Summer Juniors Qualifier Samantha Rydzewski Commits to Georgia (2024)

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Samantha Rydzewski has announced her verbal commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs for the fall of 2024.

Rydzewski currently attends Middle Creek High School in Apex, North Carolina. She swims year-round for the Raleigh Swimming Association. Her older sister, Amber Rydzewski, also is a swimmer and is currently a sophomore at Queens.

I chose UGA for both the amazing academic and athletic opportunities along with a great coaching staff and supportive team. Truly a 10/10 for me. I couldn’t have done it without the support of RSA. GO DAWGS

Rydzewski primarily focuses on backstroke and IM. She holds a Summer Junior National qualifying time in the 100m backstroke, and is just off in the 200m backstroke.

Top SCY Times:

  • 100 back – 55.44
  • 200 back – 1:58.38
  • 200 IM – 2:04.80

Top LCM Times:

  • 100 back – 1:03.97
  • 200 back – 2:17.53
  • 200 IM – 2:23.12

Rydzewski completed at Speedo Summer Nationals this past August, where she placed as high as 28th in the 200 back (2:17:53). The swim was a new personal best by about a tenth, with her previous best being set only a few weeks prior. Her breakthrough meet this summer was the North Carolina Senior Long Course Championships, where she set best times in the 100 back, 200 back, 100 fly (1:03.99), and 100 free (59.40). Her 100 fly was an improvement of about a second and half from last summer, meaning her short course 100 fly could be in for a big drop this upcoming season. All of her previous bests prior to this meet were set in June. 

The North Carolina Short Course Senior Championships was another breakthrough meet for Rydzewski. She set best times in the 400 IM (4:26.86), 100 fly (57.17), 100 back (55.44), 1000 free (10:21.02), 200 back (1:58.38) and 500 free (5:02.54). Of those swims, all but one were top 8 finishes. Her 200 back improved more than 3 seconds over the course of last short course season, while her 200 IM improved by almost 4 seconds. 

Georgia placed 4th out of 12 teams at least year’s SEC Championships. It took a 53.67 and a 1:57.46 to advance to the C-final in the 100 and 200 back. Although Rydzewski’s times are currently just outside of scoring range, she still has two years to develop and continue to improve. 

Backstroke was one of Georgia’s weakest event groups at last year’s SECs, bringing in only 66 points total between the two backstroke events. For comparison, they scored 77 points in the 200 IM alone. Georgia’s backstroke group was led last season by Millie Sansome (52.49/1:54.68), Eboni McCarty (52.92), Madison Homovich (1:55.16), and Portia Brown (54.07/1:57.98). Brown, Homovich, and Sansome will all be out by the time Rydzewski arrives in Athens, but she should overlap a year with McCarty. 

Ann Wohlgemuth, a commit for Georgia’s class of 2027, is also a backstroker. She currently owns best times of 53.85 and 2:01.47, putting her just outside of SEC scoring range in the 100 specifically. 

Rydzewski is joined by fellow North Carolina native Katie Belle Sykes in Georgia’s class of 2028. Sykes also swims backstroke (55.56/2:02.93), but specializes more so in sprint freestyle and IM. 

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BDCSWIM
1 year ago

Go Dawgs!