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Kate Spraul, a native of Bowie, Md., is headed to the west coast to swim and study at Westmont College beginning in the fall of 2024. A senior at Rockbridge Academy, Spraul is a member of the Naval Academy Aquatic Club. She told SwimSwam:
I am extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Westmont College! Thank you to my family, friends, and coaches for encouraging me and supporting me throughout my swimming journey. I can’t wait to be a Warrior!!
Spraul is already seeing results from her training this season, improving last month at the Marlins Invitational with new personal bests in the 50 free (25.21), 100 free (53.33), and 100 fly (58.69).
Entering the meet, her best times had been 25.45 in the 50 free, 53.55 in the 100 free, and 59.19 in the 100 fly.
Such a strong start to the season is no surprise considering Spraul’s performance in August at the 2023 Maryland Long Course Championship, where she was on top of the podium as 400 free champion. Though she finished ahead of the runner-up by nearly three seconds, the 4:35.15 1st-place finish was just off her 4:35.06 personal best.
Her new best times came in Spraul’s other championship finals, as she placed 2nd in 200 free (2:09.59), 4th in 50 back (32.10), 5th in 100 free (1:00.20), and 7th in 100 fly (1:07.07).
Top SCY Times
- 50 free – 25.21
- 100 free – 53.33
- 200 free – 1:53.48
- 500 free – 5:07.04
- 1000 free – 10:41.90
- 100 back – 59.54
- 200 back – 2:07.36
- 100 fly – 58.69
- 200 fly – 2:13.29
- 200 IM – 2:11.19
- 400 IM – 4:41.20
Westmont College, located in Santa Barbara, Calif., is working through the multi-year membership process for NCAA Division II with the potential for full membership in the 2025-26 season. Currently, the Westmont women’s swimming team is in its fifth season competing in the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Last year, the Warriors had six swimmers qualify for the 2023 NAIA National Championships where they finished 8th out of 26 teams.
If she had been at the meet, Spraul’s best times in the 200 and 500 free would have qualified for the ‘A’ final, and her 400 IM and 200 back times would have scored from the ‘B’ final.
Spraul would have been the only Westmont qualifier in the 500 free, and she would have added depth in the other events, scoring alongside Daisy Marquardt, 11th in 400 IM (4:40.15), Olivia Garrison, 13th in 200 free (1:54.64), and Morgan Bienas, 16th in 200 back (2:08.58).
Both Garrison and Marquardt’s Warrior years are expected to overlap with Spraul, who is the first 2024 commit reported to SwimSwam for Westmont College.
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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Westmont is transitioning to D2 and thus are ineligible for NAIA post season.