56.2 100 Backstroker Kylie Stronko Verbally Commits to Air Force

The Air Force women will add depth to their backstroke group next season, as Kylie Stronko has given her verbal commitment to join the Falcons next fall. Stronko is a member of Nation’s Capital Swim Club, where she trains under Olympic medalist Jeremy Linn. She’ll also be competing in her senior season for Osbourn Park High School this year.

Stronko adds to an Air Force recruiting class that includes Allie Puskar-Beckett, Winnie Chen, Morgan Hicks, and Rheagan Horne. One of those swimmers, Puskar-Beckett, is a teammate of Stronko’s at Nation’s Capital.

Last season, Stronko was among the top 5 backstrokers at the Virginia 6A High School League State Championships, swimming to a 4th place finish in the 100 back. She was also a 2016 NCSA Spring Championships qualifier, posting a personal best 56.21 in the 100 back at that meet.

In the long course pool, she dropped seconds from her best times in the backstroke races. In the 100 back, she lowered her previous best 1:06.56 to a 1:04.55, achieveing a Summer Junior Nationals qualifying time. Likewise, she dropped from a 2:22.53 to a 2:19.66 in the 200 back. Both of those times were done at the 2016 Futures Championships meet in Maryland.

Stronko’s Top Times:

Stronko could have an immediate scoring impact for the Falcons at the Mountain West Championships, as her 200 back time from her junior high school season is already fast enough to have scored at the 2016 conference meet. She’s also within two hundredths of what it took to score in the 100 back. Among the Falcons, she’d currently be the fastest 200 backstroker and one of the top 3 100 backstrokers.

At Air Force, Stronko will team up with Elise Hart, who scored in the 100 back at the 2016 Mountain West meet. She’ll also be training alongside Emma Strom, which sets up some good practice battles for next fall.

AB