Caroline McTaggart, the #15 recruit in the class of 2015, has verbally committed to the ULCA Bruins, according to an interview with Bryan Flaherty of Reach For the Wall.
McTaggart is a prototype of the kind of swimmer that UCLA has been targeting in recruiting over the last two years as an elite sprint freestyler and butterflier. Specifically, she’s the best recruit they’ve added this season and will have a significant, immediate impact on UCLA’s scoring at the Pac-12 Championships and NCAA Championships in the spring of 2016
In yards, her best times are:
- 50 free – 22.73
- 100 free – 48.99
- 200 free – 1:48.82
- 100 fly – 54.06
UCLA graduated a big portion of their NCAA qualifiers after last season, but they’re rebuilding in a hurry around a young nucleus that includes sophomore Linnea Mack and Madison White and freshmen Katie Grover, Sarah Kaunitz, Marie-Pierre Delisle, Natalie Amberg, Maddy Burnham, and Anna Quinn, among others.
She joins a class that also includes Mary Pelton (23.1/50.3/1:46.5) and Alex Hubel (23.4/49.97/1:48.96).
Out of all of the notebale recruits that the Bruins have brought in over the last two years, McTaggart is among the best. Maybe even more significant as a sprinter, she’s the tallest at 6’2″. In combination with Mack (6-feet tall) the Bruins will not only have two great relay pieces to build around, but they’ll have some real size to work with and develop.
McTaggart swims for All-Star Aquatics in Rockville, Maryland and attends Holton-Arms High School in Bethesda.