Thomas Heilman, The No. 1 Recruit In High School Class Of 2025, Commits To Virginia

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World Championships individual finalist Thomas Heilman, the top recruit in SwimSwam’s way-too-early class of 2025 rankings, has verbally committed to swim at the in-state University of Virginia. There he will join his older brother Matthew, a current sophomore at the school. He and his brother will swim together for one season: the 2025-26 NCAA season. Heilman is a native of Crozet, Virginia, and attends Western Abernale High School. His club team, the Piedmont Family YMCA, trains in Charlottesville, which is the town where UVA is located.

Heilman is part of a massive Virginia recruiting class that also includes the likes of no. 2 Maximus Williamson, no. 8 Thomas Mercer, and no. 12 Josh Howat, who all committed at the same time as him.

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Heilman boasts a resume that makes him, at just 16 years old, already one of the greatest high school swimming recruits of all time. He’s the fastest high schooler of all time in the 100 fly and 200 fly, the 15-16 National Age Group record holder in the 200 IM, and the fastest 50 freestyler in his class (alongside topping his class in the other aforementioned events). He’s also got the second-fastest 100 free, 200 free, and 400 IM times in his class, in addition to the third-fastest 100 and 200 breast time. His 200 fly time would have been fast enough to ‘A’ final at the 2023 NCAA Championships, while his 100 fly and 200 IM times both would have ‘B’ finaled.

At Virginia, Heilman will have a massive impact due to both his NCAA scoring-worthy times and his sprinting versatility, as he will be a valuable asset both individually and on relays. His 100 fly and 200 IM times are notably faster Virginia’s team records.

This summer, Heilman also saw an international breakthrough in long course, finishing fourth at the 2023 World Championships in the 200 fly (1:53.85) to become the fastest 18-and-under American ever in the event. In addition, he broke his own 15-16 National Age group record in the 100 fly (51.19) and earned a World Championships gold medal by swimming the fly leg for Team USA in the prelims of the men’s medley relay.

Thomas Heilman, Personal Best Times (SCY):

• 100 fly: 44.67 (best in class)
• 200 fly: 1:40.86 (best in class)
• 200 IM: 1:41.71 (best in class)
• 50 free: 19.63 (best in class)
• 400 IM: 3:43.63
• 100 free: 42.61
• 200 free: 1:34.10
• 100 back: 47.91
• 100 breast: 54.26
• 200 breast: 1:57.80

Virginia has frequently nabbed top recruits for their women’s program, which has won the national championship three seasons in a row. However, the Virginia men have only placed as high as eighth place at NCAAs back in 2011 and are coming off of a 10th-place finish in 2022 and a 15th-place finish in 2022. Getting Heilman and several other top recruits in the high school class of 2025 to commit to Virginia could be what turns it from a good team to joining the likes of Cal, Arizona State, NC State, Florida and Texas as a top men’s swimming powerhouse.

In fact, the commitment of Heilman and his classmates is reminiscent of when Kate Douglass, Ella Nelson, Maddie Donohoe, and Lexi Cuomo committed to the Virginia women’s team as members of the high school class of 2019, back when Todd DeSorbo first took over as head coach for the team. Those women ended up being the foundation of Virginia’s dynasty, which earned multiple national titles and the commitment of several top recruits in the years following.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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