The well-rounded and versatile Sami Kegel will be joining the Ursinus College squad next year. The Pennsylvania native, who swims for the Lancaster Aquatic Club, will be an excellent addition to the Bears squad – adding depth in multiple events.
Recently, she’s swum a 59.80 100 yard back, a 2:10.99 200 yard back, a 59.76 100 yard fly, and a 25.54 50 yard free.
The Ursinus Bears had a banner season last year, winning the Centennial Conference title: the first in program history. Kegel’s times would have placed her into the ‘A’ final of the 100 fly, the 100 back, and the 200 back. While she should be a scorer as a freshman in all three events, Ursinus needs her the most in the backstroke events where they graduated conference champion Malena Lair Ferrari in both the 100 and 200 backstrokes at the end of last season. By comparison, the team is much deeper in the butterfly events.
To that point, her times have progressed nicely over the past years. Not only in the 200 yard backstroke, but in her 100 back and fly as well. She hit a little bit of a plateau as a junior, however. Her progression:
| 200 back | 100 back | 100 fly | |
| 2012 | 2:12.19 | 1:03.32 | 1:02.82 |
| 2013 | 2:10.67 | 59.77 | 59.44 |
| 2014 | 2:10.99 | 59.8 | 59.76 |
Kegel earned a qualification for the Eastern Zone Super Sectional over the summer, which should expose her to higher levels of competition and prepare her better for the intensity of a college conference meet.
