Northwestern Scores 1st Verbal of Season from Colorado’s Liam Gately

Liam Gately of Berthoud, Colorado has verbally committed to Northwestern University for the 2017-18 season.

“I chose Northwestern because I felt it offered a well rounded program that I could both thrive in athletically and academically. Northwestern is a great university with an outstanding coaching staff and team atmosphere. I am looking forward to developing both as a student and athlete and I feel honored to be given this once in a lifetime opportunity. Go Cats!”

Gately is a distance freestyler from Loveland Swim Club who competed in the 1500m free at 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials alongside current NU Wildcat, red-shirt senior Jordan Wilimovsky. A senior at Loveland’s Thompson Valley High School, Gately is the reigning 2016 CHSAA 4A Boys Swim & Dive State Champion in the 500 free (4:33.71) and runner-up in the 200 free (1:40.41). Gately also swam the lead-off leg on both Thompson Valley’s freestyle relays, contributing greatly to the team’s third-place finish overall.

Gately has an impressive range, though. He improved his personal-best times in every freestyle distance over the summer, as well as in the 100/200 fly and 200 IM. His top times include:

Gately will take the distance free baton from Wilimovsky, who graduates after this season. Gately will fill the void nicely as his 1650 time would already have scored in the top 8 at 2016 B1G Championships. He’s a nice get for the Wildcats, who do not have one freshman on the roster this year.

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