Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Winter Juniors qualifier Roman Dawson has announced his verbal commitment to compete for the Penn State University beginning in the fall of 2026. He publicized the news on Instagram, writing:
I am honored to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic journey at Penn State! I would like to thank my family, friends, and coaches for helping me achieve my goals and making me the person I am today. Special thanks to Coach Mark, Jessica, Eoff, and Reid for challenging and believing in me. Thank you Coach Hollie for this opportunity. WE ARE!!
The California native is currently a senior at Clovis East High School and has been a member of his school’s varsity swimming and diving team all four years. Dawson also trains year-round with Clovis Swim Club, where he primarily specializes in distance freestyle.
2025 was a breakthrough year for Dawson, as he dropped over three seconds in the 200 free, nearly three and a half seconds in the 500 free, and just over nine seconds in the 1650 free.
The future Nittany Lion set his best times in the 200 and 500 at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) High School State Championships last May. He made the ‘A’ final of the 500 free, clocking a lifetime best 4:24.49 in prelims before following it up with a 4:24.54 for fifth in the final. He also posted 1:40.52 in the prelims of the 200 free to rank 24th, his first time competing in the event at the state meet. It was his second consecutive year qualifying for the state meet and reaching the championship final of the 500 free. The meet scores the top nine finishers due to available lanes, and he placed ninth in 2024 with a pair of 4:29s.
Most recently, Dawson competed at Winter Juniors East last month, his third appearance at the meet, placing seventh in the 1650 free with his current best time of 15:07.16. He also finished 50th in the 500 free (4:29.66). It marked his second consecutive year making the top eight in the mile after finishing eighth in 2024, and his third year scoring after placing 19th in 2023.
Beyond short course, Dawson qualified and competed for Junior Nationals over the summer, where he finished 31st in the 1500m free (16:01.53), 40th in the 800m free (8:22.39), 85th in the 400m free (4:05.70), 165th in the 50m breast (34.85), and 177th in the 50m fly (28.48), all in career bests.
Top SCY Times:
- 200 Freestyle: 1:40.52
- 500 Freestyle: 4:24.49
- 1650 Freestyle: 15:07.16
A Division I program, Penn State competes in the Big Ten Conference, with the men’s team placing ninth out of nine teams at last season’s conference championships. Based on the results from the 2025 meet, Dawson best time would placed 14th in the mile and scored 13 points, putting him in a position to be a top contributor right from the star. He’s a bit outside of scoring range in the 200 and 500 free, which required 1:36.52/4:20.80 to earn a second swim.
On the team’s 2024-25 depth charts, Dawson would have ranked first in the 1650, third in the 500, and tenth in the 200. Factoring in graduations and the incoming freshman class, he currently projects first in the mile, fourth in the 500, and eighth in the 200. He’ll be a factor in distance events for dual meets and could contribute to the 800 free relay in future seasons if he drops closer to 1:36-1:37 in the 200.
Dawson joins backstroker Charlie Begin, who also owns bests of 1:38.1/4:28.9 in the 200/500 free, as well as Gabriel Campos (breaststroke/IM) in the Nittany Lions’ class of 2030. Dawson and Begin should make for great training partners in the middle-distance free events over the next four years.
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].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
FFT SOCIAL
Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
