For the third time in the last four classes, Louisville head coach Arthur Albiero has gone to Ann Arbor, Michigan and picked up a commitment out of Club Wolverine, with the latest being 2014 senior Marah Pugh.
Pugh is primarily a distance swimmer, with bests of 4:47.98, 9:53.76, and 16:26.76 in the 500, 1000, and 1650 yard freestyles, respectively. She’s also been 4:20.45 in the 400 IM.
When the Cardinals join the ACC next year, they’ll find a conference that isn’t all-that-deep in distance freestyles. Based on last year’s results (and of course, Notre Dame will also join the conference) Pugh is already a top-1o conference scorer in the mile, and any kind of modest, expected improvements in the next 18 months probably puts her in the A-Final, at least, as a freshman. She’s already 12 seconds faster than anybody at Louisville swam last season.
Pugh did not swim at the Michigan High School state meet as a junior in 2012, but she was the Division I state champion in the 500 free the season before. Also as a junior, she ran at the MITCA Division I State meet in track for Dakota High School
A nice addition considering two of Louisville’s distance women quit the team last year. Who is Louisville’s distance coach?