Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Vlad Gilszmer and Slava Gilszmer have both made verbal commitments to NCAA Division I programs for 2021-22. Vlad has pledged to swim at Cornell University; Slava plans to head to the University of California, San Diego. The 6’7” twins are rising seniors at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, Washington. They swim year-round under coach Tommy Cunningham at Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club.
Vlad Gilszmer
“I am super excited to announce my verbal commitment to Cornell University. I would like to thank all my friends, family, and my coach, Tommy Cunningham for the support. I would also like to thank Coach Wes Newman for making this happen. Go Big Red🐻”
Vlad specializes in mid-distance freestyle and backstroke and is the Washington High School Boys Class 4A double-defending champion in the 500 free. At the 2020 WIAA 4A State Meet, he won the 500 with 4:30.91 and placed 3rd in the 200 free (1:40.96), and contributed to the state record-breaking 200 free relay. His times were a big improvement over 2019 when, as a sophomore, he took home gold in the 500 (4:35.12) and was 4th in the 200 (1:43.29). In 2018 he was runner-up (4:38.61) and 7th (1:44.56) in the respective events.
In club swimming, Vlad swam the 100/200/400m free at Mt. Hood Futures last summer but many of his best LCM times came out of the Pacific Northwest LSC Senior Championships in July. There, he finaled in the 50 free (20th), 200 free (10th), 400 free (9th), 100 back (7th), and 200 back (12th) and updated his times in all five events: 25.22/1:58.05/4:13.35 in free and 1:00.97/2:14.89 in back. At the 44th Annual Washington Open in January, he notched PBs in the SCY 200 breast, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM. He had a strong showing in December at the Pacific Northwest Senior Short Course Championships, finishing top-8 in the 100/200/500/1650 free and 100/200 back and taking home PBs in the 100 free and 100/200 back.
SCY times:
- 100 back – 50.66
- 200 back – 1:50.69
- 100 free – 46.82
- 200 free – 1:40.64
- 500 free – 4:30.46
- 1650 free – 16:13.45
Vlad’s best times would have placed him in the top-5 of Cornell’s 200/500/1650 freestyle groups last season. He would have been a C-finalist in the 200 free but it took 4:27.90/15:53.26 to score in the other two events at 2020 Ivy League Men’s Championships.
Slava Gilszmer
“I am very excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my swimming and academic career at UC San Diego. I want to thank all my family, friends, and coaches especially coach Tommy Cunningham and coach Marko Djordjevic. Go Tritons”
Slava swims back and free, as well, and he has been runner-up in the 500 free behind Vlad in each of the last two years at the Washington High School Boys Class 4A State Championships. In 2020 he came to the wall in a PB of 4:36.47, about 4 seconds faster than he’d been in his second-place finish as a sophomore (4:40.61). This past season he also finished 8th in the 200 free and contributed to the record-setting 200 free relay and the second-place 400 free relay.
In club swimming he put up PBs in the 100/200 fly and 400 IM at the Washington Open in January. His best 100/200 back times date from December 2019 when he swam at the Pacific Northwest LSC Senior Short Course Championships. Notably, he finished 4th in the 200 back.
Slava’s top times will make him an immediate-impact player for the Tritons as soon as he arrives in San Diego. He would have been 12th in the mile and a B-finalist in the 200 back, and he would have been very close to scoring in the 100 back and 500 free.
Best SCY times:
- 200 back – 1:50.98
- 100 back – 52.72
- 1650 free – 16:16.49
- 1000 free – 9:49.23
- 500 free – 4:36.47
- 200 free – 1:43.80
He will join Aidan Simpson, Devin Esser, Ethan Hildesheim, and Jackson Bernstein in the Tritons’ class of 2025.
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].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
FFT SOCIAL
Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
The boys were a dominating force in the 3 sports they competed in, they swam, played basketball with their 6’10” wingspan and they played football till 10th grade. Congratulations boys for making swimming your sport.
In awe at the size of these lads
Congratulations boys!
Food bill in that house must be insane! Good luck at the next level boys!
Pretty impressive “genes” in that family?
Congrats to both! Surprised to see them go their separate ways but I think it’s pretty cool.
Some of the twins I’ve swam with have gone to the same school…others haven’t.
I wonder what’s the percentage of twins in general that go to the same school or go to different schools.