Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Campbell Hall, a NEPSAC Division III champion, has announced his verbal commitment to swim for American University. He’s slated to arrive on campus in Washington, DC for the 2023-2024 season.
“I chose American because of the energy and dedication of the team, and the ability to explore many different majors and career paths through experiences in DC.”
A student at Beaver Country Day School who swims for Charles River Aquatics, Hall won his NEPSAC titles in 200 freestyle and 100 back. However, it’s his 200 backstroke that projects to be his biggest asset for the Eagles.
He holds a lifetime best of 1:52.05, which would have led the team last year by almost seven seconds. It would also place him 14th on AU’s list of all-time top performers, and the fastest since 2016. Also intriguing is his improvement trajectory in the event–from December 2021 to August 2022 he cut a whopping five and a half seconds off his best.
Hall’s Best Times (SCY):
- 200 back – 1:52.05
- 100 back – 52.35
- 200 IM – 2:00.01
- 400 IM – 4:15.41
The 200 back isn’t the only event where Hall’s had a massive improvement curve. He’s also made big strides in his freestyle, backstroke, and IMs.
December 2021 Bests | August 2022 Bests | Time Difference | |
100 Backstroke | 54.04 | 52.35 | -1.69 seconds |
200 Backstroke | 1:57.58 | 1:52.05 | -5.53 seconds |
200 IM | 2:01.76 | 2:00.01 | -1.75 seconds |
400 IM | 4:20.23 | 4:15.41 | -4.82 seconds |
50 Freestyle | 23.83 | 22.86 | -.97 seconds |
100 Freestyle | 50.33 | 49.54 | -.79 seconds |
200 Freestyle | 1:49.61 | 1:46.42 | -3.19 seconds |
With an improvement trajectory this steep in less than a year, Hall could become quite versatile, which would give the Eagles plenty of options for how to use him, both in individual events and relays.
His 100 back best would also have been the fastest on the 2021-22 team. It’s .17 seconds ahead of Aidan Delehanty‘s best of 52.52. Delehanty will be a junior when Hall arrives on campus and the two should be strong training partners.
American University is a mid-major Division I team that competes in the Patriot League. At the 2022 Patriot League Championships, the Eagle men finished 8th out of 10 teams, 50 points behind the 7th place Lafayette.
He needs to drop a bit more time to earn a second swim at the conference championships–his 200 back would have placed 22nd and his 100 back 25th in 2022–but even so, he’ll be a solid asset or the Eagles. Last season, only two men scored in the pool for AU, so it would be a huge boost for them if Hall could sneak into the scoring.
Though he’s further off the scoring in the IMs, his lifetime bests in the 400 (4:15.41) and 200 IM (2:00.01) would have landed him as the second and third fastest AU swimmer last season, respectively. So, even though an IM will likely be only his third event, he’ll add much needed depth to the AU IM group.
Hall is the first 2023 commitment on the men’s side, and joins Illinois’ Kate Williams as the start of their class of 2027.
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].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
FFT SOCIAL
Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
period aah period uuh
Last season Aidan Delehanty actually went a :52.32 as well at their mid-season meet the Patriot Invitational. With both of them going the same time last season it will be interesting to see if that will push them to go even faster this season before Campbell joins the team.