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Five-time World Junior champion and sprint freestyle phenom Rylee Erisman announced her verbal commitment to the Cal Golden Bears on Tuesday, also revealing that she’ll be reclassifying to the high school class of 2026.
Erisman, ranked #2 in the girls’ high school class of 2027, will graduate high school earlier than expected and join the Bears this coming fall.
I’m honored and excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of California, Berkeley. I would also like to announce I will be reclassifying to the graduating class of 2026. I’m so grateful for my family, coaches at Laker Swim, and friends who have supported me throughout this journey. A special thank you to all the coaching staff at CAL! I could not be more excited for this opportunity!
GO BEARS💛🐻
The 16-year-old will head to Berkeley from her native Florida, where she trains at Laker Swim under coach Kyle Goller and also represents Windermere High School in the FHSAA.
Erisman has been on a record-breaking tear throughout 2025, most recently breaking Gretchen Walsh‘s National High School Record in the girls’ 100 freestyle in a time of 46.73 at the 2025 FHSAA 4A State Championships, where she successfully defended both her titles in the 50 free (21.61) and 100 free.
This past summer, Erisman delivered a dominant performance at the 2025 World Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania, winning five gold and eight total medals, the most any swimmer has ever won at a single edition of the meet.
Erisman won gold in the girls’ 50 free (24.70) and 100 free (52.79) individually, and added three more titles in the girls’ 4×100 free (3:35.53), 4×100 medley (3:59.85) and mixed 4×100 free (3:26.03) relays, with the 4×100 free relay marking a new World Junior Record. She also won silver in the 200 free (1:56.76), and in the girls’ 4×200 free (7:52.82) and mixed 4×100 medley (3:46.12) relays.
In the 100 free, Erisman took hold of the girls’ 15-16 National Age Group Record in the prelims at World Juniors, clocking 53.17 (also a Championship Record) to knock off Claire Curzan‘s previous mark of 53.55 while also going under Simone Manuel‘s 17-18 NAG record of 53.25.
Erisman then lowered it two more times, touching in 53.09 in the semis, and then in the final, she dropped all the way to a stunning 52.79, which, in addition to resetting her 15-16 NAG, Championship Record and dipping even further under Manuel’s 17-18 mark, fell just nine one-hundredths shy of Penny Oleksiak‘s World Junior Record of 52.70 set back in 2016.
The swim also landed Erisman a spot on the U.S. roster for the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships.
At the 2025 U.S. National Championships, she was in the running for a spot on the World Championship roster, but ended up only making one ‘A’ final in the 100 back (8th), going on to win the consolation final in the 50 free (24.74), 100 free (53.90) and 200 free (1:57.29) for a trio of 9th-place finishes while also taking 10th in the 50 back (28.08).
In short course yards, Erisman owns the girls’ 15-16 NAG record in the 100 free (46.69), and also ranks #2 all-time in age group history in the 50 free (21.61), #7 in the 200 free (1:43.51) and #12 in the 100 back (51.36).
Erisman’s Best Times (SCY)
- 50 free – 21.61
- 100 free – 46.69
- 200 free – 1:43.51
- 500 free – 4:43.35
- 100 back – 51.36
- 200 back – 1:54.28
- 100 fly – 54.34
- 200 fly – 1:59.12
- 200 IM – 1:57.54
- 400 IM – 4:15.98
In the girls’ high school class of 2027, Erisman held the fastest time in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 free, and the 100 back. Reclassifying to the class of 2026, she would still rank 1st in the 50, 100 and 200 free, overtaking Charlotte Crush, who ranked #1 in the class and holds respective bests of 21.88, 47.85 and 1:44.34.
Crush, who is committed to Tennessee, specializes in the 100 back (49.46), 200 back (1:48.69) and 100 fly (50.00), which are all NCAA ‘A’ final-worthy times, so Erisman may not overtake her for the top spot in the class, though it’s debatable either way.
Erisman’s best time in the 100 free would’ve placed 4th at the 2025 Women’s NCAA Championships; however, even with reigning champion Walsh graduating, five women have already been faster than 46.69 in the NCAA this season.
Erisman’s 50 free time is also fast enough to make the 2025 NCAA ‘A’ final (21.63 tied for 7th in the prelims), while her 200 free PB would have placed 10th in the NCAA prelims, just over a quarter of a second shy of what it took to make the top eight last season (1:43.24). In the 100 back, her lifetime best of 51.36 is 16 one-hundredths back of what it took to earn a second swim in 2025 (51.20).
Looking at the new NCAA Championship schedule, Erisman’s lineup likely features the 200 free on Day 2, the 50 free on Day 3 and the 100 free on Day 4 in addition to relays, where she’ll be a key piece for the Bears.
