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Jacob Petitta of Sarasota, FL has committed to swim for Hendrix College beginning in the 2021-2022 season.
Jacob Petitta has announced his decision to swim for Division III Hendrix College beginning in the 2021-2022 season. He is a senior at Riverview High School and he swims year-round for the Sarasota Sharks.
Hendrix College was so welcoming it felt like home. I met the Warrior swim team and really felt their sense of kinship and love for Coach Tony. It didn’t take long for me to feel the same way.
Hendrix offers the swim conference I best fit in, rigorous academics, new dorms and a five star culinary. Not to mention the incredibly fast and spectacular Bob Courtway Pool.
Petitta most recently competed at the 2021 Florida WFLA Spring Open. He competed in the 50, 100, and 200 free, the 100 breast, and the 100 back, picking up personal best times in each event.
Petitta previously played football for 8 years leading up to high school. He then expressed interest in swimming, which he has now been competing in for 3.5 years. He began swimming with the Sarasota YMCA Sharks because of the level of confidence the coaching staff and team instilled in him.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 free – 27.01
- 100 free – 58.68
- 100 breast – 1:15.92
The Hendrix College men’s swimming and diving team will welcome Petitta to campus in the fall of 2021. The team finished fifth at the 2021 Southern Athletic Association Championships. Junior Paxton Higgerson was the team’s top scorer, securing a bronze medal in the 100 fly. Higgerson is a Hendrix College record-holder in the 50, 100, and 200 free, and he is a member of the record-setting 200 and 400 medley and free relays.
Petitta will join the team as a member of the Warriors’ 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].
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He can definitely go faster because on his swim cloud profile has his 2 fr as 1:53 and to go that, you go out faster than 58
Those are self inputted times. He doesn’t actually go 1:53
Jacob, great choice in schools! Coach Tony is the BEST!
Congratulations and best of luck as you continue your swim and education career at Hendrix!
Wow this comment section is a mess
Hope the kid has some monster drops and ends up an All American
I hope he surpasses Dean meme status
Coleman, can we get this kid flagged or something so that us readers get updates on his future progress. I’m willing to bet he has more supporters than doubters and would love to show it.
All American*
*D3 ( not shade, I was one myself)
Big baller🏀🔥💸
I swam with Jacob about 2 years ago. In the time I swam with him, he was somebody I did not enjoy being around with. He was not mean or condescending by any stretch, but he seemed cocksure and too big for his shoes.
That being said, I hope and I’m sure he’s progressed since I last saw him. Best of luck to him and his college career.
Here’s a really important lesson to learn in life: if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
My apologies for simply offering a summary of my own year-long experiences about an individual in an article about him.
I also apologize for wishing him luck on his future endeavors and hoping he’s progressed. I had no idea such a statement was offensive. But in today’s day and age, I guess everyone is to be offended at everything
Except you didn’t use your actual name so there’s no proof that you swam with him or even swim at all. So at this point you’re just an a-hole.
Ah yes.
Because I would totally go on this random Swimswam page on particular, for no reason, out of the hundreds of commitment articles that are published on this site to publish a mixed opinion.
I apologize for expressing my right to free speech and offering my opinion on an individual I spent hundreds of hours with.
I find it humorous because I’m sure were i to post a rainbows and sunshine opinion on this man, you would not be questioning my anonymity at all. There are plenty of anonymous users who viciously criticize world-class swimmers on this site daily without knowing that athlete personally. But apparently, it’s not ok for me to offer a mixed opinion.
Nice whataboutism and misunderstanding of the right to free speech (nobody is telling you not to speak, just to say who you are and own your comment, and the right to free speech is in regards to the government’s ability to limit your speech, not a privately-owned site like this one, which can do whatever it wants in regards to any comment).
Now own up, or you’re still just a troll.
The fact that you’re aggressively demanding someone’s identification in an internet comment section, over what is ultimately not even an issue, reflects that you don’t have the emotional and mental intelligence customary to be using the internet in this manner.
Calm down.
No, Walter, you’re not wrong, you’re just an asshole.
There’s a difference between offering criticism to an athlete in the public eye on a large scale (ie Ryan Lochte) and some high school senior. There’s a lot of expectations that come along with the limelight. Many are grown adults who are being critiqued and likely do not read this site.
THIS is a high school senior who is probably excited as all hell about his college choice and wanting to share it publicly to get his new home some publicity. That is a BIG difference.
Alright grandpa it’s not 1964 anymore
We have had swimmers go here and not only improve, but perform at an exceptional level. The coach clearly sees value in this young athlete and it will be fun to see his growth at Hendrix.
Got to think this dude is already a front runner for MIP.
100 free 58???
We had a kid start with a 104 in the 100 FS and close out this year as a 53. Some come later to the sport, need more development or just don’t have the drive as a younger athlete. D3 gives kids like this an opportunity to compete past high school, have fun, learn and grow. Some great things have come from late bloomers. Think Andrew Wilson
Sorry but there are 11 year old girls who go 58 100 free now.
There are also 11 year old girls who have the maturity not to anonymously tear down a strangers personal achievements.
Everyone should be getting an article then on swimswam 😂😂
I believe anyone who submits a commitment to swimswam does get an article so it’s less about how good an athlete is and more who does the legwork of reaching out. With exception of the top recruits in the country / surprising commits i assume
I believe SwimSwam does afford this to anyone who submits recruitment I do. I think it’s a great thing.
Lmaooooo true. How on earth did this dude get his own feature article. There’s probably countless swimmers, male and female, with better times than him committing to colleges.
For all we know he’s faster than you.
Absolutely not lol
Prove it
I swam D2. 50 100 free, 22 50 free
School and name?
First me, now him.
How about you provide us yours?
Or are you in actuality a hypocrite that is (very reasonably) afraid to disclose your personal information amongst strangers on the internet?
For all you know, this kids gonna be faster than you. Not like you have very difficult benchmarks. I would chill before getting into a pissing contest.
Haha okay
Dude 50 and 22 would not make most high school state championship meets. Chill.
Jk, you would be in contention for a podium finish in most high school girl’s meets
Actually it makes most state meets lol and I haven’t been in high school since 2016, so obviously swimming has gotten way faster since then.
Lol just look at the most recent CIF State championships. Don’t even have to scroll down to the 100, only 1 guy in the top 30 went out in a 50 in the first 100 of the 200.
Pretty sure every single one of those guys could say you’re embarrassingly slow, as could olympians say about them.
Everybody’s at their own level, no need to try to put him down
Show me 5 where both those times earn an entry. 2016 or 2021. Goodluck. Those times don’t even qualify you for speedo sectionals.
Every single swimmer at the Texas state 5a meet (the lower division) swam faster than a 58 in the 100 free….on the girls side.
Looked up the 2016 Ohio State meet. 50 in the 100 free is not making it. Let’s go back to the good old days with 1 division and only top 24. For real.
Do I think everyone on swiswam deserves an article like this? Nope.
However, tearing someone down individually like that…….when someone asks you about your times because of you knocking someone else’s, at least lie and say 44.0 or something. Sheesh.
He is definitely not going to be faster
sorry bud, there are 13-14 year old girls who go 21.8/47.6.
I’ve posted about my disdain over people criticizing swimmers in these commitment articles, but I’m with Hswimmer on this one. lol at swimmers walking on to D3 schools with super weak times getting articles. Yes he has the ability to improve yada yada but this is ridiculous.
I’m also not against swimswam giving anyone who wants an article an article. If the kid wants the world to know what his novice times are and that he’s going to college then good for him. Maybe he’ll be transferring to Cal by the time he’s a junior. (A Cal State school that doesn’t have a swim team zing!)