Texas Free/Back Sprinter Cole Kilburn Sends Verbal Commitment to ASU

Pittsburg, Texas sprinter Cole Kilburn announced via social media that he has verbally committed to swim for Arizona State University next fall, joining a class of 2022 that will also include Cody Bybee, Eddie Michael, Elijah Warren, Ethan Luc, Jack Little, Jakob Icimsoy, Khalil Fonder, Liam Bresette, and Noah Henry.

“Blessed to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic, and swimming career at Arizona State University. I’d like to thank my friends, coaches, and family for supporting me along the way! #ForksUp”

Kilburn is a senior at Pittsburgh High School. The 16-5A Swimmer of the Year, he excels in the 50/100 free and 100 back. He finished 14th (53.73) in the 100 back at the 2017 UIL 5A Swimming & Diving State Meet. In club swimming he represents Longview Swim Club. At the Gulf Swimming Senior Championships in December, Kilburn scored PBs in the 50/100 free and 100/200 back, dropping significant amounts of time in all his events.

Top SCY times:

  • 50 free – 22.25
  • 100 free – 49.20
  • 100 back – 52.45
  • 200 back – 1:55.87

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].

 

29
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

29 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Coach Gooding
6 years ago

I had the pleasure of meeting Cole in our District this year. You’d be hard pressed to find a nicer guy. As far as his times go you have to take into consideration that he was driving 45 miles, one way, just to find a pool to swim in. When you’re only getting 3 or 4 thousand yards in 4 or 5 days a week what he has accomplished this last year is pretty darn good. I have no doubt with a year or two swimming at ASU Cole is going to make Coach Bowman look like a genius, which he probably already is….lol He also took the time to mentor my freshman swimmer and help him improve from a… Read more »

M P
6 years ago

This kid is a diamond in the rough. East Texas doesn’t even have a proper swim facility for training, so with some consistent training and technique work, he’s going to fly through the water.

Admin
Reply to  M P
6 years ago

I’m not sure I’d agree that “East Texas doesn’t even have a proper swim facility for training.” Lufkin and Nacogdoches each have very nice 25 yard pools (I’ve taken my team to meets in Lufkin), and Tyler ISD has a brand new 50m swim center.

Would agree that the swimming facilities in Longview, where Cole trains, aren’t great, and there’s nothing to speak of in his town of Pittsburg…but stretching that to all of East Texas…

Sun Devil Swim Fan
Reply to  Braden Keith
6 years ago

Agree. Pool that Longview High swims in is archaic (my grandson has swam in a couple of meets versus Longview High there). Shouldn’T judge “all” of East Texas on that one pool!!

Etex swim fan
Reply to  Braden Keith
6 years ago

The swimming pools in East Texas are few and far between. Cole’s family have worn out two cars making the 1 hr trip to and from the pool 3 times a week. Kudos to him and his family for accomplishing what he has with limited access to facilities.

Swimmer
6 years ago

Give the man a break he just accomplished something amazing

SWIMMER
6 years ago

omg you guys are just jealous that this dude got into ASU, give the man a break

sugim123
6 years ago

Intresting….. I wonder how much potential this guy has. Seems extremely slow for ASU but I’m sure Bob Bowman has a reason.

Sharon
Reply to  sugim123
6 years ago

My sin trained with Cole last year….my son is Autistic and Cole helped him alot…. helped him to swim tgrough his seizures….Cole has a huge heart and upside…he is not overtrained…he will improve hus times dramatically in college

Realist
6 years ago

I’m betting this kid isn’t a sports academy living or home schooled, private coach/trainer type with his own sports psychologist like a huge number of elite level high school athletes are these days. Betting his upside is way higher than most kids ranked higher at this point, kudos to this coach for actually evaluating potential instead of looking only at parent driven results.

eternal skeptic
Reply to  Realist
6 years ago

Yeah, I’m betting there’s something else about this kid that isn’t public knowledge. If Bowman wants him, there’s going to be a good reason behind it. I can’t imagine what it would be, but there’s more to this story than the kid’s times.

Sccoach
6 years ago

Just watch, this kid is going to be in the olympics in 2024. You negative Nancy’s are going to look silly

Swimarie
6 years ago

He’s tall and probably has some great potential! But I have to say right now those are women’s times on the border of getting scholarships at most top 10 Women’s programs.

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

Read More »