After Michigan received a verbal commitment from elite in-state diver Jake Herremans just yesterday, today they’ve landed a top-flight swimmer to join him in the class of 2020. Robert Zofchak, another Michigan native, has announced his own verbal commitment to the Wolverines. Zofchak, who has swum for Dexter High School through his preps career, was the 2015 Michigan Div. II HS Champion in the 100 back as well as runner-up in the 200 IM.
The Club Wolverine youngster is a backstroker who does better in the 200 distance, and has the versatility to add the IMs to his possible collegiate schedule. He garnered Olympic Trials cuts in both backstroke distances in LCM just this summer, and has progressed very nicely in the short course pool over the last few years. Here’s a look at his progressions in his best events of late:
| 100 Back | 200 Back | 200 IM | 400 IM | |
| 2013 | 53.03 | – | 1:57.46 | 4:22.91 |
| 2014 | 50.80 | 1:51.69 | 1:52.28 | 4:06.74 |
| 2015 | 49.72 | 1:47.84 | 1:50.22 | 3:59.62 |
The significant improvement from his freshman to sophomore year of high school is astounding, and he continued to progress through his junior season. This summer, he swam 56.94 and 2:02.56 in the big pool in the 100 and 200 backstroke, which were under Olympic Trial standards.
The Wolverines’ backstroke and IM core was very deep last year, with few or no swimmers graduating from the top-end of those cores last year, but Zofchak looks as though he’ll be able to help out most specifically in the 200 backstroke. While his best time in the 100 back would have only been 8th on last year’s top times list (with two 46’s leading the way from freshmen Aaron Whitaker and Tristan Sanders), his 200 back would’ve landed him fifth.
As Michigan works to rebuild after their golden year of 2013 when they won the overall NCAA title, Zofchak is certainly joining a program back on the rise, and will strengthen their lineup in the back and IM events. He’s joined now by Herremans, James Jones, and Jacob Montague in Michigan’s class of 2020.
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