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Rachel Sabotin of Columbus, Indiana has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Akron for 2020-21. She will join Giovanna Cappabianca in the class of 2024.
“I am extremely excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and swimming career at the University of Akron. Akron has an amazing championship team culture. Coach Peresie and Mattar are fantastic and I cannot wait to become a Lady Zip!!
“Special thanks to my club coach (Club Olympia Swim Team in Indiana (COST)), Jennifer Hooker-Brinegar who has been a great coach, mentor, and role model for me. Her dedication to teaching me how to become a better person as well as a swimmer for the past 7 years has been a blessing in so many ways. Also thanks to my club team mates who have been great friends in and out of the water.
“I look forward to contributing as a team mate with the Lady Zips and am so excited and humbled to be a part of a team that has so many championship swimmers, great students and individuals. Fear the Roo!!”
Sabotin is a junior at Trinity Lutheran High School. Homeschooled through 8th grade, she chose Trinity Lutheran for the academic fit, even though it had neither a pool nor a swim team. She immediately went about rectifying the second situation by obtaining permission to start a swim team at the school. Sabotin turned to her club coach, Jennifer Hooker-Brinegar, who agreed to coach the school team which consisted of four swimmers in 2016-17. That first year Sabotin made the Indiana Girls’ State Meet in the 200/500 freestyles and finaled in the 500 (10th). The next year there were only two swimmers. Sabotin was the lone representative at the 2018 State Championships. She placed 4th in the 500 (4:57.83) and 10th in the 200 free (1:52.08) and achieved a 21st-place team finish for Trinity Lutheran. This past season she placed 7th in the 200 IM (2:04.18) and 7th in the 500 free (4:59.53) at States.
In club swimming with Club Olympia Swim Team, she is a Winter Nationals qualifier in the 200 fly and 400 IM. She won the 400 IM and was top-8 in the 800/1500 free, 200 fly and 200 IM at the Indiana Swimming LSC Senior Long Course State Championships last summer. She then went on to compete at Speedo Junior Nationals in the 200 fly and 400 IM; she swam the same program at Winter Nationals in December. At 2018 Winter Juniors East, she added the 500 free and 200 IM.
The Zips won their 6th consecutive conference title at the 2019 Women’s MAC Championships. Sabotin’s best times would have placed her in the B final of the 200 fly and 400 IM. She would have been very close to scoring in the 1650 free and 200 IM (MAC only scores an A final and a B final).
Top SCY times:
- 200 fly – 2:02.19
- 400 IM – 4:21.79
- 200 IM – 2:03.81
- 1650 free – 17:17.23
- 500 free – 4:57.20
- 200 free – 1:52.08
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