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Breaststroke specialist Thomas Long has committed to swim for the University of Redlands beginning in the 2020-2021 season. Long shared the exciting news with the following, “I am delighted to announce my commitment to the University of Redlands! I am extremely excited to continue my academic and athletic career as a Bulldog. I want to thank my family friends, coaches, and the athletes of Redlands that welcomed me with open arms on my visit. I chose Redlands because of the unique learning environment and training style of Redlands. GO BULLDOGS!!!”
Long swims year-round for Brea Aquatics under head coach Jim Johnson. In November, long competed at the Southern California Swimming Race Series, where he earned 2 personal best times. He dropped 0.33 seconds in the 50 free (22.45), placing 34th. His 100 breast time of 57.71 earned him 7th place. This was a half-second drop for the breaststroker.
Last summer, Long competed at the Speedo Championship Series in Santa Clarita. In his first event, he dropped 4.79 seconds in his 200m breast. His prelims time of 2:26.39 earned him a spot in the B-final of the event. He went on to go 0.01 seconds slower in finals, finishing 15th. Long was seeded 29th in the 100m breast with a time of 1:08.66. He dropped down to 21st after prelims (1:07.92), and once again moved up to 18th in finals. He completed the event with a best time of 1:07.59, dropped a total of 1.07 seconds between his prelims and finals swims.
Long is completing his final year at Brea Orlinda High School, where he is a three-time Crestview League champion. During his junior year, Long qualified for the California CIF Southern Section Division I Championships. Brea Orinda previously competed at the Division II Championships. After going a 58.23 to land him in 14th place after prelims, he came back in finals and finished 13th. Only a year before, Long had gone a 59.29 during prelims of the Division II championships. He improved by almost a full second from his sophomore to his junior year.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 breast – 57.71
- 200 breast – 2:07.45
- 100 free – 48.05
- 50 breast – 27.66
When he joins the team in the fall, Long will be one of their top breaststrokers. His 100 and 200 breaststroke times will make him the second-fastest behind rising-senior Eric Forbes. His 200 breast would have placed him in the B-final at the 2020 SCIAC championships, while his 100 breast time would have earned him the final spot in the A-final. Long will be joining his previous club teammate Drew Heaston as a member of the class of 2024.
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