Bolles breaststroker Meghan Haila has verbally committed to the Florida State Seminoles.
Haila swims for the Bolles School Sharks club team, but scholastically swims for Creekside High School.
In yards, she’s been 1:02.9 and 2:19.0 in the 100 and 200 yard breaststrokes, both of which were done as a junior.
Florida State has a solid breaststroke group in a relatively weak-breaststroking ACC, and with now at least three breaststrokers verbally committing to this year’s class, they should continue to score strong points in those races going forward. The women have also gotten verbal commitments from McKenna Harris and Natalie Pierce.
Creekside, now in Florida’s 3A class, begins their high school state championship season this week with their district championship meets.
Meghan is a hard worker who received great coaching from Coach Jason at Bolles. Remembering how hard they pushed to get an OT cut …she remained driven…congrats to all. That being said….given that she is Dressel’s girlfriend…..could this be a sign? Just speculation.
Branden, you always bring up a weak ACC breaststroke group. Remember that these recruits are coming into a different ACC with Pitt, Louisville and Notre Dame. Notre Dame always has a very strong breaststroke group and Pitt and Louisville are no pushovers either. Everyone is going to have to step their game up.
Sam I Am – don’t forget that even including those teams, there’s only 12 women who were under 1:02 in the 100 breaststroke last season, and only two under a minute (58.8, 59.9).
In the SEC, there were 26 under 1:02. In the Pac 12 there were 14 and tops was 58.3.
Big Ten had 5 under a minute.
Even with the new teams, it’s still the weakest breaststroking group of the big 4 conferences.
Oh I don’t disagree that it is by far the weakest of the big 4 by a long shot. However, if Pitt, Louisville and ND were in the ACC last year instead of needing a 1:02.72 to make the “A” final, you would have needed around a 1:01.7. For the 200 Breast instead of needing a 2:15.47 you would have needed around 2:13.5 to make the “A” final. That is a big jump forward toward catching the other conferences and a well needed shot in the arm.
When it comes to athletics, ACC supporters tend to be the most unreasonable and blind people around. Yes, it’s a conference on the rise. But everyone else is getting better too.
It’s a great conference to be a part of (for many) because it tends to exclude the top 5%. So if you are in the 85-95 percentile in the world of swimming, you can be a conference champion or whatever — wheras in the SEC you’d be 6th, even if you are in the 85-95 percentile.
There are a few exceptions every year, of course, but this is the truth.
Congrats to Meghan and her family! It is a true honor to coach you. Believe in your talent and go for it!
The Road to the Mountaintop: Determination, Will and Never Giving Up