Penn Snags Fox Valley Sprinter Phillip Sajaev for Class of 2021

Fox Valley Swim Team’s Phillip Sajaev has verbally committed to the University of Pennsylvania class of 2021. Notably, Fox Valley is the hometown club of 2016 Olympic breaststroker Kevin Cordes.

Penn has the perfect blend of academics, swimming, and social life. The coaches and swimmers were great to me, and I can’t wait to get on campus.

Sajaev is primarily a sprint breaststroker, though he has impressive sprint free times as well. He is currently a senior at Naperville Central HS just west of Chicago.

TOP TIMES (SCY)

  • 50 free – 20.85
  • 100 free – 46.13
  • 50 breast – 26.01
  • 100 breast – 55.79
  • 200 breast – 2:05.01
  • 200 IM – 1:52.96

At the 2016 IHSA State Championships, Sajaev placed 5th in the 100 breaststroke and lent a hand on all three relays. He led off the 200 free relay (20.85), swam the third leg of the 400 free relay (46.26), and anchored the 200 medley relay (20.47). Both free relays finished 2nd in state and the medley finished 3rd, with Naperville Central finishing 2nd in the team race.

Sajaev is already on the brink of B-final scoring potential in the 100 breast based on last year’s Ivy League Championships results, while he’s somewhat close to scoring potential in the 50 free and 200 breast.

He will get to train two years with current sophomore Colin McHugh, who was Penn‘s highest finisher in the 100 breast (5th) last season at the Ivy League Champs with a time of 54.00. Sajaev joins Swim Pasadena’s Sean Lee in Penn‘s class of 2021.

*IVY LEAGUE DISCLAIMER: A “verbal commitment” by a coach is not an offer of admission, as only the Admissions Office has that authority. An Ivy League coach can only commit his or her support in the admissions process.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email to [email protected].

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About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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