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#8, Connecticut Record-holder Kieran Smith, Gives Verbal to Florida Gators

Kieran Smith, the number 8 recruit on our list of high school boys in the class of 2018, has announced his verbal commitment to the University of Florida beginning the fall of 2018. The Ridgefield, Connecticut native will join the Gators with Tennessee’s Trey Freeman and Florida twins Isaac Davis and Will Davis.

Smith is a rising senior at Ridgefield High School and is the reigning Connecticut state record-holder in the 500 free (4:24.69) and double-defending champion in both the 200 free and 500 free. A talented IMer, he also excels in back, breast and mid-distance freestyle. Smith swims year-round with Ridgefield Aquatic Club. Since his junior high school season, Smith has continued to drop best time in-season, including at the 2017 Dolfin ISCA Junior Championship in March (100/200y back, 100/200/400y IM), the Mel Zajac Jr. International in May (1500m free, 200/400m IM), and the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series Santa Clara (200/400m free, 200m breast).

Smith placed third in the 400 IM at 2016 Winter Junior Nationals East and was an sixth in the 500 free (6th) and seventh in the 200 back. He also won the B final of the 200 IM, was 11th in the 100 free, and was a C finalist in the 100 back. His top SCY times include:

  • 400 IM – 3:46.07
  • 200 IM – 1:46.41
  • 200 back – 1:45.52
  • 100 back – 49.11
  • 200 breast – 2:01.36
  • 500 free – 4:22.67
  • 200 free – 1:37.28
  • 1650 free – 15:12.23

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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Marcie
7 years ago

SO PROUD

Swimming Fan
7 years ago

Impressive swimmer. He looks like he’s a rather tall. Anyone know his height?

SwimmomfromCT
Reply to  Swimming Fan
7 years ago

6’5 and then some… great kid he and my son have been training since they were 7…

DMacNCheez
7 years ago

Just looking at this kids events he is the exact type of swimmer that will thrive under Gregg Troy. I’d pencil him in for a sub 3:40 400 IM freshman year.

korn
7 years ago

The top 3 schools with the best recruiting classes (fall 2018) are Texas, Cal and Florida! No surprise here….it looks like there is a trend starting and if you are a school and waiting til July 1 to start recruiting, you aren’t going to win NCAA’s anytime soon.

ClubCoach
Reply to  korn
7 years ago

SwimSwam top 10 uncommitted as of this article:
#3 Alexei Sancov
#6 Patrick Callan
#7 Robert Finke

wolfensf
Reply to  ClubCoach
7 years ago

Any idea where the last 3 are leaning?

SpeedRacer
Reply to  ClubCoach
7 years ago

My bet is:
Sancov to NCState. Maybe USC.

Callan to ?? Not sure on this one, not a lot of range. Texas is easy pick but not sure much is left in scholarship. Stanford? He’d fit in to their training group. Florida would also be a great training group. I can see Georgia making a play for him. They need at least one early signee to stay with the rest of ’em. He could pull a Farris and go to Harvard. Cal can grab an instate kid for cheaper. This one is too hard to pick.

Finke to Florida. Nice training group and instate. Outside shot is Michigan.

korn
Reply to  SpeedRacer
7 years ago

I will throw in UGA for Finke. Callan is the real deal…he might be underrated at 6?

OG Swimmer
Reply to  korn
7 years ago

How many of Finke’s team mates have gone to Georgia? Melanie Margalis, Robert Margalis and Megan Romano to name a few and his current Saturday morning with fins training partner, Chelsea Nauta.

Anonymous
Reply to  korn
7 years ago

Don’t forget ASU

Speed Racer
7 years ago

Wasn’t he also a Top 10 on the SwimSwam recruiting class?

Nick
Reply to  Speed Racer
7 years ago

I think he was listed at #8. Usually that’s mentioned

Emmanuel Lanzo
7 years ago

#FOCUSANDEFFORTFOUNDHERE

Carol Glover
7 years ago

Congratulations Kieran!

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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