Gardner-Webb Gains Verbal from Futures Qualifier Hailey Williams

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Futures qualifier Hailey Williams from South Lake Aquatic Club has verbally committed to Gardner-Webb University for the fall of 2022.

“I am so truly blessed to announce my verbal commitment to further my academic and swimming career at Gardner-Webb University. I am so grateful for my mom, coach, and everyone that supported me along this gift of a journey. I am looking forward to what Christ has in store for me in the next 4 years as a runnin’ bulldog!! #skodawgs”

Williams is a current senior at Lake Minneola High School who qualifies for Futures in the 200 free, 500 free, 1650 free, and 200 IM.

She recently placed 3rd in the 1650 free at the Florida Swimming Spring Senior Championships in March with a lifetime best time of 16:42.60. She also blasted personal best times in the 200 free, 1000 free, and 400 IM.

Top SCY times:

• 1650 free – 16:42.60
• 500 free – 4:55.33 
• 200 free – 1:50.18 
• 200 IM – 2:06.38 
• 100 fly – 57.62 
• 100 free – 52.72 
• 400 IM – 4:35.90 

While Williams has CCSA Conference finalist potential in each of the 7 events above, her recent lifetime best 1650 free time would have won the 1650 at the 2022 CCSA Conference Championships by nearly five seconds.

Her lifetime best 500 free time also would have won the event at that meet by nearly two seconds. Only three swimmers broke the 5:00 mark in finals. Williams posted that 500 time at the 2021 FHSAA Florida 3A State Championship where she earned 3rd place.

Williams’ best times would have placed her 7th in the 200 free and 11th in the 200 IM at this season’s CCSA Championships. Her fastest 100 fly, 100 free, and 400 IM times would have scored points in the C final. 

She is set to transform the ‘Dogs’ mid-distance freestyle and IM groups where they had no A or B finalists in the 200 IM and no A finalists in the 200 free at the CCSA Conference Championships this season.

Freshman Emma Maust leads Gardner Webb’s 500 freestyle group; she placed 5th in the event at the 2022 CCSA Championships. She was also the highest placing finisher in the 200 free in 12th place. Sophomore Adrianna Barone leads the distance freestyle group; she placed 7th in the 1650 free.

Gardner-Webb is coming off a 7th place finish at the 2022 CCSA Conference Championships under head coach Mike Blum.

Williams joins Andi Hunt, Sara-Michael Jann, and Alaina Yeater in Gardner-Webb’s class of 2026 verbal commitments.

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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