Last season, the Cal women placed 4th at the ACC Championships in what was their first season in the conference, and followed up with an 8th-place showing at NCAAs, an improvement after back-to-back 11th-place finishes in 2023 and 2024.
After a few down years, the Cal women have been on the upswing with some key freshmen joining the team this season, including five from the top-20 in the high school class of 2025. Leading the way are #2 Teagan O’Dell and #3 Claire Weinstein, and they’ve also added #5 Annie Jia, #12 Elle Scott and #18 Ella Cosgrove.
In Cal’s class of 2026, Erisman joins ranked recruits #5 Kelsey Zhang, #9 Ava De Anda, along with Madeline Kohel, Egle Salu, Isabel Wolk, Canadian Halle West, Hong Kong’s Kassy Yeung and Egyptian Olympic diver Malak Tawfik.
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I guess I should get used to hearing “ACC rivals Virginia and California”, but it’s never gonna not sound weird.
Reclassifying puts an end to the debate of #1 recruit for 2027.
Best of luck to Rylee!
She’s gonna be the best female sprinter in the USA
Incoming Reagan smith effect. In all seriousness, when you’re the hottest up and coming sprint freestyle talent on the women’s side… something is clearly working with what you are already doing. Why risk changing that up and prioritizing academics before the Olympics. Seems foolish. Hope everything works out for her tho
To be fair, she is still very young and although she’s been 52.7 in the 100 LCM Free, she hasn’t yet made a team for USA. I’m not saying I don’t see that for her, I totally do in fact, but I’m just saying that it’s too early to jump ahead and say the defer comment.
Why would she do that (ie reclassify)? Seems like a really bad idea? Like what’s the sense in rushing through it when you’re young and obviously improving? Is it something to do with Olympic year? Or is it just simply excitement / naivety?
Trying to get a full training cycle in before the Olympic training cycle makes some sense. Colleges also have infinitely more resources to support that training than most club teams do.
Agree with this. Only three women have made Olympic teams after their first years in college over the past two cycles — Alex Walsh at Virginia, Phoebe Bacon at Wisconsin, and Erin Gemmell at Texas.
I don’t think that example helps your argument. As far as I can tell, only 1 woman (Douglass) from high school ‘19 made the 2021 Olympic team, and no woman from ‘22 made the 2024 Olympic team.
What? Only three women who started their college swimming careers in the fall of 2020 or the fall of 2023 made the US Olympic teams the following summer. Walsh and Bacon in 2021 and Gemmell in 2024. That would apply to Erisman if she remained in the class of 2027.
After more than one year in college swimming (non-pros), you have Madden, White, Douglass, and Forde in 2021; and Bacon, Berkoff, Huske, Peplowski, A. Walsh, G. Walsh, Weber, and Weyant in 2024.
Yes, and only one woman who started in fall 2019 or fall 2022 made the Olympic team two summers after they started college, which applies to Erisman now that she’s ‘26.
Ofc not that I am saying that she won’t make LA, but at least from this tiny sample size, someone who starts college 1 year before the Olympics is more likely to make the team than someone who starts 2 years before
at some point the club coach can do all they have done. A good club coach will want their swimmer to spread their wings, and Rylee is good enough to do that now. College will provide better training, better nutrition, better mental support and being surrounded by elite athletes. It really is a game changer (for the most part if the sa is in the right environment). I wonder if she will move to CA in the fall or just show up for 2nd semester? (isn’t that what Alex S is doing?)
That 800 FR relay will be awesome! Erisman, O’Dell, Weinstein, Cosgrove!
West
Did UVA just completely strike out? They’re pretty good at developing talent but they don’t have a single commit
gary taylor
Recruit weekend wasn’t great, either, and all the other ones were. Todd doesn’t seem aware of how others reflect on his program.
What do you mean it wasn’t great?
Wait, I’m confused. UVA doesn’t have a singular women’s commit for 2027??? But they have 6 for the men???
Not a single. One.
I’m not surprised. I would not want my daughter to swim at UVA with a serial abuser on its staff. And what does it say about the head coach that he would prioritize his friendship with this abuser over the risk to swimmers and reputational impact on the team/school? I sense some narcissism there that doesn’t bode well for athletes. Female athletes should stay away from UVA.
Who is the abuser?
See multiple other comments……
Mom is back, under yet another username. Princess didn’t get a placement and the obsession continues. Look up UVA’s 2026s. Sure it woulda been great to get one or both of the top two, but this team is super loaded for a long time and deep, deep. I wish Erisman and Devereaux the best. Texas, Tenn, Stanford, Cal and NCS will get plenty of great swimmers, as will UVA. It’ll be fun!
She says differently
Gary Taylor.