Top Butterflier in Class of 2014 Commits to Minnesota Women

Butterflier/freestyler Danielle Nack from the Mantas Swim Club has verbally committed to Minnesota. Along with breaststroker Rae Bullinger, already committed, the Gophers’ medley relay of the future looks very good.

“I had to go with my gut feeling,” Nack said of the decision, “and I wanted to swim in and represent my home state.”

Nack, who we ranked as the #9 recruit overall in the class of 2014, is the best sprint butterflier in the class of 2014. She was a 52.41 at last year’s Minnesota High School State Championship meet, where she broke the State Record that had been held by Rachel Bootsma. She also broke the Class A record in the 50 free with a 22.82 at that same meet, and split 22.68 and 50.07 in the 50 and 100 yard freestyles on relays.

She also adds flat-start bests of 1:59.24 in the 200 yard fly, 50.18 in the 100 yard free, and 1:48.32 in the 200 yard free: all of which are events where she will likely contribute in her first two years, especially with a huge portion of the Gophers’ once-young freestyle group graduating within a year of her arrival.

She’ll have a battle on her hands for the butterfly spot as a freshman, as 2013-2014 junior Rebecca Weiland has really developed under Kelly Kremer, but in the least this provides three more years of continuity for the Minnesota medley relays that were 11th (200) and 10th (400) at last year’s NCAA Championships.

Minnesota has now kept two big in-state recruits home. They could really use a backstroker in this class, with the best from in the state remaining being Isabel Wyer.

Nack, who swims for Mankato West High School, has a younger sister Chantal that is a junior this year and was the 2012 Minnesota State Champion in the 200 free and runner-up in the 500 free.