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Joey Countryman, a senior at Reavis High School in Illinois, has committed to Oakland University for the class of 2027.
“I chose Oakland because of the incredible team atmosphere, coaching staff and winning culture the team provides. After seeing the amazing facilities and great academic programs I knew this was the perfect fit for me.”
At the 2023 Illinois Boys State Championships, Countryman finished 2nd in the 100 free and 5th in the 200 free. This is an improvement from his junior year, where he finished 4th in the 100 free and 6th in the 200 free. He finished his high school career as the most decorated swimmer in Reavis history, according to the Chicago Tribune. In his junior year, Countryman became the first boys swimmer in the program to win a state medal since 1998, according to Southwest Regional Publishing. In a fun turn of events, the Tribune also noted that Countryman has broken a slew of high school records once held by his father, who was also one of the school’s most dedicated athletes.
Countryman also competes for the Chicago Wolfpack Aquatic Club. At the 2023 Illinois Short Course Senior Championships, he finished 4th in the 200 free and 3rd in the 100 free. In 2022, Countryman earned a Winter Juniors cut in the 100 free. He has a USA Swimming Futures cut in the 200 free.
Best short-course times:
- 50 free: 21.12
- 100 free: 45.15
- 200 free: 1:38.92
Oakland is a member of the Horizon League. At the 2023 Horizon League Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, Oakland won the conference title and 11 events. At that meet and with his best times, Countryman would’ve finished 7th in the 200 free, and made the B final of the 100 free.
There is a lot of room for Countryman to climb to the top of the sprint free events. Some of Oakland’s top 100 and 200 freestylers are seniors or grad students, including Marko Khotynetskyi, Samuel McKenzie, Christian Bart, and Ben Davis. But Countryman will also be able to train with some of Oakland’s fastest swimmers, including rising sophomores Charles Brown and Micah Scheffer.
Countryman joins distance swimmers Max Haney, Andrew Gelston, and Sean Diffenderfer, as well as breaststroker Carson Ricker, in the class of 2027.
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