Wisconsin Picks Up Verbal from Rising Open Water Swimmer Matthew Hillmer

Weldon Spring, Missouri’s Matthew Hillmer has verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin for 2018-19. He will head to Madison with fellow class of 2022 verbal commits Eli Fouts, Erik Gessner, and Frank Niziolek.

Hillmer swims for De Smet Jesuit High School and CSP Tideriders in St. Louis. A USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, he specializes in the longer distance freestyle races, and has done particularly well in open water swimming. Hillmer won Ozark Open Water Zones in each of the last two years and finished 35th overall at the 2017 USA Swimming Open Water 5K National Championships at Castaic Lake in California. He also competed at the 2016 Open Water 5K National Championship at Miromar Lakes in Fort Myers, Florida.

As a sophomore at the 2015 MSHSAA Boys State Championship, Hillmer placed sixth in the 500 free (4:39.94) and ninth in the 200 free (1:44.66). At Columbia Sectionals in March, he finished in the top 8 of the 500 free, 1000 free, and 1650 free, earning new PBs in the 500/1000. He also went best times in the 200 free and 400 IM.

Hillmer wrapped up his long-course season this summer at 2017 NCSA Summer Swimming Championships, where he placed 12th in the 400 free and 10th in the 1500 free, and registered lifetime bests in the 100/200/400/1500 free.

Best SCY times:

  • 1650 free – 15:48.89
  • 1000 free – 9:25.39
  • 500 free – 4:34.30
  • 200 free – 1:42.41
  • 400 IM – 4:09.84

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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Dr Deluxe
6 years ago

Oh don’t worry about that, Provel. He’ll get PLENTY of kicking experience at UW. He’ll
be sleeping with his kickboard by the end of his Frosh year!! Congrats to Mathew on a great choice!

Provel
6 years ago

Needs to learn how to kick

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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