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Mountain View, California’s Dar Lavrenko has verbally committed to swim and study at the University of California, Berkeley beginning in the 2025-26 school year.
“I am proud to announce that I have achieved a significant milestone. My verbal commitment to UC Berkeley where I will continue swimming as a D1 athlete in one of the best swim programs available. Coach Jose, thank you for all your time, energy and dedication you have given me. Thank you to my parents for always being there and supporting me. Thank you to my friends who have kept me sane even through the roughest of days. And thank you Abby for adding color to my world. Next goal: Olympic Games Go bears 🐻”
Lavrenko is a junior at Mountain View High School; he swims year-round with the club team Los Altos Mountain View Aquatics Club. A sprint specialist, he came in 2nd in the 100 free (45.06) and 6th in the 50 free (21.02) at the 2023 CIF-Central Coast Section Championships before going on to the California State Meet and placing 11th (45.54) and 8th (20.78) in the respective events. He earned a PB in the 100 in prelims.
He had a successful long course season, beginning with PBs in the 50/100 free, 50 back, 50/100 breast, and 50/100 fly at George Haines International Swim Meet. At Roseville Sectionals, he lowered his times in the 50/100 free and 50/100 fly and added new PBs in the 200 free and 200 fly. He won the 100 fly and 200 IM at Far Westerns (the latter with a PB), then wrapped up the summer at Junior Nationals in Irvine where he competed in the 50 free (20th), 100 free (16th), and 100 fly (96th in prelims) and clocked new PBs in all three events (23.31/50.99 in the free and 56.37 in the fly). He also time trialed the 200 free and scored a PB of 1:57.95.
Lavrenko will join the Golden Bears with #7 Norvin Clontz, #15 Caiden Bowers, #20 Kenneth Barnicle, Ian Platts-Mills, Julien Rousseau, and Andrew Shackell.
Best SCY times:
- 50 free – 20.72
- 100 free – 45.06
- 100 fly – 51.57
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Welcome Dar! Glad to keep you local, looking forward to watching you compete with the team!
It also looks like #11 Ryan Erisman verbals to the Bears as well
I remember last year at Cal Invite you were swimming against them, now you’re swimming with them. Congratulations brother
Does Cal have the locker room space for all these recruits 😂
Probably, but Durden is one sneaky bastard.
He knows recruiting these in state kids who aren’t highly touted and don’t need scholarship money will make him look better when they inevitably drop time.
If a 20.7/45.0 freestyler wasn’t dropping time at any top 15 program, I would be puzzled. Props to Durden for doing everything he can to make himself look better, truly playing 4D chess
…what? Please make more sense 😂💪🏼🐻
Andrew you gotta watch start watching your cholesterol with all this salt inside of you
Was warming up to click the Dislike marker anyway due to the usual negativity about Cal, but when the word “props” used, I abandoned all hesitation. How about an actual word, like “credit” ?
Yes, yes they do