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Originally publisher August 18, 2020.Â
Badger Swim Club’s Matt Fenlon, ranked #10 in the high school class of 2021, has verbally committed to Stanford University’s class of 2025. Fenlon is a rising senior at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, N.Y.
TOP TIMES (SCY)
- 200 free – 1:37.38
- 500 free – 4:21.41
- 100 back – 49.64
- 200 back – 1:45.71
- 100 fly – 47.26
- 200 fly – 1:42.53
- 200 IM – 1:47.74
- 400 IM – 3:56.35
Fenlon is one of the most versatile swimmers in the high school class of 2021, with clear strengths in fly and IM but additional prowess in mid-distance freestyle and backstroke. He’s only swum in high school competition for the 2017-18 season, his freshman year, where he won the 100 back at the 2018 New York Boys Federation Championships. At the 2019 Speedo Winter Junior Championships – East, Fenlon won the 200 fly with a lifetime best 1:42.53.
He had a major jump between the summers of 2018 and 2019; in 2018, he only raced at Junior Nationals, where his highest finish came in the 200m free at 47th (1:54.33). In 2019, Fenlon competed at U.S. Nationals, where he qualified for the 200m fly C-final with a breakout best time of 1:59.73. Fenlon had not raced the 200 fly in long course since 2016 until January 2019, when he went 2:08.06 in prelims and then 2:03.88 in finals at the Longhorn Long Course Invite. He got down to 2:02.88 in March at the ISCA Junior Championships, then 2:01.82 in April at a meet hosted by Long Island Aquatic Club. In May, he again dropped to 2:00.56 at another non-championship meet, before finally breaking two minutes for the first time at Nationals.
Fenlon wound up winning that C-final at Nationals, annihilating his new best with a 1:57.39; the time was fast enough to qualify him as the second 18 & under behind National Champion Luca Urlando for the 2019 World Junior Championships, but selection for that roster was based on overall placing and Brendan Burns had placed higher than him after going faster in prelims and making it into the B-final.
In yards, Fenlon dropped from 4:34 to 4:21 in the 500 free and from 50.5/1:45.0 to 47.2/1:42.5 in the 100 fly/200 fly from the 2018-19 season to the 2019-20 season.
Fenlon is the second-best 200 butterflier in the class, and his butterfly speed will add even more strength to a Stanford team that has a huge influx of flyers coming in their class of 2024: Andrei Minakov (50.8 LCM), Ethan Hu (45.6/1:43.6), Preston Forst (47.4/1:43.5), Jonathan Affeld (46.9/1:44.0) and Aaron Sequeira (47.2). Fenlon’s 200 fly speed is ahead of all of the incoming freshmen, however.
This is Stanford’s first ranked commit for 2021 on the men’s side. Fenlon joins Hayden Kwan and Gabe Machado in their class of 2025.
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Aurora Roghair (W) and Hayden Kwan (M) just committed to Stanford for 2021 class
https://swimswam.com/florida-high-school-state-champion-hayden-kwan-commits-to-stanford/
https://swimswam.com/stanford-women-pick-up-2x-iowa-hs-champion-aurora-roghair-for-2021/
If Coach Schemmel can bring out the big guns, we will be in for some amazing PAC-12 battles between Stanford and Cal as the torch is fully passed to classes Of ‘22 and onwards
Similar to Matthew Fenlon (#10), I saw that many Stanford swimmers also follow Matt Follon (#8) and Hayden Zheng (#13), both of whom remain uncommitted, on IG. I’m not sure whether that would indicate that they would be Stanford-bound or not. But as a Stanford fan and alum, I remain hopeful. 🙂
Fallon is going to Penn
Oh yeah, thanks. I remember now that Swinswam reported on that. Tyler Lu also joined Northwestern. So the only person left uncommitted in top 20 is Hayden Zheng. Only Zheng and Fenlon are followed by stanfordmswim.
Another swimmer whom stanfordmswim and many Stanford swimmers are following is Leon Marchand. He is the French 400IM record holder (4:16.37). It is possible that he might be coming to the Farm (hopefully).
I would be surprised (and disappointed) if Hayden Z won’t end up at Stanford. Such an incredible young man in and out of water!! It would be Stanford’s loss if he goes elsewhere.
Congrats to Matt and Stanford. Another talented flyer!
Congratulations for your hard work Matt! Welcome to the Farm!
Bout time for it to be public, just about everyone coulda seen this coming!