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High school junior Wyatt Carlton of the Bellingham Bay Swim Team in Bellingham, WA, has made a verbal commitment to the University of Tennessee’s class of 2027. Carlton’s sister Emma Carlton is a senior at the University of Tennessee, though she began her NCAA career at Texas A&M University before transferring to Tennessee in 2021.
“Four and half years ago, I walked onto the campus of the University of Tennessee and I knew it was exactly the place I wanted to be. Today, I am so blessed and thrilled to announce my commitment to continue my athletic and academic career as a Vol for the UT Men’s Swimming and Diving Team. I want to thank all of my friends, family, and coaches who have helped me achieve my dream of becoming a part of the Volunteer family! GO VOLS!
At the 2021 USA Swimming Futures Championships in Santa Clarita, Carlton placed 2nd in the men’s 100 butterfly with a time of 54.49, marking his first time under the 55-second barrier in the race. Two weeks prior, at the 2021 Speedo Sectionals Championships in Austin, Texas, Carlton placed 3rd in the 100 butterfly in a time of 55.11.
In December at the 2021 Pacific Northwest 15 & Over Short Course Championships, Carlton racked up 6 finals appearances, placing 2nd in the 100-yard butterfly (49.17), 3rd in the 50 butterfly (22.47) and 200 butterfly (1:52.01), 6th in the 500 freestyle (4:49.85), and 7th in the 100 (47.19) and 200 freestyles (1:44.04).
Carlton, who swims for Mount Vernon High School, placed 4th in the 100 butterfly at the 2020 WIAA Boy’s 4A State Championships during his freshman year.
Top Times – SCY
- 50 Free – 21.69
- 100 Free – 46.49
- 200 Free – 1:42.88
- 100 Fly – 48.97 (54.49 LCM)
- 200 Fly – 1:50.84
Carlton has demonstrated potential by dropping large amounts of time in freestyle and butterfly, in particular over the past three seasons. Notably, his 100 butterfly has improved by over six seconds and his 200 freestyle by 11.6 seconds. Carlton’s dramatic improvements could prove vital to Tennessee which will graduate its three individual point scorers from the 2021 NCAA Championships, though they’ll still have to get by for an entire season before he steps on campus.
SCY Times & Year-by-Year Progress
| Event | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| 100 Free | 52.85 | 49.42 | 46.49 |
| 200 Free | 1:54.49 | 1:49.62 | 1:42.88 |
| 100 Fly | 55.08 | 50.88 | 48.97 |
| 200 Fly | 1:59.32 | 1:54.79 | 1:50.84 |
At the 2021 SEC Championships, it took a 47.58 to advance to the ‘C’ final of the 100 butterfly and a 1:47.31 to advance to the ‘C’ final of the 200 butterfly, meaning Carlton could score at the conference level as a freshman, if he continues to improve at a similar rate to what he has the past two seasons.
Carlton will join diver Harper Thornett in Tennessee’s class of 2027. The Vols placed 3rd at the 2021 SEC Men’s Championships behind the University of Florida (1st) and the University of Georgia (2nd), before going on to place 20th at the 2021 NCAA Championships with a total of 48 points. SwimSwam ranked the University of Tennessee men 15th in the NCAA power rankings December edition.
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