Ellie Zweifel of Columbia, Missouri has announced her intent to swim for the University of Florida in the class of 2022. Joining her on the Gators’ roster next fall will be fellow verbal commits Kirschtine Balbuena, Layla Black, Leah Braswell, Mabel Zavaros, Rosie Zavaros, and Vanessa Pearl.
Zweifel is a senior at Rock Bridge High School, the runners-up by 3.5 points at the 2017 MSHSAA Girls State Swimming Championship. Zweifel was a member of the Rock Bridge quartet that broke the Missouri state record in the 200 medley relay by 1.3 seconds. Zweifel contributed a 26.62 leadoff backstroke to the effort. She also was runner-up in the 100 breast (1:04.54), placed sixth in the 100 back (57.59), and led off the ninth-place 200 free relay (25.50). Zweifel does her club swimming with Columbia Swim Club, specializing in breaststroke/backstroke.
It took 1:02.68/2:14.28 to make the C finals of the 100/200 breast at 2017 SEC Championships, and 54.27 in the 100 back. Zweifel will overlap with backstrokers Emma Ball (two years) and Sydney Sell (one year), and with breaststrokers Hannah Burns (one year), Savanna Faulconer (two years), and Kelly Fertel (two years). The Gators had a rather gaping hole in breaststroke last year; they didn’t score a point in the women’s 100 breast, and Burns was the lone scorer in the 200 (she finished 22nd).
Top SCY times:
- 100 breast – 1:03.33
- 200 breast – 2:18.97
- 100 back – 57.45
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].