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A recent high school graduate of Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School, Saadeddin Saadeddin of Staten Island, New York, has committed to swim for Indiana University in 2024 after taking a gap year.
I’m glad to announce my commitment to the University of Indiana. Can’t wait to further my academics as well as athletics with them. Go Hoosiers!
Saadeddin trains and competes year-round for the Scarlet Aquatic Club which is based out of neighboring New Jersey. In long course, at the 2022 U.S. Open Championships, he swam the 400, 800, and 1500m freestyle, with his best finish being 16th in the mile in a time of 16:05.03. He has since dropped that time by 20 seconds to 15:45.42 which was swum this past May.
Primarily a distance swimmer, Saadeddin set personal bests at that same meet in the 200 free (1:56.04), 800 free (8:13.82), and 400 I.M. (4:39.33). His best 400 free time of 4:02.21 dates back to the 2022 Summer Junior National Championships, where he placed 34th in prelims.
In a yard pool, Saadeddin has been on a tear of late. He has posted personal bests in all the freestyle events, save the 1000, in the past six months. Two weeks ago, at a local club meet in New Jersey, he swam to new bests in the 50 (22.08) and 100 (47.40). His best 1650 time of 15:39.43 is a Winter Juniors cut that he set in February.
Best SCY Times:
- 200 Free – 1:41.50
- 500 Free – 4:27.65
- 1650 Free – 15:39.43
Saadeddin has told SwimSwam that in his gap year, he plans on focusing on swimming as well as potentially taking some college courses.
At the 2023 Big Tens, the Indiana Hoosiers finished on top of the podium with 1,595.5 points. The win reflected a repeat as Big 10 Champion and the fifth in the last seven years for head coach Ray Looze. In the distance freestyle events, junior Warren Briggs and post-graduate Mikey Calvillo lead the way for the Hoosiers.
Briggs finished 3rd in the 1650 in a time of 14:56.97 in addition to his 6th place in the 500 (4:18.62). Just one spot ahead of him in the 500 was Calvillo, who touched in 4:18.45. Calvillo also added a 10th in 1650 (15:07.55) and 4th in the 400 IM (3:44.25) to his 5th in the 500.
Saadeddin’s best 1650 would technically have scored at the meet: 20th place was 1:38.75 and 21st was 16:03.65. However, he would have to make the conference team to do so, as sophomores Mason Carlton and Jackson Carlile both swam exhibition to times of 15:06.53 and 15:15.20. The same situation applies in the 500, where he would be just outside of scoring position but behind exhibition Indiana swimmers.
But with the gap year and the recent drops in his best events, Saadeddin should make plenty of impact when he arrives on campus in 2024. Joining him in their commitments to swim at IU are Ian Everett, Cooper McDonald, Raekwon Noel, and Wilson Tuttle. To note, Mcdonald, Noel, and Tuttle are more geared to the distance events, so Saadeddin should have a strong distance group to train in.
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What’s his middle name?
Saadeddin
indiana has uncharacteristically huge classes on the men’s side in the upcoming 2 years
And they both aren’t very good
Explain…?
ok Boss, send me your resume’, I need a head coach for picking nose.