The Top Uncommitted Recruits In The Boys’ High School Class of 2024

Although the majority of high-end recruits in the high school class of 2024 have announced their collegiate commitments over the past number of months, there are still a few instant-impact swimmers available in the class.

Headlining the men’s group is Daniel Li, an elite breaststroker who was ranked 13th in SwimSwam’s Way Too Early recruit rankings last year.

All other ranked swimmers, along with the athletes featured as honorable mentions, have committed, though there are some remaining from the “Best of the Rest” section and some more swimmers who have put up quick times over the last 12 months.

The reason for these swimmers not being committed yet could be any one of a number of things, including:

1. They haven’t made a decision yet
2. They’ve committed privately but haven’t made it public yet
3. They’ve chosen a school with special entrance requirements. These schools, like the Ivies and U.S. Military Academies, have long eschewed earlier commitments.
4. We’ve missed their commitment announcement (we looked really hard though).
5. They’ve decided to skip college and go pro.
6. They’ve decided to go to college and not swim.

Note that this doesn’t include international recruits.

RANKED SWIMMERS REMAINING

*HM = Honorable Mention, BOTR = Best of the Rest

13. Daniel Li – Rose Bowl Aquatics – San Marino High School – San Marino, CA
Best Times:

• 100 breast: 52.43
• 200 breast: 1:55.08
• 200 IM: 1:47.98
• 400 IM: 3:56.53
• 200 free: 1:38.16

Li has been on fire over the last six months, notably firing off a personal best time of 1:55.08 one week ago in the 200 breaststroke, moving him into 33rd all-time in the boys’ 17-18 age group as a 17-year-old.

Li also went 52.43 in the 100 breast and 1:47.98 in the 200 IM to sweep his individual events at the CIF Division II State Championships earlier this month, and is also a strong freestyler.

BEST OF THE REST

Michael Hochwalt – Spokane Waves Aquatic Team – Colbert, WA
Best Times:

• 100 fly: 48.19
• 200 fly: 1:45.21
• 100 back: 49.29
• 200 back: 1:45.75
• 500 free: 4:24.53
• 1650 free: 15:31.12

Hochwalt has been steadily improving in 2023, with all of his best times listed above set in March.

The 200 fly in particular has come a long way for Hochwalt, who held a lifetime best of 1:47.80 dating back to April 2021 before he went faster on three separate occasions in March, culminating with his 1:45.21 swim at the Western Zone Senior Championships which ranks him 10th among 17-year-olds in the U.S. this season.

Eamon Monaghan – Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club – Gainesville High School – Gainesville, GA
Best Times:

• 100 fly: 47.19
• 200 fly: 1:47.90
• 200 IM: 1:52.64
• 100 free: 45.59

Monaghan had a bit of a breakout at Winter Juniors – East in December, breaking 48 seconds for the first time in the 100 fly, getting down to 47.19 in finals to place 12th. He also went 1:47.90 in the 200 fly, a performance he backed up with a 1:47.91 swim in March.

OTHER NOTABLES

• Abram Mueller, Badger Aquatic Club – 52.9/1:57.2 breast, 48.7 fly, 1:50.4 IM
• Diego Balbi, Saint Andrews Aquatics – 47.2/1:45.3 fly, 49.5/1:48.9 back, 1:50.1 IM
• Jake Wang, Suburban Seahawks Club – 48.8 back, 53.9/2:00.2 breast, 1:46.9 IM
• Evan Mackesy, Rockville Montgomery Swim Club – 1:49.7/3:50.6 IM, 1:47.6 fly, 1:48.1 back
• Hudson Schuricht, Scottsdale Aquatic Club – 54.4/1:56.7 breast, 1:48.5/3:53.4 IM
• Garrett Gould, Greater Somerset County YMCA – 47.8/1:46.2 back, 47.7 fly, 20.3/43.8 free
• Andrew Jin, Bellevue Club Swim Team – 47.7/1:47.2 fly, 1:47.2/3:53.8 IM, 44.4/1:37.0 free

Among the swimmers listed above, Badger Aquatic Club’s Abram Mueller and Scottsdale Aquatic Club’s Hudson Schuricht have emerged as elite breaststrokers in the class, while Saint Andrews Aquatics’ Diego Balbi has a 200 fly PB (1:45.3) that ranks him right up there with Hochwalt.

We also can’t overlook the versatility of Suburban Seahawks’ Jake Wang, highlighted by his 1:46.9 200 IM, and Greater Somerset’s Garrett Gould, who is strong in back, fly and free.