NASA Backstroker Jamie Kolar Commits to Illinois

NASA Wildcat Aquatics’ Jamie Kolar has given her verbal commitment to the University of Illinois. Kolar finished 9th in the 100 back as a sophomore and 13th as a junior at the IHSA Championships, though she is sticking with club swimming during her senior year at Loyola Academy.

Kolar’s Top Times

• 100y back – 56.16
• 200y back – 2:01.69
• 100m back – 1:03.76
• 200m back – 2:19.23

She has Winter Juniors cuts in the 100y and 200m back, while her 100m back is a Winter Nationals cut. She is very well within range of the Olympic Trials cut of 1:03.39 in that event. At the 2015 Junior Nationals, she placed 29th in the 100m back along with 65th in the 200m back.

Illinois just graduated their program’s best 100 backstroker in Alison Meng, and will be hugely benefitted by Kolar’s backstroke prowess when she arrives next fall. They finished 2nd to last at the B1G Championships last year, and will look to kick start their younger talents and start to climb up the conference ranks. While Kolar doesn’t yet have the speed to score at the B1G level, she’ll help out a program that’s very thin in backstroke after Meng’s graduation.

Emily Martin, who also hails from Illinois, is the other commitment for the Illini for next fall.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email to [email protected]