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Norvin Clontz, a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and NISCA All-American from Charlotte, North Carolina, has announced his verbal commitment to the University of California, Berkeley.
“I am beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic endeavors at the University of California, Berkeley! I am greatly appreciative to Coach Dave and the rest of Cal’s coaching staff for believing in me and providing me with this prestigious opportunity, as well as the Cal men’s team for welcoming me into a place I can call home. This is only possible due to the unwavering support of my loving parents, committed coaches, and highly spirited teammates. August of 2025 can’t come soon enough! 🐻 Go Bears! 🐻”
Clontz is a junior at Charlotte Latin School, where he enjoys taking electives in Engineering. He swims year-round at SwimMAC Carolina in the High Performance Group under coach Chuck Batchelor. One of the top distance swimmers in the class of 2025, with 2024 Olympic Trials cuts in the 400/800 free, he also has Nationals cuts in the 200/1650 free, 200 back, 200 breast, 200 fly, and 200/400 IM, and Winter Juniors cuts in the 100 breast. He is a member of the U.S. National Junior Team and we ranked him 7th on our Way Too Early list of recruits in the high school class of 2025.
The Golden Bears are barreling full steam ahead with their recruiting for fall 2025. The class now consists of #7 Clontz, #15 Caiden Bowers, #20 Kenneth Barnicle, “Best of the Rest” Ian Platts-Mills, and Andrew Shackell.
In high school swimming, he won the 500 free at the NCISAA Division 1 State Championship as a freshman (4:32.07) and again as a sophomore (4:26.44). He also won the 200 free (1:38.55) this year, after finishing 2nd (1:40.21) in 2022. He earned his best times in both events (4:19.43/1:37.28), as well as in the 1650 free (15:14.12), 200 breast (2:00.39), and 400 IM (3:50.44) at 2022 Speedo Winter Juniors East. He placed 4th in the 500 free, 6th in the 400 IM, 10th in the mile, and 13th in both the 200 free and 200 breast.
Best SCY times:
- 1650 free – 15:14.12
- 500 free – 4:19.43
- 200 free – 1:37.28
- 400 IM – 3:50.44
- 200 breast – 2:00.39
Clontz made a big splash in the summer of 2022, when he clocked a 3:50.82 400 free and an 8:01.64 800 free and became the fastest American 15-year-old ever in the 400 free. This past summer, he placed 11th in the 200 free (1:51.28), 8th in the 400 free (3:56.95), 19th in the 800 free (8:16.67), and 16th in the 400 IM (4:32.92) at Summer Junior Nationals. He then went on to represent Team USA at World Junior Championships in September, where he placed 7th in the 400 free (3.51.55) and earned a gold medal as a prelims swimmer in the 4×200 free relay (he split a 1.49.32).
His parents, Iva and Norv, who sent their son’s commitment to SwimSwam, mentioned that he plays five musical instruments with piano and guitar being his favorite, reads, watches swim videos, listens to podcasts, also enjoys playing chess. They asked us to note the following: “Special appreciation to his current coaches: Chuck Batchelor and Ben Keast, his age group coaches of 4 years: Russ Kasl and Scott Wiltsey, technical coach of 6 years: Larry Lee at iswim 121, CLS varsity coach: Michael Chadwick, and athletic trainer Chandler Thomas at FLO, as well as to his loving and supportive family, esp. his mother who has inspired his love of swimming from a very young age and drive to work hard and follow his dreams.”
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].
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FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
Cal has a helluva NIL Collective
They got Gap money.
So instead funding the A’s stadium, Fischer decides to fund the Cal Men’s swim team? Real interesting move there.
How much scholarship money does Cal even have? This is crazy!!
Congrats! Cal and Indiana doing quite well with Top 20 2025.
The vacuum in certainty over coaching at Texas can only help the competition in recruiting
I’m crying and throwing up right now. These sickening articles are coming out seemingly every day
it okay man😂😂😂😂😂😂
You had a good run as a SwimSwam commenter, Andrew, but I think it’s time to hang up the goggles.
This is probably his best ratio’d comment, I think he’s just beginning tbh.
it’s time to admit it man. cal isn’t just international mid season transfers. they are legit and can recruit like hell.
Yeah obviously. But what’s gotten them over the line in their last titles is January additions (mainly international guys) and that is hard to refute
This is probably your most up voted comment on this website!
Easily!
Congratulations and welcome to Cal. Go Bears!
On another note, how many scholarships does Cal even have?
This commitment is disappointing compared to yesterday. It’s way harder to make Norvin and Clontz puns than it was Kenneth and Barnicle.
“Norvin Clontz” is an odd name, but I’m no one to carp, given both my screen name and the one legally mine IRL. Go Golden Bears!
Who do you think you are? Do not insult my name nor my family again.
Yup, sounds like someone going to Berkeley.
I did graduate from Berkeley. The diploma bearing my long, odd name—so frequently spelled for the fine folks in the financial-aid office—hangs right here on the wall.
I bet Cal moving to the ACC helps them recruit around this region a bit
Though, long before the conference shift, they had a super core of “Jersey Boys”
Andrewwww gonna be hella mad🤣🤣🤣🤣