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CJ Layne, a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American from Bowling Green, Ohio, has announced his verbal commitment to the University of Kentucky’s class of 2024. Layne is a rising senior at Bowling Green High School; he swims year-round for Bowling Green Swim Club.
“I am proud to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic careers at the University of Kentucky! Their coaching staff, team atmosphere, facilities, academic support staff, and having the academic program I am looking for all factored into my decision. I am looking forward to this next step and am grateful to my coaches, friends, and parents who have helped me reach my goal to be a collegiate athlete! Go Cats!”
Layne’s path from Bowling Green to Lexington is atypical. While playing in a soccer tournament in middle school, he took a ball to the head and was knocked out. It wasn’t clear he would ever swim again. (Watch the video below for the full story from Jordan Strack WTOL & FOX Toledo.) But two-and-a-half years later he won the 2018 Ohio State Division 2 title in the 100 breast as a sophomore, going 55.83 and coming within 3/10 of the state record. This year he defended his title and crushed the D2 record, winning by more than 2 seconds with 54.48. He also came in 10th in the 200 free with 1:44.92 and split a 24.72 50 breast on the 10th-place Bowling Green medley relay.
In club swimming, Layne competed at NCSA Spring Championship in March, reaching the A final of the 50 breast, the B final of the 200 breast, and the C final of the 100 breast. He came in 12th in the 100m breast at Indy Sectionals in March, and swam all three breaststrokes at PSS Bloomington, leaving the meet with a new PB in the 50m breast.
Kentucky will have graduated its top three breaststrokers (Wyatt Amdor – 52.68/1:58.56), Austin Haney – 53.43/1:55.69), and Glen Brown – 55.44/1:58.81) but he’ll overlap two years with Kyle Barker (59.72/1:57.20) and three with incoming freshmen breaststrokers Henry Miller and Tim Ellett.
Top SCY times:
- 100 breast – 54.48
- 200 breast – 2:00.21
- 200 free – 1:44.92
- 200 IM – 1:57.05
- 100 free – 48.49
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