Whittney Hamilton of Roanoke, Virginia verbally committed to the University of Tennessee, where she will be a second-generation member of the Volunteers’ swimming and diving team. Her father, Skip Hamilton, was a four-year letter-winning diver for Tennessee from 1970-73. Whittney told The Roanoke Times, “I kind of always had the feeling but I called earlier today and finalized it. Since my dad went there, I’ve grown up loving the Vols. I wanted to keep [the legacy] going.
“I never went to any swim meets, but my dad still knows the diving coach. Pretty much every time we went there for a football game, we’d stop by the pool and say, ‘Hi.’ ”
Hamilton is a senior at Patrick Henry High School, the Virginia Class 5 state champions for the last three years in a row. Hamilton has been a first-team All-Timesland selection during each of her first three seasons. She set the 5A state record in the 50 free (23.08) and 100 fly (53.52) and contributed to the winning 200 medley and 400 free relays at the 2017 VHSL 5A State Meet. As a junior in 2018 she came in second in the 50 (23.25) and 9th in the 100 fly (54.94) and won the 200 medley (24.33 butterfly leg) and 400 free (50.84 anchor) relays.
Hamilton swims year-round with the Virginia Gators. At the 2017 Dolfin ISCA Junior Championship Cup, she was a member of all four of the relays (200/400 medley and 200/400 free) that broke National Age Group Records. Her top SCY times include:
- 50 free – 23.08
- 100 free – 51.62
- 100 fly – 53.51
- 50 fly – 24.58
Hamilton will suit up for the Vols with fellow class of 2023 commits Abby Samansky, Isabella Gable, Kenna Haney, Lyndsey Huizenga, and Natalie Ungaretti.
Super excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim at the university of Tennesse! Thank you to all the people who have helped me along the way! Go vols🧡🧡🧡 pic.twitter.com/QG6LO3fsCv
— Whittney Hamilton (@_whittney_7) May 29, 2018
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