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Emilio “Lio” Perez of the Elmbrook Swim Club in suburban Milwaukee has verbally committed to Arizona State. Perez, a junior at Greenfield High School, is a member of the high school class of 2021.
All of this still feels like a dream. When I first came back to this sport I never would have thought I would be where I am today. With that said, I would like to announce that I am committing to Arizona State University. Thank you to everybody who has helped me in my journey to get me to where i am today. I can’t wait to get started with my new Sun Devil family and do even bigger things. Forks up!
He was the Wisconsin High School Division I (big schools) runner-up in the 100 fly in February in 47.97, culminating a championship season that saw him drop almost a second-and-a-half from his previous lifetime best. That swim makes him the 8th-best 100 yard butterflier in the high school class of 2021.
He’s also a solid backstroke who split 22.60 on a 200 medley relay leadoff leg earlier this season as part of the Greenfield Co-Op’s state title winning 200 medley relay. Every member of that medley relay was a junior.
His other state meet event was the 100 back, where he was 9th in 51.86, which is about a second off his best time. In fact, his 400 free relay leadoff of 46.31 was well-off his best time as well, indicating either late-meet fatigue or perhaps even bigger swims to come in the 100 fly.
Best Times in yards:
- 50 free – 20.40
- 100 free – 44.53
- 200 free – 1:41.23
- 100 back – 50.75
- 100 breast – 1:01.49
- 100 fly – 47.97
- 200 IM – 1:57.44
A better yards swimmer than meters swimmer to this point of his career, Perez’s highest cut is for the U.S. Open Championships, though he’s within a tenth of the Summer Nationals standard in the 50 meter free (23.25).
He joins a team coached by Bob Bowman, who was also the coach of the best butterflier in history Michael Phelps. Arizona State had 2 swimmers in the A-final of the 100 fly at this year’s Pac-12 Championship meet, including runner-up Cody Bybee (45.19) and 7th-place finisher Evan Carlson (46.24). Carlson has dropped almost 3 seconds in the 100 fly in his college career, while Bybee has dropped almost 2.
Perez’s best time in the 100 fly is already fast enough to finish in the B final of the 100 fly at the Pac-12 Championships even as a high school junior. Carlson will graduate the season before Perez arrives, while Bybee will have 1 season of eligibility remaining.
Perez trains with the Elmbrook Swim Club.
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Nah I’ll still be here fam
Congratulations Emilio! Go Devils!