Christmas is coming early for the University of Florida this year. The Gators’ women’s swimming and diving team has received verbal commitments from Talia Bates and Kathleen Golding, both juniors and both Florida high school state champions. They will suit up for the Gators in the fall of 2019.
“I’m extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim for the University of Florida! Thank you to my coaches, family and friends for supporting me. Can’t wait to be a Gator!”
Golding swims high school at Cooper City High where she is a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, and club at South Florida Aquatic Club. She is a three-time Florida Class 4A state champion in the 200 IM. At the recent 2017 FHSAA 4A Swimming and Diving Championships, she won the 200 IM by a nearly 3-second margin, notching a PB of 1:59.72. She was runner-up in the 100 free (49.79) and contributed legs to the seventh-place 200 medley relay (24.37 butterfly) and tenth-place 200 free relay (23.26 anchor).
Golding competed in the A finals of the 100 free, 200 free, 200 IM, and 400 IM and the B final of the 50 free at the 2017 Winter Junior Nationals East last weekend. She improved her PBs in all three freestyle events. Her top times would have scored at 2017 SEC Championships in the 50/100/200 free and 400 IM (C finals); she is only a couple of tenths off in the 200 IM. Golding had an excellent long course season last summer, culminating in an A-final finish in the 200 IM, and B-final finishes in the 100/200 free and 400 IM, at Summer Junior Nationals. Her best times include:
| Top times | SCY | LCM |
| 200 IM | 1:59.72 | 2:17.19 |
| 400 IM | 4:14.46 | 4:50.65 |
| 50 free | 22.98 | 26.24 |
| 100 free | 49.43 | 56.20 |
| 200 free | 1:47.31 | 2:01.99 |
| 100 fly | 54.63 | 1:01.74 |
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcyAIrHAfIQ/?taken-by=kathleen_golding
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].