Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Sophie Oldham of St. Johns, Florida has announced her commitment to swim and study at the University of South Carolina, starting in the fall of 2027. Oldham trains year-round with the Bolles School Sharks and attends Creekside High School.
Oldham announced the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic journey at the University of South Carolina! I am incredibly grateful to God for blessing me with this opportunity. I want to express my deepest gratitude to my parents, family, friends and teammates for their support. I also want to thank all of the Bolles coaches-especially Coach Alexis, Peter, Dale and Sergiy and my former and current Coaches at Creekside. A special thank you to Coach Jeff, Coach Robert and all the coaches at South Carolina for their unwavering support and believing in me throughout this journey. GO GAMECOCKS!!
Oldham, a sprint freestyle and butterfly specialist, had a strong sophomore season in 2024-25. She dropped three-tenths in the 50 free from 24.23 to 23.93, over seven-tenths in the 100 free from 52.76 to 52.05, and four-tenths in the 100 fly from 56.87 to 56.47.
Her best meet of the 2024-25 season was the FHSAA 4A State Championships, which is where she broke 24 seconds in the 50 free for the first time. She logged 23.94 in prelims to rank sixth heading into the final, and sliced a hundredth off that mark to maintain her seed. She also swam to eighth in the 100 fly, clocking a near-lifetime best of 56.47, in addition to helping the 200 free relay take fifth with a 23.59 anchor leg and the 400 free relay nab fifth with a lifetime-best 52.16 on the leadoff, slicing over seven-tenths off her former best.
Oldham’s 50 free breakthrough was foreshadowed in the weeks prior when she logged 24.18 and 24.16 best times before finally breaking through the barrier with a full taper. Both of her individual swims marked a nice rise from her 14th-place finishes in both races as a freshman.
She capped off her short course season at the Florida Senior State meet in March, following up her 50 free performance with a 24.06 outing for 14th, and sliced 11 hundredths off her 100 free best to take 25th in a time of 52.05. In the fly events, she swam the 50 fly, an event not offered at the collegiate level, dropping half a second to take ninth, her highest finish of the meet. She then came a few tenths shy of her best in the 100 fly, stopping the clock at 56.74 for 23rd.
Though it’s early into the 2025-26 season, Oldham has been on fire, with the highlight so far being her massive 1.44-second drop in the 100 fly. She produced a time of 54.85 to win the Frank Holleman Invitational in mid-September, and came second in the 50 free with a near lifetime-best 23.99.
Just last week, she won the 100 fly (56.34) and took silver in the 50 free (24.24) at the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) 4A District Championships, and helped Creekside secure victories in the 200 and 400 free relays, recording an anchor split of 25.16 on the 200 relay and leading off in a season-best 52.95 on the 400 free relay.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.93
- 100 Freestyle: 52.05
- 100 Butterfly: 54.85
South Carolina, guided by head coach Jeff Poppell, delivered a strong showing at the 2025 SEC Championships, finishing fifth in a competitive 13-team field.
The Gamecocks carried that momentum into the NCAA Championships, where they placed 24th overall with 28 team points. Senior Greta Pelzek led the way with 11 points from an eighth-place finish in the 200 fly, while junior Amy Riordan added two points with a 15th-place result in the 200 back. Junior diver Sophie Verzyl accounted for the final 15 points on the boards, earning ninth in the 1-meter and 11th in the 3-meter events.
At the 2025 SEC Championships, where the top 24 finishers across the ‘A,’ ‘B,’ and ‘C’ finals scored points, it took times of 22.40 (50 free), 48.82 (100 free), and 52.92 (100 fly) to score in Oldham’s best events. On the team’s 2024-25 depth chart, she would have ranked eighth in the 100 fly and 17th in both sprint freestyles.
Oldham joins Emily Schneider, Paige Stepanoff, Maryellen Lewis, Madeline Ryan, Emmie Lewis, Ella Cooper, and Libby Helmer in committing to South Carolina’s class of 2031.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
FFT SOCIAL
Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
Go Cocks! Fight! Win! Kick Ass!