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Ben Hines of Berzerker Swimming in Webb City, Missouri has verbally committed to the University of Alabama. Hines is a current high school junior and a member of the class of 2021.
Hines won the Missouri Class 1 State State Championships in mid-November in both the 50 free (20.07) and 100 free (45.28). The 50 free time is a new Missouri High School State Record, and the 100 free is a new Class 1 record. Hines is one of the best young sprinters to ever come out of the state of Missouri.
Hines is a true speed-burner, especially in freestyle and butterfly, and should make an immediate relay impact for the rebuilding Crimson Tide.
Best Times in Yards:
- 50 free – 20.07
- 100 free – 45.28
- 200 free – 1:41.98
- 50 back – 23.28
- 100 back – 51.84
- 50 fly – 21.69
- 100 fly – 49.07
Alabama graduated 3 of the 4 legs from its NCAA-title winning 200 medley relay last season, returning only the World Champion in the 50 meters backstroke Zane Waddell (who in turn is a senior this season). In spite of those graduations, Alabama has the fastest 200 yard medley relay in the country this season, .01 seconds better than Texas A&M, after last weekend’s Georgia Tech Inviational. Hines should be a big part of continuing that relay tradition for Alabama when he arrives on campus in 2 years.
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Whoa. He will be really good. Great choice. Consistent improver with a lot of speed, said 19 was his goal for the 50 free this year. Roll Tide and congrats Ben!
Seems like a good fit given his background. Congratulations to Ben and Bama.
Ben is a beast and just a junior!
Great choice on both sides! Ben is going to be good! RTR
The young man looks huge! And looks like a college senior! Lol
No offense to Mr. Hines, because what he has accomplished considering his limited amount of time in this sport is incredibly impressive, but y’all might be forgetting about Jack Dolan when you are talking about the best sprinter to come out of the state of Missouri. JD was 19.6/43.5/1:34.7 in the free, 22.0/47.0/1:42.9 in the back, and 21.6/46.8 in the fly coming out of HS.
Again, sincere congrats to Ben for his great performances so far this season, and the future is definitely bright for him!
You seem to have missed the words “one of” in front of the best
I really think they changed the wording on that since I posted. That said, I’m old, and prone to mental errors these days. Either way, this kid is the real deal.
Hines still has 2 more SCY and 2 more LCM seasons to improve on his best times before he arrives in Tuscaloosa. He may not surpass Dolan’s times, but there’s a good chance he enters college at 19 in the 50, 43 in the 100, & 47 in the fly. Hard to compare his sophomore times to Dolan’s senior times.
Hines is just getting started. Bama has picked up a hidden gem.
Yeah he will be good. He said that his goal was to swim a 19 second 50 free this year. He got so close.
My son just started on a HS team, here in MO. I had the pleasure of watching Ben at COMO and again at state. I briefly talked to him at state to tell him how well he did. Very nice young gentleman. I can’t wait to watch him next year and wish him luck for the future.