Maddie Hunt from Naperville, IL and Bailey Bowden from Plant City, FL have both given their verbal commitments to the Vanderbilt University Commodores for 2013-14.
Vanderbilt women’s swimming is coming off a strong 2012-13 season where new records were set in 9 of the 14 individual events and in all five relays. They logged their highest score at SEC conference championships since 1989, doubling the average tally of the 13 previous years.
Maddie Hunt brings to the Lady Commodores speed in sprint freestyle and backstroke. She swims at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, IL and for the Fox Valley Swim Team in Naperville. Hunt finished fourth in the 50 free and sixth in the 100 back at the 2013 Illinois state meet. Her times of 23.6/52.3 in the 50/100 free were very close to breaking Vanderbilt records a year ago.
A member of Fox Valley Swim Team, Maddie Hunt is a Junior National qualifier in the 50 free with a long course time of 26.79. She has been 58.7 in the 100 free and 1:06 in the 100 back in long course meters.
Bailey Bowden is primarily a distance freestyler. Swimming for Plant City High School (Plant City, FL), Bowden finished in the top 8 at the 2012 Florida high school class 3A state championships and has her sights on a top-5 finish at this year’s meet in November.
Outside of high school, Bowden swims for Tampa Bay Community Aquatics (TBAY). She has gone 16:51 in the mile, 10:16 in the 1000 and 4:58 in the 500. In long course she’s been 9:05 in the 800 and 4:27 in the 400.
Bowden also has a solid 200 back and 200 fly. She should be a big plus in the Lady Commodores’ lineup in the middle and longer distances.
ANCHORBUILD! ANCHORDOWN!
Welcome to the Vandy Family!!
Kara Lucenti from New Trier high school also verbally committed to Vanderbilt as of this week. Very strong in the breaststroke (1:02 SCY) and IM events. All around menace in the pool.