Virginia HS 5A Runner-Up Sophia Knapp Sends Verbal to Virginia (2022)

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TIDE Swimming’s Sophia Knapp has verbally committed to Virginia for fall 2022. She is a junior at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, Va.

I am beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Virginia! Thank you to my family, coaches, and friends for supporting me along the way. Go Hoos!!💙🧡

TOP TIMES (SCY)

  • 100 free – 52.35
  • 200 free – 1:49.18
  • 500 free – 4:50.10
  • 1000 free – 9:57.71
  • 1650 free – 16:54.78

Knapp was the 2020 Virginia HS 5A State runner-up in the 500 free (4:52.47), going 4:50.10 in prelims to hit a lifetime best. She was also third in the 200 free (1:50.32) and led off both of First Colonial’s free relays; both relays won state titles.

Last year, Knapp competed at the 2019 Speedo Winter Junior Championships – East, where she placed 24th in the 1650 free (16:58.28) and 24th in the 500 free (4:55.77). At the Pro Swim Series – Knoxville in January, racing long course meters, Knapp finished top 30 in the 400 free (4:20.30), 800 free (8:59.88) and 1500 free (17:23.13).

Racing off events at a TIDE Swimming intrasquad in August, Knapp notched yards lifetime bests in the 200 back (2:07.01), 200 breast (2:28.96) and 200 IM (2:09.15).

Virginia had two distance swimmers make the NCAA Championships last season: current senior Paige Madden and current sophomore Maddie Donohoe. Madden was 4:34.64/15:50.38 in the 500/1650 last season and Donohoe was 4:42.05/16:11.73; Madden was the 2019 NCAA 500 free runner-up and is the reigning ACC champion in the 500 and mile.

Knapp will join a distance group in 2022-23 led by Emma Weyant, who is taking a gap year and joining the class of 2025, and 2025’s Caroline Pennington. Weyant is an Olympic team hopeful in the 400 IM and is 4:40.85/9:39.41/16:30.02 in the distance free events in yards while Pennington is 4:46.76/9:55.94/16:17.75.

In Virginia’s class of 2026, Knapp will join distance phenom #4 Claire Tuggle (4:41.36/9:41.96), #15 Zoe Skirboll and Izzy Bradley.

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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coach
3 years ago

Congratulations!

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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