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Barrington High School (Barrington, Illinois) junior Griffin O’Leary has announced his verbal commitment to the University of Southern California beginning with the 2022-23 school year.
“USC offers everything I’m looking for from an academic and athletic perspective. The coaching staff has made me so excited to join the Trojan family. Fight on!”
O’Leary specializes in backstroke and butterfly. He is an Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100m back (56.09), a Winter U.S. Open qualifier in the 200m back (2:03.35) and 200m fly (2:03.04), and a Summer Juniors qualifier in the 100m fly (56.25). He earned his PBs in the two 100s at 2020 U.S. Open in Des Moines, where he came in 15th in the 100 back and 73rd in the 100 fly. He also competed in the 200 back (34th-place finish) and 200 fly (60th) but his best times in those two events date from last summer’s 2019 Speedo Junior Nationals. There, he came in 11th in the 100 back (56.98), 10th in the 200 back, and 16th in the 200 fly.
In high school swimming, O’Leary was runner-up in the 100 back (49.43, 48.90 in prelims) and came in 4th in the 100 fly (49.40). He left the meet with PBs in both events. He also led off Barrington’s 10th-place 200 medley relay (23.04, 22.91 in prelims).
Best LCM times:
- 50 back – 27.50
- 100 back – 56.09
- 200 back – 2:03.35
- 100 fly – 56.25
- 200 fly – 2:03.04
Best SCY times:
- 50 back – 22.91
- 100 back – 48.90
- 200 back – 1:49.05
- 100 fly – 49.40
- 50 free – 21.62
- 200 free – 1:41.64
- 500 free – 4:35.01
O’Leary will join the Trojans with Charlie Arnold, a breast/IM specialist from Bellevue Club Swim Team. He’ll overlap a year with USC backstrokers Jack Kirby and Paul Retterer and two years with Holden Raffin, Evangelos Makrygiannis, and Hugh Svendsen.
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Congrats!