The University of Michigan has received a verbal commitment from South Africa’s Mariella Venter for the class of 2022.
“I am excited to announce my verbal commitment to University of Michigan. GO BLUE!”
Venter swam for South Africa at the 6th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Indianapolis this summer, competing in the 50m back, 100m back, 200m back, and 4x100m medley relay. She was a semifinalist in the 50 and 100 backstroke events, finishing 14th in the 50, and 10th in the 100, and she placed 10th in heats of the 200 back. Also this summer, Venter competed at the Commonwealth Youth Games, where she won the 100 back and 200 back and earned a bronze in the 50 back.
Venter represented RSA at the 2016 FINA Short Course World Championships in Windsor, Ontario, and at the 5th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in 2015 in Singapore.
Venter will join Alexis Wenger and Katie Minnich in Ann Arbor next fall. Minnich has similar times to Venter, and the pair will join a training group that includes Catie DeLoof, Jackie DeLoof, Taylor Garcia, Becca Postoll, and Jacqui Schafer, which represents quite a bit of depth. The Wolverines will be eager to reload their backstroke group as they will lose big scorers Gabby DeLoof and Clara Smiddy to graduation.
Top LCM times (converted to SCY):
- 50 back – 28.88 (25.47)
- 100 back – 1:01.71 (54.51)
- 200 back – 2:13.58 (1:58.18)
Top SCM times (converted to SCY):
- 50 back – 27.95 (25.18)
- 100 back – 59.66 (53.74)
- 200 back – 2:09.55 (1:56.71)
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].
Those conversions seem a little slow but I guess conversions are always a little messy
yeah seriously I though that too
You may want to look up her top times again. Her best LCM backstroke times are 1:00.9 and 2:11.8 from a meet in South Africa.