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UCSD has picked up a verbal commitment from Alana Barthel for their class of 2025.
Backstroke specialist Alana Barthel has announced her decision to swim for the University of California at San Diego beginning in the 2021-2022 season. The Hawaii native is a senior at Le Jardin Academy and she swims year-round for Aulea Swim Club.
In August of 2019, Barthel competed at the Futures Championship meet in Mt. Hood. She finished 54th in the 400 IM (5:21.13), 8th in the 100 back (1:05.86), and 4th in the 200 back (2:21:43), earning spots in the A-final of both backstroke events. She took 0.3 seconds off of her prelims time in the 100 back to finish 7th, and she went 2.3 seconds faster in the finals heats of the 200 back, earning the bronze medal.
Her 200 meter backstroke was a personal best, earning her a Winter Junior Nationals qualifying time. She also has a Winter Juniors cut in the 100 yard back, and a Summer Juniors cut in the 100 meter back.
In February, Barthel competed at the ILH Varsity Swim & Dive Championships. She swam the 100 back, 100 free, 200 medley relay, and 400 free relay. She clocked in at 52.66 in prelims of the 100 free, and 56.18 in the 100 back. Both times placed her as the top seed going into finals. She took 0.23 seconds off in finals for a 100 free time of 52.43, and she went the exact same 100 back time in finals. She earned gold medals in each race. Barthel led off Le Jardin Academy’s 200 medley relay with a 50 backstroke time of 26.30. She swam the second leg of their 400 free relay, splitting a 100 free time of 54.65. The relays placed 3rd and 4th respectively.
She went on to compete at the K Mark Takai Swimming and Diving Championships 2 weeks later. She again led off Le Jardin’s 200 medley relay, improving her time by 0.3 for a time of 26.00. She went a 53.00 in finals of the 100 free and 55.24 in the 100 back, finished 4th in both. She split a 50 free time of 24.79 swimming the second leg of her team’s 200 free relay. Her 100 back time earned her an All-American title.
Barthel has set multiple backstroke LSC records. She most recently broke the 15-16 Hawaii state record in the 100 meter backstroke with a time of 1:04.28.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 back – 26.39
- 100 back – 55.24
- 200 back – 1:59.30
Barthel will become a Tritons when she arrives on campus in the fall of 2021. She will likely be one of their top backstrokers, as her 100 back time would have made her the team’s second-fastest swimmer during the 2019-2020 season, and her 200 back would have been the team’s top time. Jordan Phillips posted the top 100 back time last season, clocking in at 54.90 at the Pepperdine Winter Invitational.
Barthel’s 100 and 200 backstroke times would have placed her in the A-final at the 2019 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships.
The UCSD Tritons have already received verbals from butterfliers Katie Cho and Lexi DePaco for the class of 2025.
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