The Canadians continue to steal the show in recruiting this weekend, as the 14th-ranked recruit (per collegeswimming.com) Lauren Earp has decided that she will be swimming for the University of North Carolina next fall.
Earp swims for the same Etobicoke team that recently sent Brittany MacLean to Georgia, as the duo has teamed up to set a slew of Canadian National Age Group relay records.
She has solid versatility, but especially excels in the middle-distance freestyles and breaststroke events. In the 200/400 frees in long course meters, she has bests of 2:00.72/4:17.96, which convert to 1:45.51/4:46.85 in yards. On top of which, she seems to have been a touch better in short course than long course in her career thus far, so those times could be even a tick faster when she gets to Chapel Hill. She’s also a solid breaststroker with converted bests of 1:01.87/2:15.82.
Her 200 free time should already make her the anchor of the UNC relay, as a 1:45.5 would’ve been their best flat-start time last year. She’ll have a great training partner in the middle-distance freestyles in Stephanie Peacock, who had an explosive freshman year last season (though not the best NCAA meet).
In Earp, the Tar Heels will also get a big relay piece, as she’s got a converted best of 49.08 in the 100 free (in 2009, presumably in a rubber suit), and a 22.97 in the 50 free, done this year. This is another great signing for a program that, along with several others, are trying to creep up and challenge Virginia’s dominance in the conference.