Penn Distance Group Gets Verbal from Cougar Aquatic’s Kaitlin Stearns

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The University of Pennsylvania Quakers will be able to add depth to the women’s distance program with the recent verbal commitment* of Kaitlin Stearns to the class of 2020.

“I picked the University of Pennsylvania because it offers both strong academics and an incredible swim program. I am so excited to be a part of such an amazing team next year and can’t wait to be a Quaker!”

Stearns is a two time Scholastic All American from Short Hills, New Jersey, and a senior at Millburn High School. She swims for Cougar Aquatic Team in New Jersey where she has developed into a freestyler with a wide range of competence, excelling in everything from the 100 to the mile. Stearns is strongest in the middle distances, and has achieved Winter Juniors qualifying times in the 200/500 freestyles.

Her best times over the last two years are:

Penn has been strong in the mid-distance range, and Stearns will fit in nicely with that group. She would have made “A” finals in the 200/500 at 2015 Ivy League Women’s Championships, been a “B” finalist in the 1000, and a “C” finalist in the 1650.

Stearns’ verbal is the third reported commitment to Penn; she joins Claire Kercheval-Roig and Mollie Westrick in the class of 2020.

*DISCLAIMER: Stearns has not yet been officially accepted to Penn. As is true with all Ivy League schools, Penn’s Admission Office will not send its acceptance letter until the beginning of December, along with those of all Early Action candidates. The procedure for a recruited athlete like Stearns is for Admissions to review her transcript and SAT scores, “support her application for admissions in the fall,” issue a Likely Letter, then offer her acceptance into the class of 2020.

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