NC State Continues to Work Magic: Gets Verbal from #7 Annabel Crush (2021)

Fitter and Faster Swim Clinics 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.

Annabel Crush has verbally committed to North Carolina State University for the 2021-22 season. She will join the Sheble twins, Caroline Sheble and Grace Sheble, in the class of 2025.

“I’m so extremely blessed and excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at North Carolina State University! I can’t wait to be apart [sic] of this family! GO PACK!3

Crush is the #7 recruit on our Way Too Early list of top 20 girls in the high school class of 2021. She is highly versatile, with a 2020 US Olympic Team Trials cut in the 100m back (1:00.74); a US Open cut in the 200y free (1:47.55); Summer Juniors standards in the 50/100 free, 200 back, and 200 IM; and Winter Juniors cuts in the 500 free, 100 fly, and 400 IM. A junior at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Kentucky, Crush is a three-time Kentucky High School state champion through her first two year of high school. She won the 100 back (52.90) and was runner-up in the 200 IM (2:00.19) as a freshman at the 2018 KHSAA State Meet. This past season she defended her backstroke title (53.02) and won the 200 IM (1:59.23).

Crush does her club swimming with Lakeside Swim Team. A member of the USA Swimming Women’s National Junior Team for 2020-21, she competed at 2019 FINA Junior World Championships in Budapest in the 50 back and 100 back. She made finals in both events, finishing 8th in the 50 and 6th in the 100. Earlier in the summer, she competed at Phillips 66 Nationals in the 100 free, 100 back, and 200 IM. She placed 8th in the 100 back and wrapped up the meet with new PBs in the 100 free and 100 back.

Crush comes from hearty collegiate swimming stock. Her parents (Chip Crush and Mimi Bowen Crush) met at Auburn. Chip Crush held the Independent High School National Record in the 100 back in 1994, then went on to Auburn where he was a 3x SEC individual champion and an All-American. Mimi, and her sister Maggie Bowen, both swam at Auburn, too. Mimi won NCAA titles in the 100 fly and 200 medley relay in 1997. Maggie won 9 NCAA titles during her years with the Tigers (200 IM x3, 400 IM x3, 400 free relay, 800 free relay, 400 medley relay).

NC State will have a number of choices, given Crush’s wide range of events. She is within a half-second of scoring range at NCAAs in the 100 back but she has been improving rapidly in freestyle. This time last year, she 23.4/50.1/1:49.3 in the 50/100/200; now she goes 22.7/48.9/1:47.5. As she continues to develop, Crush will have good relay value, as well.

Best SCY times:

  • 100 back – 52.31
  • 200 back – 1:55.50
  • 50 free – 22.71
  • 100 free – 48.97
  • 200 free – 1:47.55
  • 200 IM – 1:58.89
  • 400 IM – 4:19.73
  • 100 fly – 54.21

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

The Fitter & Faster Swim Tour produces swim clinics featuring elite stars of the sport and the most innovative teaching platforms. FFT Swim Clinics can be customized to meet age and skill level of every team and community. Call 786-837-6880 or visit http://www.fitterandfaster.com/ to learn more.

FFT SOCIAL

Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour

Facebook – @fitterandfastertour

Twitter – @fitterandfaster

FFT is a SwimSwam partner.

18
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

18 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
WCNJCTNY
4 years ago

What a name!

JDM
4 years ago

What a wonderful family, and as the article says there is a long line of talent. I think she will excel even further in college because of the way she was raised, just as her parents and aunt did.

Lane 8
4 years ago

NC State got both #7 recruits. Nice

Anonymoose
4 years ago

Well, nomen est omen 😉

CourtneyCaldwellSuperFan
4 years ago

Another one UVA didn’t get….

2 Cents
Reply to  CourtneyCaldwellSuperFan
4 years ago

She clearly fits in better at state than UVA

Oldswimfan
4 years ago

Holloway & co are doing work in Raleigh! 5 boys and 4 girls in the class of 2021… all great swimmers. Well done!

David Berkoff
4 years ago

Welcome to the Pack!

swimfan210_
4 years ago

Congrats to Annabel! NC State is crushing it right now!

DeSorbo Effect
Reply to  swimfan210_
4 years ago

Good for Crush!

But WAIT FOR IT the DeSorbo Party about to take off with 3 BIG announcements!

HERE WE COME! We only play 1st fiddle!

ACC fan
Reply to  DeSorbo Effect
4 years ago

Maybe the Desorbo Effect (literally and atavar-wise) is too aggressive, like your comment. Let’s celebrate this student-athlete’s decision and let the competition take place in the pool.

Oldswimfan
Reply to  ACC fan
4 years ago

100 % agree with ACC Fan.

DeSorbo Effect, you can keep your comment on UVA articles. You are making yourself and the fan base look very bad.

Respect and support this student athlete.

DravenOP
Reply to  Oldswimfan
4 years ago

He is a troll, not a fan or associated with UVA so don’t expect him to stop.

Samuel Huntington
Reply to  DeSorbo Effect
4 years ago

Is this big 3 going to be be like the boys big 3? Oh wait..

DeSorbo Effect
Reply to  Samuel Huntington
4 years ago

Hoos having the last laugh now ha ha ha #LetsRage
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4KyEpzgfOs/

ACC fan
Reply to  DeSorbo Effect
4 years ago

Desorbo Effect, are you really doing this on a student-athlete’s announcement page? Classless.

Swimmom
Reply to  ACC fan
4 years ago

Thank you both @ACCfan and @Oldswimfan. @Desorbo effect, please let students have their moments. UVA commits will have their announcement articles, and I’m sure UVA fans would not appreciate comments hyping other programs or the success of that program’s recruiting process.

swimfan210_
Reply to  DeSorbo Effect
3 years ago

Dear DeSorbo Effect, we miss you.

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

Read More »