The Indiana Hoosiers have done a lot of work on their sprint group in recruiting over the last few classes, both for the men and the women, and this week they’ve added a verbal commitment from another speed-burner when Latvian 18-year old Janis Saltans pledged his collegiate years to Bloomington.
Saltans has versatility in his speed, but first-and-foremost he’s a freestyler. In long course, his best times are:
- 50 free – 23.09
- 100 free – 50.73
- 50 back – 24.68
- 100 back – 55.20
- 50 fly – 24.42
- 100 fly – 54.24
He’s also shown enough in short course in the 100 breaststroke and 100/200 IM that he could have some future there.
Saltans, along with the rest of this class of 2015, should help propel Indiana back solidly into the top 10 team in the country. The Hoosiers will return most of their top sprinters for next season, including sophomore Anze Tavcar, who currently is the fastest swimmer in the Big Ten in the 100 free (43.03). The latest addition will add even more depth and internal competition in that group, and will also give Indiana another option on the backstroke and fly legs of their medley relays, where they’ve got little depth.
Saltans represented Latvia internationally at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, where he placed 18th in the 100 free, 17th in the 100 back, advanced to the semi-final of the 50 free where he was 10th, advanced to the semi-final of the 50 back where he was 9th, and swam in the final of the 50 fly, where he was 8th.