Abby Harter, a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and NISCA All-American from Ashburn, Virginia, has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Virginia for 2020-21. Harter is the 20th-ranked recruit in the class on our Way Too Early List of Top 20 Recruits from the High School Class of 2020. She will join #17 Anna Keating in the Cavaliers’ class of 2024.
“I’m beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Virginia!! Thank you to my family, coaches, friends and teammates for the help and support to get me where I am now!! 🧡💙 ⚔️ #GoHoos #WAHOOWA”
Harter is a junior at Briar Woods High School; she swims year-round for Nation’s Capital Swim Club. A highly versatile swimmer, she has Winter Juniors-or-better cuts in the 50 free, 100/200 breast, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM.
Harter won the 100 breast (1:02.85) and was runner-up in the 200 IM (2:01.03) at 2018 VHSL 5A State Championships; as a freshman at the 2017 State Meet she won the IM (2:00.26) and placed 2nd in the 100 fly (53.72). In club swimming, she swam the 100 fly and 200 fly at Phillips 66 Nationals this summer; she finaled in the latter, placing 31st (2:14.70). A week later she competed at Junior Nationals in the 100 breast, 100/200 fly, and 400 IM. She took 4th in the 200 fly (2:13.00) and 11th in the 100 fly (1:01.49).
UVA head coach Todd DeSorbo and his team are doing an excellent job attracting in-state talent to Charlottesville. The incoming class of 2023 already has earned verbal commitments from Virginians Caroline Kulp, Lexi Cuomo, and Maddie Donohoe. So far, the class of 2024 is 100% composed of in-state swimmers. Both Keating and Harter will have an immediate impact on the Cavs’ lineup. Harter’s best times are already scorable at ACCs in the A final of the 200 fly, B finals of the 100/200 breast, 100 fly, and 400 IM, and the C final of the 200 IM.
Best SCY times:
- 200 fly – 1:56.04
- 100 fly – 53.51
- 200 breast – 2:13.67
- 100 breast – 1:01.25
- 400 IM – 4:14.88
- 200 IM – 2:00.26
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].
DeSorbo & staff have shown they coach swimmers to dramatically improved times, that’s what attracts recruits. With the staff at UVA, Va Tech, NC State, and Louisville all showing they can coach their swimmers to improved and in many cases national level times, the future for ACC swimming looks very bright.
glad to see UVA is finally getting the talent from NCAP/Machine/etc.
Congrats Abby!!
I know I harp on this a lot, but it’s remarkable how UVA is now locking down the wealth of in-state talent in VA. What started last year with class of 2019 is now a definite trend.
Seems like Va Tech is attracting similar levels of in-state talent.
DeSorbo & Co is doing something right in Charlottesville. But let’s be real here, UVA women have always been good and always attracting top top end talent well before he arrived on campus. If I remember correctly, Bernardino built this program from ground zero to a special one and they even reach top 5 at NCAA TWICE under the Bush company!
Remember this is a program that produced Leah Smith, Courtney Bartholomew, Kaitlin Jones, Laura Simon, Ellen Thomas, Fran Crippen, Ed Moses, and many more!
The point is, UVA is good, was good, and will always be good.
Virginia is doing something!!