Trials-qualifying Sprinter Cory Shanks Verbally Commits to Tennessee

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Cory Shanks from League City, Texas has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Tennessee’s class of 2025, joining Amber Myers, Asia Minnes, Josephine Fuller, Kate McCarville, Lauren Wetherell, Sara Stotler, Summer Eaker, and Summer Smith.

“I am extremely excited and honored to announce my verbal commitment to further my academic and athletic career at the University of Tennessee!  I cannot wait to join a team that not only excels at what they do, but also is the perfect definition of a team.  I would like to thank my family, friends and coaches for the unconditional support which led me to where I am now!  I cannot wait to be a Volunteer in the class of 2025!!”

Shanks is a junior at Clear Creek High School. She swims year-round for the club team South Shore Sails. She began swimming a few weeks before her 10th birthday and within 8 months was competing at the State age group meet. By 12, she had 4 Sectional cuts. At 14, she had qualified for the NCSA Championship in 4 events. Today at 16, she has an Olympic Trials cut in the 100 free, Summer Juniors cuts in the 50 free and 100 back, and a Winter Juniors cut in the 200 free. In the last year alone she has dropped 2.3 seconds in the 100m free (from 58.38 at 2019 Southern Zones to 56.07 at 2020 College Station Sectionals) and half a second in the 50m free (from 26.52 at 2019 Southern Zones to 26.02 at 2020 College Station Sectionals. She missed the Olympic Trials cut in the 50 free by .03.

Shanks swam for LC Clear Creek this season through Regionals, where she won the 100 free (49.35) and the 200 free (1:48.56). Her main focus was the Speedo Sectionals meet in February at Texas A&M with its format of SCY in prelims and LCM in finals. There, she placed 2nd in the 50 free and 3rd in the 100 free, snagging her first OT cut in the latter.

Top SCY times:

• 50 free – 22.97
• 100 free – 49.27
• 200 free – 1:48.20
• 500 free – 4:54.67
• 100 back – 55.00
• 100 fly – 55.68
• 200 IM – 2:05.29

Tennessee women won their first-ever SEC title this year beating runner-up Florida by 28.5 points. The Lady Vols have been propelled by sprinter Erika Brown for the last four years. Brown’s feats at the 2020 SEC Championships led us to recognize her as the Ultra Swim Swimmer of the Month in February. Although Brown will graduate this spring, Shanks will have a strong training group in Knoxville with current Tennessee sprinters Natalie Ungaretti, Isabella Gable, Trude Rothrock, and Abby Samansky.

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