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Sprint freestyler Megan Ciezczak from the Fox Valley Swim Team and Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Illinois has verbally committed to the University of Kentucky. Currently a high school junior, Ciezczak is scheduled to arrive in Lexington before the 2021-2022 season.
At the 2019 Illinois High School State Championship meet in November, she finished 14th in the 50 free individually in the 50 free in 23.92. In the 6-lane New Trier High School pool, that wasn’t enough for a second swim. She did, however, swim in finals of the 2nd-place 200 medley relay, winning 200 free relay, and winning 400 free relays as Nequa Valley just out-did the host New Trier girls for the Illinois State Championship.
That included a personal best split of 23.19 anchoring the 200 medley relay for Ciezczak.
Best Times in Yards:
- 50 free – 23.48
- 100 free – 51.49
- 200 free – 1:54.62
- 100 back – 57.61
- 200 back – 2:06.31
While Nequa Valley High School and the Fox Valley Swim Team are located squarely in the heart of Big Ten country, a number of the top swimmers from their loaded girls’ class of 2021 have escaped to SEC and Pac-12 schools. Among the junior class, of which Ciezczak is a part, state champion McKenna Stone is going to Cal and World Junior Championships team member Rachel Stege is going to Georgia.
Still uncommitted (publicly) from that group is Tiffanie Ruan.
The Kentucky women (and their men) are coming off one of the best seasons in program history. Before the cancellation of the NCAA Championships due to the global coronavirus pandemic, Kentucky had 10 women qualified for individual races. Most of that Kentucky depth, however, is in middle distance and stroke events – none of the 10 swimmers were entered in the 50 or 100 free individually. The school didn’t qualify a 200 medley or 200 free relay for the NCAA Championships last season.
Ciezczak should immediately help bring depth to those sprint frees for the Wildcats. Her best time in the 50 would’ve ranked her 2nd on the team last season behind only Riley Gaines (though Kentucky did manage to find four 22-second splits for this relay at the SEC Championships).
She joins a Kentucky class that includes backstroker Annie Galvin, breaststroker Madeline Wenig, and another sprint freestyler (23.45/50.31) Sydney Stricklin.
Her older brother Matt finished his collegiate career at Southern Illinois last season.
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