USC Picks Up Verbal from National Teamer Justina Kozan, #3 in Class of 2022

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Justina Kozan from Brea, California has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Southern California Trojans’ class of 2026. Her current coach Mark Schubert was the head coach of men’s and women’s swimming at USC from 1992 until 2006.

“I’m so thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to the University of Southern California! Thank you to my family, friends, and coaches for all their support! Fight on! ✌🏻❤️💛”

Kozan, a junior at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, is the #3 recruit on our Way Too Early List of Top-20 Girls in the Class of 2022. She is a member of the 2020-21 USA Swimming National Junior Team, having been selected for her performances in the LCM 200 free, 100 fly, 200 fly, and 400 IM.

Kozan has not yet swum for Santa Margarita. She moved there before the 2020-21 school year, having spent her freshman and sophomore years at Walnut High School in the city where she lives. While her sophomore season was canceled last spring because of COVID, Kozan put up lifetime bests in the 200 IM and 50 free during her freshman season. She won the 200 IM (1:56.31) and the 100 fly (52.88, a D3 meet record) at the 2019 CIF Southern Section Division III Championships, a month after she had gone 23.08 in the 50 free at Mt. SAC Meet of Champions. She also anchored Walnut’s winning 200 free relay (22.70) and 400 free relay (48.97) at the Section meet.

Kozan also moved from BREA Aquatics to Mission Viejo Nadadores last summer. She is the top 400 IMer in the class with a 4:05.67 from 2019 Winter Juniors West, where she won the 400 IM, the 200 free (1:45.15), and the 200 fly (1:54.75). Her times in all three events would have made the A finals at this year’s 2021 Pac-12 Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.

Kozan may have been even more successful in the long course pool, where she represented Team USA at the 7th FINA World Junior Championships in the summer of 2019. She scored a gold medal individually in the 200 IM with 2:11.55, and as a member of the women’s 4×200 free relay. She also swam a leg on the women’s 400 free and the mixed 400 medley relay in prelims.

Kozan will suit up for the Trojans in the fall of 2022 with Ashley McMillan, Ella Flowers, and Nisha Kijkanakorn.

Best SCY times:

• 400 IM – 4:05.67
• 200 IM – 1:56.31
• 200 fly – 1:54.75
• 100 fly – 52.42
• 200 back – 1:55.74
• 100 back – 54.12
• 200 free – 1:45.15
• 100 free – 49.05
• 50 free – 23.08

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