to a dominant win for their 12th consecutive Kentucky State Title and 35th in school history. She led off SHA’s 200 medley relay in 26.01, a PB, and finished 3rd in the 100 back (54.72). Her best race came in the 200 free, where with a time of 1:48.68, she won the individual state title.
She carried her momentum to NCSAs (LCM) in July, where she collected a series of personal bests in her primary events: the 200 back (2:15.76), 100 back (1:03.89), 50 back (29.87), 200 free (2:02.73), and 400 free (4:20.63).
To wrap up 2024, Grazziani swam at Speedo Winter Juniors – East in December where she earned 2 finals appearances, in the 200 free and 200 back. In the former, she finished in 15th with a 1:49.49, a season best, and in the latter, she hit a 1:57.32 for a PB and another 15th place finish. Grazziani additionally swam the 500 free (4:53.32) and 100 back (54.59), coming in at 25th in prelims for both events. The 500 was a new PB. She was also part of Lakeside’s victorious 200 medley relay as she anchored Charlotte Crush (23.56), Hanna Schmidt (28.51), and KC Braeger (24.35) home with a 23.11 split.
Best times:
- 100 free – 51.34
- 200 free – 1:48.67
- 500 free – 4:53.32
- 100 back – 54.39
- 200 back – 1:57.32
Alabama finished in 6th at the 2024 SEC Championships, a conference that will grow more competitive with the addition of Texas this season. Grazziani will look to bolster the Tide’s free/back group upon her arrival, as she would’ve ranked 5th in the 200 free, 5th in the 100 back, and 4th in the 200 back on Alabama’s roster this season. Grazziani is right on what it took to score at SECs in 2024, as times of 53.71/1:57.09 in the 100/200 back and 1:47.18 in the 200 free qualified for a second swim.
She will join Alyse Block, Georgia Wimberly, and Addison Sala in Bama’s class of 2030. Block (54.69 100 back) and Wimberly (1:58.22 200 back), along with Mazie Paradis (54.68/1:59.22 in the 100/200 back), a high school class of 2025 recruit, will make solid training partners for Grazziani, as they are all back/free specialists as well.
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