For more commitment articles, be sure to check out SwimSwam’s College Recruiting channel.
Austin Hartke, a senior at Normal Community West High School, has verbally committed to swim at West Virginia University in the fall.
“I chose West Virginia because I felt a part of the team the minute I stepped on campus. The chemistry of that group of guys and girls is nothing I have ever seen before, and I wanted to be a part of it. Also the coaches have a great history of success in the pool including sending swimmers to the NCAA championships often, such as Andrew Marsh the past two years. Overall it seemed like the best fit for me academically and in the pool!”
Hartke is a Summer Juniors qualifier in the 100 back and Winter Juniors qualifier in the 100 fly. He placed fifth in the former and sixth in the latter, swimming for Normal Community High, at the 2016 IHSA Boys State Championships in February. Hartke also swims for Redbird Swim Club, with whom he recently scored personal-bests in the 100/200 free, 50/200 back, and 50 fly on successive weekends in March, after having just gone best times at IHSA in February in the 50 free, 100 back, and 100 fly.
Hartke’s best SCY times include:
- 50 free – 21.62
- 100 free – 48.05
- 200 free – 1:44.33
- 100 back – 49.85
- 100 fly – 50.04
Hartke will join a West Virginia class of 2020 that also includes:
- Brandon Christian
- Gabriel Swardson
- Jack Frazier
- Jack Portmann
- Robert Wylie
- Ryan Kelly
- Sam Neaveill
- Trayton Saladin
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email to [email protected]