Victoria Ireland Brings Diversity to UNC Class of 2020 With Verbal Commitment

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 5

August 29th, 2019 News

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Victoria Ireland from Middletown, New Jersey has become the latest verbal commitment to the University of North Carolina in the class of 2020 as Mark Gangloff begins to pick up recruiting steam as the team’s new head coach. She is the program’s 3rd announced commitment on the women’s side and will give the class some diversity while joining 1:56.0 200 backstroker Grace Kayal and 1:57.8 200 backstroker Katie Wright.

Ireland is primarily a breaststroker whose best time last season would have ranked 4th among varsity Tarheels, behind a freshman and 2 sophomores. That breaststroke group right now is a strength talent-wise for Gangloff and his new program, which meshes well with his specialty as a competitor (he won 2 Olympic gold medals as a medley relay breaststroker).

I am super excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim at the University of North Carolina!! I can’t wait to be challenged by the school’s amazing academics and the team’s outstanding coaching staff. Thank you so much to my coaches, teammates, and family who helped me get through everything along the way. #goheels

Ireland is progressing at a rapid rate: as a sophomore, she improved her 100 breaststroke best from 1:08.7 to 1:04.4, as a junior, she improved her 100 breatstroke best from 1:04.4 to 1:02.2, which earned her 3rd place at the YMCA National Championships. Her jumps in the 200 have been even more substantial: as a junior she improved from 2:23.8 to 2:16.2. This comes after a bit of a focus shift from butterfly to breaststroke swimming, though she still showed improvement in the 100 fly as a junior, cutting over a second from her best time.

Technique Video:

Best TImes in Yards:

  • 100 breast – 1:02.22
  • 200 breast – 2:16.24
  • 100 fly – 55.73

Ireland swims for Middletown High School South in Middletown, New Jersey and for the Red Bank YMCA.

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SWIMFAN
4 years ago

Dynamo’s Katharine Ward also committed to UNC as a part of the 2020 class https://swimswam.com/4x-ghsa-6a-champ-katharine-ward-verbally-commits-to-north-carolina/

Swimmie33
4 years ago

All these girls from RBY… not to be mean, but are these girls genuinely interested in the school/swim program or did they just commit so they could go to college together?

daddy
4 years ago

what is diverse about this commitment

Wondering
Reply to  daddy
4 years ago

perhaps she actually wants to attend classes?

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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