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UCLA just landed a huge international recruit, right in time for the Bruins’ move to the Big Ten this summer.
Polish breaststroke specialist Karolina Piechowicz signed with UCLA earlier this month, already boasting an impressive resume for an 18-year-old. She won 2022 world junior titles in the 50-meter breast (31.55) and 100 breast (1:08.73) before earning a runner-up finish in the 50 breast (31.18) at the 2023 European Junior Championships last July.
Piechowicz also competed at the Polish National Championships last April, placing 2nd in the 50 breast (31.47) and 4th in the 100 breast (1:10.27). She was just off the 2023 World Championship ‘A’ cuts of 31.02 and 1:07.35, respectively.
“I am extremely excited to announce my commitment to pursue both my academic and athletic career at UCLA,” Piechowicz wrote on Instagram. “I would like to thank my family and my coach for all their support throughout this process. I also want to thank coach @ucla_coach_karissa for making this dream a reality. GO BRUINS❗️”
Piechowicz doesn’t have experience swimming yards, but her best converted 100 breast time would have tied for 4th at the Big Ten Championships last month. She’ll have a couple solid training partners next season between junior Eva Carlson (59.62 100 breast this season, NCAA qualifier) and freshman Sarah Bennetts (1:00.31 100 breast this season, 9th at Pac-12s).
Best LCM Times (Converted to SCY)
- 50 breast – 31.18 (27.18)
- 100 breast – 1:08.73 (1:00.11)
- 200 breast – 2:35.04 (2:16.07)
Piechowicz’s best converted 50 breast time (27.18) is slightly faster than what junior Ana Jih-Schiff split on the Bruins’ 200 medley relay this season (1:37.68), which ranked 37th nationally and missed the NCAA Championships.
UCLA placed 4th at the final Pac-12 Championships last month with 1,089 points behind Stanford (1,283), USC (1,291), and Cal (1,397.5). It was the Bruins’ second time cracking the 1,000-point barrier since 2017 and their fifth consecutive top-4 finish under fifth-year head coach Jordan Wolfrum. USC is joining UCLA in the Big Ten next season while Stanford and Cal are headed to the ACC.
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I can’t find a single 1:08 LC breaststroker in the NCAA who isn’t sub 1:00 in yards. That conversion is underselling the level of recruit they got.