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A multiple-time finalist at the FHSAA 1A Swimming and Diving State Championships, Ava Fasano of King’s Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida has announced her commitment to Purdue University for this fall.
Last fall, Fasano competed in both the 50 free and 100 back at the 2022 FHSAA 1A Championships, finishing in the A-final of the freestyle and B-final of the backstroke. In the 50, she took fifth, touching in 23.61. That swim was just a tenth slower than she was a year prior at the 2021 edition of the meet when she took fourth in 23.51.
Fasano’s lifetime bests in the 50 free and 100 back both come from the 2021 Junior Championships-East. At that meet, she finished 31st in the 50 free (23.34) and 44th in the 100 back (55.76).
Prior to moving to Florida, Fasano swam with the Wilton Y Wahoos while living in Connecticut. While there, she was a finalist in both the 50 free (27.15), 100 back (1:06.30), and 200 back (2:24.92) at the 2021 YMCA Long Course Festival.
Best Times (SCY)
- 50 free – 23.34
- 100 free – 52.15
- 200 free – 1:56.32
- 100 back – 55.76
- 200 back – 2:01.65
As a team, Purdue finished 7th at the 2023 Big-10 Championships in large part due to their diving program. At the meet, Purdue finished with 492.5 points, with 237 of those coming from diving and just 75.5 coming from individual swims.
While Fasano will have to make some improvements during her freshman season, she already isn’t far off from scoring at the conference level for the team. In 2022, her lifetime bests would have put her half a second off of the C-final in the 50 free and just over a second off of the C-final in the 100 back.
While she’s not quite ready to score individually at the conference level, her time will make an immediate impact on the Boilermaker roster this fall. With her lifetime best, she would have ranked as the program’s fifth fastest performer in both the 50 freestyle and 100 back.
When Fasano joins Purdue this fall, there’s the potential for a coaching change within the program after Dan Ross, who had been at the helm of the men’s team since 1985, announced his retirement from coaching following the 2022-2023 season. Purdue is currently the only member of the Big-10 to have separate men’s and women’s programs. Fasano committed before Ross announced his retirement.
Purdue is shaping up to have a large group of women joining them as members of the class of 2027. The program currently has commitments from Abbie Kehmeier, Caitlin Hurley, Gretchen Schneider, Hannah Williams, Kaylee Wu, Leyla Sleime, Meg Howell, and Keira Kask.
Of Purdue’s current commitments, Fasano will overlap the most with Keira Kask of Broomfield, Colorado. Fasano and Kask swim nearly identical events, with Fasano’s freestyle times being slightly faster and Kask having the edge in the backstroke races.
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