Winter U.S. Open Qualifier Colby Raffel Sends Commitment to UNLV

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Winter U.S. Open qualifier Colby Raffel has committed to swim at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas as a member of the class of 2026. Raffel has achieved Winter U.S. Open, Summer Junior Championships, and Winter Junior Championships cuts in butterfly, freestyle, breaststroke, and IM, with his lone U.S. Open cut coming in the 200 LCM butterfly. Raffel is also the reigning Arizona High School Division 1 state champion in the 100 butterfly, and runner-up in the 200 IM.

The swimming and diving program at UNLV is overseen by Head Coach Ben Loorz. Loorz was named the 2022 Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after his 6th year leading the program. The UNLV men won the 2022 WAC team title with 845.5 points, more than 200 points ahead of runners-up Air Force.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZdKmUTJPOE/

I am so proud to announce my commitment to The University of Las Vegas!!! I want to thank you all for being here with me throughout this journey of my swim and high school career I would not be here without each and everyone of you supporting me and giving me the strength and motivation to be the best water dog that I can be. I love you all♥️ And remember every day is a holiday :).

Raffel won the 100 butterfly at the 2021 Arizona High School State Championships in November of 2021 with a time of 49.05. Raffel also placed 2nd in the 200 IM at the 2021 Arizona State Championships, posting a time of 1:49.08. Raffel also contributed a 22.64 on the butterfly leg of the boy’s 200 medley relay, helping his team, Sunnyslope High School, to a 9th-place finish.

Looking at Raffel’s lifetime bests, his 200 fly and 200 IM would have qualified him for the championship finals at the 2022 Western Athletic Conference Championships, while his 200 IM and 100 breaststroke would have earned him a lanes in the ‘B’ finals of each of those events, and his 100 fly would have gotten him into the bonus ‘C’ final.

At the 2022 Spring Sectionals in Phoenix, Raffel placed 2nd in both the 200 fly and 200 IM, establishing his current lifetime best time in the fly while being over a second off his best in the IM. Raffel also placed 3rd in both the 100 breaststroke and 200 freestyle, notching his current lifetime bests, and placed 6th in the 100 fly, just 0.17 over his personal best, set in November 2021.

Top SCY Times

• 50 free – 21.27
• 100 free – 45.56
• 200 free – 1:38.38
• 100 breast – 55.33
• 200 breast – 2:06.03
• 100 fly – 49.05
• 200 fly – 1:46.86 (2:03.19 LCM)
• 200 IM – 1:49.08
• 400 IM – 4:08.43

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