2024-2025 US National Junior Team member Sam Lorenz will return to his club team Schroeder YMCA to train full-time while he transfers to compete for UW-Milwaukee. Lorenz arrived at the University of Wisconsin-Madison last fall and spent his freshman season with the Badgers.
“Grateful for my time as a Wisconsin Badger! Huge thank you to the coaches, teammates, and support staff who helped me grow both in and out of the pool.
That being said I am excited to announce I’ll be returning to train with my home club, Schroeder YMCA, and representing UW-Milwaukee moving forward.
Ready for this next chapter”
Lorenz told SwimSwam that he plans to train with Schroeder under Dave Anderson while competing in meets for UW-Milwaukee. He said he plans to have a practice with Milwaukee “here and there depending on my class schedule and what not. Pretty much Schroeder full time and race Milwaukee’s conference meet and NCAAs.”
Originally from Mequon, WI, Lorenz traveled about an hour and a half west to be with the Badgers this past season. He was an honorable mention ranked recruit coming out of high school with lifetime bests of a 46.55 100 back and a 1:42.85 200 back. He also had been as fast as 20.12 in the 50 free.
This past season with the Badgers, Lorenz swam to a lifetime best 46.46 in the 100 back at the Big Ten Championships. That earned him a 13th place finish in prelims before he swam to 15th in finals (46.71). He swam to another personal best in the 100 back at the Minnesota Last Chance meet swimming a 46.10. It took a 45.26 to earn an invite to NCAAs in the event.
Lorenz made the trip to Federal Way for 2025 NCAAs as a relay-only swimmer. He swam the backstroke leg for Wisconsin’s 200 medley relay that finished 20th.
Lorenz’s best SCY times are:
- 100 back: 46.10
- 200 back: 1:42.85
- 50 free: 20.12
The UW-Milwaukee men finished 4th out of seven teams at the 2025 Horizon League Championships. The team did not sent any swimmers to 2025 NCAAs.
Based on his best times, Lorenz is a huge pick up for UW-Milwaukee. His best time in the 100 back would have won the conference title by over half a second as Oakland’s Harry Nicholson won in a 46.62. UW-Milwaukee notably had no ‘A’ finalists in the 100 back as Victor Kostov was the highest finisher at 10th in a 49.24.
Lorenz’s 200 back best time would have been 2nd at the conference championships behind Nicholson who won in a 1:42.01. UW-Milwaukee also had no ‘A’ finalists in the 200 back.
In addition to his backstroke, Lorenz also adds to the sprint freestyle group that was led by his brother Ben Lorenz. Ben swam to a 20.00 in the 50 free for 5th at the Horizon League Championships.
Not surprised. Schroeder athletes are notoriously unable to adjust to different training programs.
What I’m concerned about is the dangerous precedent this is setting… It’s telling swimmers that in this new post NCAA v. House era that it’s okay to not fully commit to a college program and focus more on individual performance than the team as a whole. Building team cultures and making mid-major swimming fun for everyone should be a top priority so that we don’t lose more programs to budget cuts. Instead, we’re telling people it’s okay to go train at the big area club team and then just show up every once in a while to races for us. That’s not how you build a winning culture.
This might not be the greatest example but, what stops a… Read more »
Lots of conclusions here with almost no information. Maybe something is going on with family. Maybe the academics weren’t a fit. Maybe the training wasn’t a fit. Maybe multiple things. Whatever it is, hope it works out for him. He has some decent seeds for USA National Championships coming up, seems like the type of kid who could be in the mix in 3 years if he develops, but who knows what it takes for him to develop (oh yeah, probably his club coach)!
The quality and expertise of club coaches is superior to what college programs are offering. Sam made a good decision if Coach Anderson can find a way to give him the structure and peer support that college programs offer. I hope it works out for him!
“ The quality and expertise of club coaches is superior to what college programs are offering” come on you don’t really believe that
Although maybe not true across the board, the coaching at the top clubs probably rivals many college programs. I have heard of one top club coach not pursuing a college job as they had quite the nice setup in club swimming and jumping to college wasn’t necessarily a step up.
Sure, I’ll go for that. An elite club coach making six figures is probably going to be a better coach than an HC at a low level D3 making 40K. But we are talking power 4 coaching staffs here vs a YMCA
That YMCA’s team records are stronger than the majority of D1 schools. Anderson is a former D1 coach. They have 50M water. Check your sources.
A good number of programs only the head coach actually writes workouts, and there are a lot of incompetent coaches out there, from D3 all the way up to power 4. Its hard not to coach talent well, so the p4 staffs have the easiest time. There are probably some D3, D2 and even mid major coaches that are better than the P4 coaches you think are so great. I’d say it’s likely there are a few club coaches that are better at coaching.
To your point, the way I heard it, this club coach passed on a D1 job because college coaching is mostly about recruiting. A lot of the good club coaches are likely on pair with a lot of good college coaches. I think the idea of a massive difference between the two is overstated. Sure, the good college coaches that can rock it on the deck are a different level. I grant you that. But the college day-to-day reality is that they may have to worry just as much on recruiting as on deck coaching. Not an issue in club, and if you are at a bigger club, you have some nice resources to dig into athlete development…
Great guy and all that matters is that he is doing what is best for himself.
ppl are malding at the notion that uw madison wasn’t a good fit for homie, like chill i didn’t know you were bucky’s fan squad
also “relatively prestigious education” pls tell me what he’s studying and if the program is actually that much better at madison than milwaukee. a lot of shade being thrown at uwm if you ask me
I don’t know Sam, but I’m happy he can continue to enjoy the sport and his swimming ability of moving through the water.
Coaches who understand recovery and adaptation are good for you in many ways.
Don’t worry about the down voters, they’re just in a glycogen depleted mood.
“…in a glycogen depleted mood.”
LOVE THIS!!!
also filippo bertoni just committed to Kentucky?!? didn’t expect that