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Two-time Arizona high school state champion Mark Heffern has made a verbal commitment to swim and study at the Southern Methodist University, beginning next fall. He publicized the news on Instagram, writing:
I am extremely excited to announce my commitment to further my athletic and academic career at Southern Methodist University!! I want to thank all my coaches who have made an impact on my swimming career. Thank you Coach Eric Dimmery, Coach Maggie, Coach Rich, Coach Alex, and Coach Brubaker. Thank you for all the support @mesa_aquatics_club and @brophyathletics. I would also like to thank Coach Roric and Coach Rodenbaugh for this opportunity. Special thanks to my family who supported me. Pony Up!!
The future Mustang hails from Gilbert, Arizona, where he attends Brophy College Preparatory High School and trains year-round with Mesa Aquatics Club. A middle-distance specialist, his top events are the 100 and 200 butterfly, as well as the 200 and 400 IM.
He has improved each year of his career, with all of his current personal bests dating to either March or November of 2025. Since last December, he has dropped a whopping 12.88 seconds in the 400 IM (from 4:07.45 to 3:54.57), 2.73 seconds in the 200 fly (from 1:50.80 to 1:48.07), 0.89 seconds in the 200 IM (from 1:50.22 to 1:49.33), and 0.43 seconds in the 100 fly (from 50.16 to 49.73).
Heffern has qualified for the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division I High School State Championships each season. He won the 200 IM as a junior and successfully defended that title as a senior this past November, while also finishing as runner-up in the 100 fly.
His progression to those titles was steady: as a freshman, he picked up a pair of 13th-place finishes in the 100 fly and 200 IM. As a sophomore, he improved to fifth in the 200 IM ‘A’ final and rose to ninth in the 100 fly. His junior year breakthrough saw him capture the 200 IM title and place fourth in the 100 back, setting the stage for this past season.
Heffern most recently competed at the Winter Junior Championships, where he finaled in the 400 IM and 200 fly. He finished 14th in the 400 IM and 24th in the 200 fly, posting his current best times in the process. He also contested the 200 IM; he clocked a season-best 1:49.83 to take 40th. It was his second time making the meet, but his best performances by far. Prior to last month, his highest finish was 48th in the 200 IM in 2024.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 Butterfly: 49.73
- 200 Butterfly: 1:48.07
- 200 IM: 1:49.33
- 400 IM: 3:54.57
The SMU men, led by head coach Greg Rhodenbaugh, finished 11th at the 2025 ACC Swimming and Diving Championships. The team went on to place 35th at the NCAA Championships.
At last season’s ACC Championships, where ‘A,’ ‘B,’ and ‘C’ finals were scored, it took times of 1:44.70/3:47.80 to score in the IMs and 46.21/1:44.27 in the flys. Based on his current times, Heffern would have ranked sixth in the 200 fly and 400 IM, seventh in the 200 IM, and 13th in the 100 fly on the team’s 2024–25 depth chart.
Fellow incoming freshmen Ethan Hammontree and Josh Heydt should make great training partners for Heffern in the IMs and butterfly. Hammontree will contribute in the IMs with bests of 1:49.20 and 3:53.75, while sprinter Heydt owns a 49.02 in the 100 fly, though he may focus more on sprint free and back.
Heffern joins Danny Park (middle-distance free), Carter Hadley (sprint free/back), and Able Temiz (sprint free) in committing to the Mustangs’ class of 2030.
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].
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