Earlier today, Wisconsin’s school newspaper The Daily Cardinal broke the news that Olympian Cierra Runge is leaving the Wisconsin Badger swimming and diving program and will transfer to continue her educational and swimming career at Arizona State in January. There she will be reunited with the former coach of her youth Bob Bowman – also the coach of Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt, and many other big names in American swimming. Bowman was also the 2016 U.S. Men’s Olympic Team head coach.
“I’d like to thank Wisconsin for all that they have done for me and I will always be a Badger fan,” Runge said in a statement to SwimSwam. “I am looking forward to finishing up my collegiate career at ASU as well as continue my training for international competitions.”
Runge says that she’ll have to sit out 2 semesters of collegiate swimming before she’ll be eligible to compete for the Sun Devils, which means she should get her first races in January of 2019.
Runge had been conspicuously absent this season, coming off a summer in which she qualified for the U.S. World Championships team and took relay gold. Runge swam a prelims leg of the 4×200 free relay in Budapest, but has not competed since.
The Cardinal story indicates that Runge has been out of the water since September. One anonymous source in the Cardinal suggests Runge could transfer elsewhere, but would not compete there, citing personal issues as the reason for Runge’s decision to leave the program. The Cardinal report also says Runge is leaving the program of her own volition.
Runge was only with Wisconsin for one year of NCAA swimming. She competed her freshman year with Cal in 2014-2015, breaking an NCAA record in the 500 free and an American record as part of a 4×200 free relay. She elected to sit out the next season of NCAA competition, moving to Arizona to train with her former club coach Bob Bowman in the leadup to the 2016 Olympics. After making that Olympic team as part of the 4×200 free relay and earning a gold medal for it, Runge transferred to Wisconsin.
Her lone season as a Badger garnered All-America status in the 400 free relay and B final bids in the 200 and 500 frees. She broke school records in the 200, 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyles in that one season, in addition to swimming as a member of record-setting 400 and 800 freestyle relays.
Runge spent the majority of the summer training at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Updated at 3:17 Central Time with statement from Runge.
Leave Cierra alone!!!1!
… Really, the double transfer is weird. It’s almost like… a double rainbow.
The rear window of her parents’ car is going to run out of room soon with all the stickers.
Good for her. It is my hope that everything works out for her.
More athletes would transfer if not for the onerous ncaa rules that lock them in place
Wow. Runge graduated high school in 2014, when she entered college her expected graduation was spring of 2018 , now she will be starting her junior year of eligibility in the spring of 2019. I hope she is successful at ASU and finds the training she is looking for. Hopefully she can return to, or surpass, her freshman year form.
And to all the people who blamed McKeever after Runge transferred after her freshman year: Cal might not have been the “perfect” fit for Runge, but I think it’s pretty clear McKeever was not the problem here.
I wish her all the best!!
Just like Abbey Weitzeil sat out 2015-2016 season to train for 2016 Olympics. It is not uncommon for these athletes to hold off school or to transfer to another coach in order to train in their sport for the Olympics. Abbey Weitzeil will graduate college at 23 years old in Spring of 2020! It is not unusual…and Cierra Runge shouldn’t be singled out nor called for it.
CAL probably needed her that year she sat out to train for Rio! Who won the PAC12’s in 2016 anyways? How about NCAA where did CAL rank? More often than not, it’s all about the points!!!
usc won
You have given us nothing to support your conclusion. She very well could be graduating spring 2019 and then take grad school classes the following school year….and she transfer to a 4th school and swim for someone else
North Carolina State should be next, to double up on Russell Wilson.
A whole pack of bear devil badgers
And many blamed Teri McKeever for Runge’s problem……..
Who said, Cierra has a problem??? Cierra has options…PLENTY of options! Good for her to try and see what works for her!!! She is young and courageous. Good for her to take on life the way she is doing it. Great move, Cierra!!!
She swam pretty well at Cal. She even set an NCAA record in the 500 free (to her own surprise).
Why didn’t she want to return to Cal in the first place?
Just put 2 and 2 together and look at the comments on McKeever here or on any other article ever In Swim Swam and you’d get an idea that something is funky goes on there and it’s not just the smoke in the parks in Berkeley.
I live in Berkeley and follow Cal swim programs and resent your comments here. I watched Cierra during her one year at Cal and she always had a big smile on her face and she performed extremely well for the Bears from the 200, 500 and longer races. I cannot believe she did not enjoy training at California beaches and Hawaii as well at our Aquatic Center. With Cal having her team up with people like Baker, Franklin, Bilquist, Vredeveld Osman and other girls on the team, I felt it was a great environment for her. And getting a degree at Cal certainly should not have been over-looked as she apparently is a great student. I wish her well, and… Read more »
Not pointing any fingers, but how does that make any sense? If she was happy, why would she leave?
Have you guys heard of Divorce? People leave and do what they think is best for them. Quit being so righteous and let it go already! It’s not a crime to transfer to another school or to go back to your old swim coach to train!!! Arizona State is beautiful and have the facility to train year round especially in Cierra’s caliber and goals for Tokyo 2020!!! Cierra is courageous to make the change for her. This is her life, her decision and career!!! You go girl, and GREAT move!!! #DoYou ☀️?
You live in berk but have you swum for its womens swim coach? Cierra did and smartly chose to exit cult mckeever.
Obviously, a very slow swimming news day if this gets so many comments and you read what actually is in the news today.
Half the comments on this are from you.
Sorry, oh font of leadership.
You are forgiven.
All that matters is that a young person is happy and feels they have a path to be successful in and out of the pool.
Hopefully, she is eligible second semester and next year as well (i.e., not subject to any transfer eligibility restrictions) which I believe would be her fifth year of eligibility to complete four years (2014-2015 at Cal, gap year to train for Olympics in 2015-2016, 2016-2017 at Wisconsin, this season not competing this fall and transferring to ASU 2nd semester and next season at ASU. If swimming is what she desires as part of her life path of happiness.
Consider that in addition to Coach Bowman and she will be in an environment with someone… Read more »