Fast-Rising Californian Kate Krolikowski Commits to Michigan

Kate Krolikowski from the Aquazot Swim Club in California has verbally committed to the Michigan Wolverines, making at least the 5th woman to commit to the Wolverines so far this fall. (Alex Hughes, Alexis Margett, Daria Pyshnenko, Emma Cleason, and Sierra Schmidt have also verbally committed.)

I chose Michigan, because I immediately felt at home, and loved all of the coaches, swimmers, and staff. The team atmosphere and spirit is incredible, and I know that Coach Bottom, Coach Bishop, and Coach Brager will help me excel in swimming these next four years. Besides swimming at the highest levels, I will receive a world class education. I’m so excited to be a wolverine and GO BLUE!

Krolikowski is a versatile swimmer who in the short-term will have an immediate scoring impact in the middle-distance freestyle events, with butterfly and IM potential in the long-term as well.

Best times in yards:

• 50 free – 23.82
• 100 free – 49.77
• 200 free – 1:45.96
• 500 free – 4:47.54
• 100 fly – 54.57
• 200 fly – 2:00.31
• 200 IM – 2:01.49
• 400 IM – 4:16.81

Her best time in the 200 free, done as the runner-up at the 2016 CIF-Southern Section Division I Championship meet, would have been the 11th-fastest time in the Big Ten last year. Michigan happens to have had 5 of those existing 11 fastest times, and all 5 were freshmen or sophomores, meaning all 5 would project to still be in Ann Arbor when Krolikowski arrives.

Her improvement curve, however, indicates that she could infiltrate that group for relay spots as a freshman.

For example, improvement curve in the 200 free:

• Freshman year – 1:57.48
• Sophomore year – 1:49.89
• Junior year – 1:45.96

And in the 100 free:

• Freshman year – 53.67
• Sophomore year – 51.48
• Junior year – 49.77

Krolikowski swims scholastically for Woodbridge High School.