NC State Earns 1st Class of 2024 Verbal Commitment from #6 Erika Pelaez

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Erika Pelaez, who hails from Hialeah, Florida, has announced her verbal commitment to the North Carolina State University class of 2028.

“I’m blessed to announce my verbal commitment to North Carolina State University! Thank you to my family, Coach Adam, Coach Eric, and teammates for their guidance during this process. And a special thank you to the staff and team at NC state! So excited to become part of the Wolfpack!! Go Pack!!🐺❤️”

We ranked Pelaez the #6 sophomore last spring on our Way Too Early list of top recruits from the high school class of 2024. A homeschooled high school junior (she is an honor roll dual enrollment student with a perfect GPA through Broward Virtual School), she trains year-round with Eagle Aquatics and excels at an enormously wide range of events. She is a 52-point in both the 100 fly and 100 back, and she is also an excellent 50/100/200 freestyler. She was selected to USA Swimming’s 2022-23 National Junior Team for her performances this summer in the 50/100 free and 100 back.

In July, at the Phillips 66 National Championships, she finaled in the 50/100 free, 100/200 back, and 100 fly and clocked PBs in each event. She was 10th in the 50 free (25.31), 7th in the 100 free (54.65), 6th in the 100 back (1:00.33), 19th in the 200 back (2:13.03), and 10th in the 100 fly (59.23). Three weeks prior, she had won every event she entered (50/200 free, 100/200 back, and 100 fly) at Plantation Sectionals.

In short course season, she competed at the Florida High School Class 1A State Championships as a member of the South Florida Home Educated Athletic Teams and came away with a pair of wins in the 50 free (22.29) and 100 back (52.34). At Winter Juniors East, she was runner-up in the 100 free (48.62) and 100 back (52.26), 4th in the 50 free (22.40), and 17th in the 200 back (1:56.29) and 100 fly (52.74).

Pelaez has a similar event lineup to NC State All-Americans Katharine Berkoff and Kylee Alons. With Berkoff swimming in her senior season this year (although she is eligible for a fifth year), and Alons, Andrea Podmanikova, and Emma Muzzy swimming in their final year with the Wolfpack, Pelaez will help replenish the sprint/back/fly prowess that has helped define NC State in recent years.

Best SCY times:

• 100 fly – 52.74
• 100 back – 52.26
• 50 free – 22.29
• 100 free – 48.62
• 200 free – 1:46.63
• 200 back – 1:55.12
• 200 IM – 1:59.65
• 400 IM – 4:17.00

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