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Ohio high school state finalist Eloise Gerlach has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at Seton Hall beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Seton Hall University! Thank you to my family, coaches, friends, and teammates who have supported me throughout this journey. Your encouragement and belief in me have made this opportunity possible. I’m incredibly grateful to Coach Derek and the entire Seton Hall staff for this opportunity. I can’t wait to join such an amazing team and continue pursuing my goals in both the pool and the classroom. Go Pirates!
A rising senior at Bishop Watterson High School in Columbus, Gerlach has competed for the school’s team since ers freshman season. In addition to representing the Eagles, she currently trains year-round with Worthington Swim Club, where she primarily specializes in sprint freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, and IM.
Over the course of the 2025-26 season, Gerlach dropped nearly five seconds in the 200 IM, two seconds in the 100 breast and 100 fly, a second in the 100 free, and four tenths in the 50 free.
At the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division I State Championships in February, Gerlach made her first finals appearances, touching 10th in the 100 free (52.30) and 12th in the 100 breast (1:04.83), both current lifetime bests, in addition to helping Bishop Watterson take sixth in the 200 free relay (23.92 PB leadoff) and ninth in the 200 medley relay (27.20 leadoff).
Outside of high school swimming, Gerlach ended the season at the Ohio Tim Myers Short Course Championships a few weeks later, where she swam to personal bests of 2:06.81 in the 200 IM and 56.34 in the 100 fly, taking third in the former and seventh in the latter. She also swam some off events and 50s, taking sixth in the 50 breast (30.16), eighth in the 50 fly (25.19), 19th in the 50 free (24.06), and 36th in the 200 free (1:59.01).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.92
- 100 Freestyle: 52.30
- 100 Butterfly: 56.34
- 100 Breaststroke: 1:04.83
- 200 IM: 2:06.81
A Division I Mid-Major program, Seton Hall competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing sixth out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. Gerlach’s current career bests would have been fast enough to qualify for the ‘B’ finals in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, and 100 breast, as well as the ‘C’ final in the 200 IM, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
Gerlach is the first publicized commit in the Pirates’ class of 2031 so far.
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].
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