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Trading in the mountains of Utah for the beaches of California, Veronica “Roni” Black of Salt Lake City has committed to swim for the Division I Mid-Major San Diego State University. The rising senior, who attends and swims for Highland High School, will appear on campus in the fall of 2025.
I chose SDSU because of the amazing coaches and team energy. They are such a supportive team and it looks like the girls all get along well and are taken well care of.
Representing Highland High at the Utah 5A State Championship this past February, Black won both of her individual events, taking the 200 IM title in 2:06.78 and the 100 breast title in 1:02.37. She also earned a pair of bronze medals in the 200 medley and 200 free relays, where she split 28.36 and 24.85, respectively. BYU’s campus, which hosted the meet, sits within USA Swimming’s Altitude Adjustment range, meaning that since the meet was held above 4251 feet, her time in the 200 IM could be adjusted by 1.20 seconds, becoming a 2:05.58.
Black, who swims year-round for the Wasatch Front Fish Market, competed at the 2023 Winter Junior Championship – West meet and made the finals of both the 100 breast and 200 breast. In the shorter event, she placed 11th overall in a new personal best time of 1:01.72, while in the 200, she placed 17th, also in a new PB of 2:13.58.
More recently, at the Western Zone Senior Championships this past April, Black hit a new personal best in the 200 free, swimming 1:55.95, in addition to sweeping the breaststroke events, stopping the clock in 1:02.62 in the 100 and 2:13.68 in the 200.
Last year, in the 2022-2023 season, Black was named Utah’s swimming’s Female Athlete of the Year, an award that was won twice by 2021 Olympian Rhyan White, who also swam for Wasatch Front Fish Market.
Top SCY Times
- 100 Breast – 1:01.72
- 200 Breast – 2:13.58
- 200 IM – 2:03.24
- 400 IM – 4:28.14
While Black still has a year to improve before setting foot on campus, her times already would have an immediate impact for the San Diego State University Aztecs at the conference level. At the most recent Mountain West Conference Championships, head coach Mike Shrader‘s team placed first out of nine teams. The SDSU women, who were undefeated in duel meet action, won their third consecutive league title and fifth in the last six years.
Black’s best times would have qualified her to swim in the A-final of the 100 breast in 6th position as 7th in prelims was 1:01.79. Her 200 pb of 2:13.58 would have also placed her into the A-final, albeit one spot better, as 6th in prelims was 2:14.08. Black likely third event would be the 200 IM, which would have made the B-final, whereas her 400 IM time would have made the C-final and doubled up with the 100 breast.
SDSU has a strong breaststroke core in place. Senior Christiana Williams won the 200 breast in 2:09.19 and swam both breast events at the 2024 NCAAs. While Williams will have graduated by when Black arrives, the 100 breaststroke champ Moa Bergdahl will be a senior. Bergdahl, a native of Sweden, won the 100 breast in 59.97 and placed 2nd in the 200 (2:10.73) and 3rd in the 200 IM (2:00.17).
Also committing to SDSU from the high school class of 2025 are Sierra Tallman, a Santa Barbara native, Amber Janky of Tucson, and Melanie Quinto of Rocklin, CA.
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