In one 24-hour period on Wednesday, the TCU Horned Frogs picked up a pair of sprint freestylers to bolster a sprint group that was last in the Big 12 in the 400 free relay in the 2014-2015 season.
Claire Munster from Tri Aquatics in Alabama and Hannah Dooley from the Magnolia Aquatic Club near Houston both pledged their collegiate careers to TCU, and both swimmers already have best times that would put them onto the program’s “A” relays.
Hannah Dooley
TCU commit Hannah Dooley
Dooley’s 100 freestyle exploded during her junior season at Magnolia West High School. As a sophomore, she placed 8th at the Texas small school (then 4A & under) State Championship meet in the 50 free, but failed to qualify for the meet at all in the 100 free.
“I fell in love with TCU when I went on an unofficial visit last spring,” Dooley said. “My official trip just solidified my choice and made my decision easier since I had a lot of great schools to choose from. The coaching staff is very personal and the team was very welcoming. It all felt so natural to commit there.”
As a junior (the meet then became 5A & under, but was still for the state’s smaller schools), after dropping volleyball completing her first full season of club swimming, she dropped three-and-a-half seconds to place 2nd at the State Championship meet, and dropped a second in the 50 free for a 4th-place finish.
Best times in yards:
- 50 free – 23.84
- 100 free – 51.31
- 200 free – 1:55.11
- 50 fly – 26.80
She has a relatively-limited event profile without a long history of club swimming, and is still developing in long course, but she has show massive potential with her recent improvements.
That junior season really gave Dooley a boost of confidence, she says. “That is one of the many reasons why I am so excited to be at TCU next year; I know that I have a lot of potential to get better and I see myself excelling in the pool for the next four years.”
Claire Munster
TCU commit Clare Munster
Munster’s short course time profile is very similar to Dooley’s though with a longer club background she’s more developed in long course.
Munster’s best times:
- 50 free – 24.23 (yards)/27.70 (meters)
- 100 free – 51.65 (yards)/58.39 (meters)
- 200 free – 1:53.45 (yards)/2:05.36 (meters)
Munster is a former club teammate of TCU sophomore John Smith, who transferred in to the school this summer after one season at Western Kentucky.
The pair would have ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively, among TCU 100 freestylers last year.