Alaina Potts from the Peoria Area Water Wizards, the same club where National Teamer Becca Mann got her start, has verbally committed to the Kentucky Wildcats.
“The University of Kentucky offers me the perfect balance between academics and athletics,” Potts said. “The coaching staff and team were so welcoming and I knew as soon as I left campus that I was ready to See Blue! Go Wildcats!”
Potts is a solid breaststroker and freestyler for the program in Lexington, with yards bests of:
- 50 free – 24.31
- 100 free – 54.29
- 200 free – 1:56.49
- 100 breast – 1:04.60
- 200 breast – 2:25.23
She swam lifetime bests in all of those events as a junior, including dropping over a second in the 100 breast, and it’s the breaststrokes where she’s most likely to have an immediate impact. That’s because Kentucky is graduating Sam Sheehan, after this season.
The team does have two talented sophomores this season, Kendra Crew (1:02.7/2:13.0 in the 100 and 200 last year) and Annah Baykal (2:17.2 in the 200 last season). Crew swam on the medley relays last season and will be the front-runner to finish out her career there, but if her progress were to stall, Potts isn’t far off of Crew’s sprint breaststroke times. Either way, Potts should add depth to this group for Kentucky, and projects to be at least an SEC scorer in her four years there.
Potts also swims for Dunlap High School, where she’s a four-year Illinois State qualifier, a five-event school record holder, and was 5th at the 2013 State Championship meet in the 100 breast.