The Stanford women are on a roll with their recruiting this year. After receiving verbals from Kaylin Moss and Sarah Haase earlier in the fall, the Cardinal have received a verbal commitment from Julia Anderson of the Fort Worth Aquatic Team, who is another Jr. National Team swimmer.
Anderson is an elite freestyler at Paschal High School. Last year, as a junior, she was the state champion in the 200 free and runner-up in the 100 (only to Georgia freshman Maddie Locus). Her best times in those events are 49.69/1:45.83. That 200 free would’ve put her about half-a-second out of a B-final at NCAA’s last spring, so she should be a scorer as a freshman – and an important part of Stanford’s 800 free relay. She also brings in a 4:47 in the 500 free.
Anderson earned her way into the Junior National Team program thanks to a C-Final in the 200 free at USA Swimming Nationals. She followed up that performance with a pair of 3rd-place finishes in the 100 and 200 free at Junior Nationals. She added a Junior World Championship gold as the leadoff leg of the American 800 free relay in Lima, Peru.
Her secondary stroke is backstroke, where she has bests of 56.5/1:59.4.
The broader question here is where does this leave room for Jasmine Tosky, who is the best senior who hasn’t announced a decision yet. Though it’s not for certain, Stanford seems to be approaching their scholarship limit pretty quickly with the three-strong class that they’ve brought in. Tosky is reportedly down to a decision between USC and Stanford, though the announcement should either happen today, or else it won’t likely come until she returns from Singapore. Both programs are probably quite anxious for her decision. The number of elite recruits who are unaccounted for is closing in on 0 (with Allison Brown out of Pleasanton, California as probably the next best unaccounted-for name still available).
If Stanford has Jasmine Tosky, the women’s team will be very tough to beat in the next years. I’m not a specialist of NCAA but I know she’s a beast in yards. She has already a 4.04 in the 400 IM, she’s very strong in the 100 and 200 butterfly and in the 200 free. She’s the best all-around swimmer in the next class of 2012. If she goes to Stanford she will have a big training partner with Maya Dirado and if she goes to USC she will have a big training partner with Katinka Hosszu.