19-Point 50 Yard Freestyler James Misto (2023) Signs with Bryant University

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James Misto, a sprint freestyle and butterfly specialist from Lincoln, Rhode Island, has signed to swim and study at in-state Bryant University starting in the fall of 2023. Misto has already flat-started sub-20 seconds in the 50 yard freestyle; while sub-20 second high school swims are becoming more common (there have been about 25 of them so far this season), it’s still rare for those sub-20 second swimmers to commit to mid-major schools like Bryant, making this a huge home-state coup for the Bulldogs.

Among those who have committed outside the Power 5 teams, most have been at Ivy League schools, with one going to the US Naval Academy.

“It is with humility that I announce my verbal commitment to study and swim Division I at Bryant University! I’d like to thank my family, friends, coaches, and the Bryant staff for helping me make this choice. I’m super excited to see what the future holds. Go Bulldogs!”

Misto is in his senior year at Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, but competes year-round for Gators Swim Club over state lines in Seekonk, Massachusetts. Misto’s best events include the 50/100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly. He has achieved his best times in these events all within the last year.

Misto had a great meet at the 2022 Speedo Winter Junior Championships East with personal best in the 50-yard free(20.31) and the 100-yard free (45.34), placing 18th and 36th respectively. Then, just a week later at the BGSC New England Senior Meet, Misto set another personal best in the 50-yard freestyle, winning with a time of 19.98 and breaking 20 seconds for the first time. Misto hit a best time in his 100-yard butterfly at the same meet back in 2021, touching at a 48.46 in finals, shaving almost a full two seconds from his prelim swim of 50.29. Misto had a good long-course season as well, hitting best times in his 100-meter freestyle (52.07) and 100-meter butterfly (55.18) at the 2022 Summer Junior Nationals in August.

Best times SCY:

• 50 free –19.98
• 100 free –45.34
• 200 free — 1:44.90
• 100 fly — 48.46

Misto’s best times are faster than any Bryant swimmer has been this season in the 50/100 yard freestyles and the 100 yard fly, and second to only junior Chase Konstantakos in the 200 free (1:41.50). 

His 19.98 50-yard free is good enough to beat the school record of 20.44 and would set the Northeast Conference Championship record, beating Long Island University’s Alejandro Pascual De Cid’s winning time of 20.30 from 2022.  Misto’s current 100-yard fly best time would have set another Northeast Conference Championship record, beating out Howard University’s Mark-Anthony Beckle’s winning time of 48.86 from 2022. He would have placed fourth in the 100-yard free (winning time 44.33). 

The Bryant University men, though, were only a part of the Northeast Conference for two seasons and claimed the conference title in both years. Beginning in 2023, they will compete in the America East. Generally a deeper conference, Misto’s best time in the 50 free still would have won the America East title last season (nobody was under 20 seconds), and his best times in the 100 free and 100 fly both would have qualified him for the top half of A finals in those events.

Bryant’s current best sprinters, Reese Stevenson and Chase Konstantakos will be seniors by fall 2023, and unless they take a fifth year, they will only overlap with Misto for his freshman season. 

Misto is the first commitment to Bryant University’s men’s team so far for the class of 2027 and will be joining the Bulldogs in fall 2023.

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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