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Theodore Sun, a senior at Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Amherst, Mass., has opted to remain local with his commitment to Amherst College for the fall of 2024.
As a member and captain of the Amherst Tritons Swim Team, Sun holds 15 & up club records in the 100 and 200 fly as well as 200 and 400 IM. He announced to SwimSwam:
I am beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to the admissions process at Amherst College! I would like to thank my friends, family, and coaches for supporting me through this journey. I would also like to thank Coach Connor for giving me this incredible opportunity to further my academic and athletic career. Go Mammoths!
Sun’s most recent meet was in mid-December at the New England Swimming Senior Championships, where he placed 5th in the 200 fly (1:52.15) and 8th in the 100 fly (51.35). He was even faster at prelims, swimming the 100 fly (51.21) just slightly over his 51.09 personal best and stopping the 200 fly prelims clock at 1:51.85 for a new PR by a half-second.
He also achieved new best times by taking 13th in the 200 IM (1:54.34), 18th in the 500 free (4:44.51), and 19th in the 200 free (1:43.55).
In his lead-off leg of the Amherst Triton 200 free relay, Sun’s 22.20 finish shaved more than a tenth-second off his previous best time.
Top SCY Times
- 50 free – 22.20
- 100 free – 48.50
- 200 free – 1:43.55
- 500 free – 4:44.51
- 100 fly – 51.09
- 200 fly – 1:51.85
- 200 IM – 1:54.34
- 400 IM – 4:07.64
Amherst College, located in Sun’s hometown of Amherst, Mass., is a Division III school competing in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Connor Beaulieu, Amherst class of 2014, is in his first season back on campus as the head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving program.
Last season, Amherst finished in 3rd place at the Men’s NESCAC Championships.
With his current times, Sun is projected to make an immediate impact, especially in the 200 fly. If he had been on Amherst’s roster at the 2023 NESCAC Championships, his best time (1:51.85) would have placed 7th. Amherst’s highest finishes came from a pair of freshmen who scored from the ‘C’ final: Fyn Nadel won the heat to finish 17th (1:51.98), and Ryan Roberts placed 20th (1:54.85).
Sun also has the ability to score points with best times in the 200 and 400 IM that would have qualified for the ‘C’ final at last season’s championships.
His 400 IM (4:07.64) would have finished ahead of Roberts, who placed 18th (4:08.69) and was the only Amherst swimmer entered in the 400 IM at finals. Freshman Michael Jang qualified for the ‘B’ final with his 4:03.67 prelims swim but did not swim it again.
Sun’s 200 IM (1:54.34) will add depth in an event in which Amherst sophomore Tor Metelmann took 5th (1:50.49), junior Justin Papagelis finished 11th (1:51.93), and freshman Jonah Luetke placed 12th (1:52.09) at the conference championships.
With the rest of the school year still ahead of Sun to continue improving, he is right on the edge of what it took to return for finals swims in the 200 free and 100 fly. His best 200 free (1:43.55) is two-hundredths away and his 100 fly (51.09) is two-tenths away from 2023 finals-qualifying times.
It took 1:43.53 in the 200 free and 50.89 in 100 fly to earn a second swim last season.
The 2024-2025 roster will include Sun’s fellow East Coasters Andrew Berkowitz, from Conn., and Charlie McMillan, from N.Y. Both Berkowitz and McMillan specialize in free. Relocating across the country to join them will be Californians Joel Chen (breast/IM) and Cameron Aryanpour (sprint fly/free).
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Congratulations!
Excellent.
A Chinese charter school.
That keeps swimming in the tradition.
A+