Brian Poon, a senior at Westford Academy in Westford, Massachusetts, has given his verbal commitment to swim for the University of Minnesota, starting next fall.
Poon is an I.M. and utility swimmer, representing Phoenix Swimming. His junior season was quite busy and successful. An extremely versatile swimmer, Poon won the 200 I.M and 500 Free at the 2013-2014 Massachusetts Division 1 High School State Championships. At the 2013 Winter Junior Nationals, he placed sixth in the 400 I.M. and 20th in the 200 I.M.. He won the 200 I.M. at the short course 2014 Speedo Champions Series, held in Ithaca. Most recently, he competed at the 2014 Summer Junior Nationals, placing 58th in the 200 I.M., 32nd in the 400 I.M., 111th in the 100 Back, and 88th in the 200 Breast.
Some Of Poon’s Best Times
(SCY)
200 I.M.: 1:48.88
400 I.M.: 3:51.83
500 Free: 4:30.39
1650 Free: 15:39.31
100 Breast: 56.47
200 Breast: 2:02.41
200 Back: 1:49.78
100 Fly: 49.83
200 Fly: 1:50.13
He Is Improving Rapidly
Poon had his best season yet, as a junior. His progression has been steady and he is a consistent performer in every event. In the 200 and 400 I.M., he has dropped seven and nine seconds since his freshman season. His 500 Free has improved by sixteen seconds since his freshman season. He is dropping time, every year, in almost every event he swims, which is a good sign heading into his final high school season. Minnesota is acquiring a gold mine, as far as Poon’s potential and versatility goes.
Poon is going to give Minnesota a lot of event options. A spot on the 800 Free Relay and 400 Medley Relay is within reach, once he gains collegiate experience. He may end up focusing on the 200 and 400 I.M., as those are his best events, but he is versatile enough to develop times that would score in the 200 Back, Breast, and Fly. The Golden Gophers are coming off of a fourth-place finish at the 2014 Big Ten Championships. Poon would have an immediate impact as a freshman, as he would most likely make the Big Ten B Final in the 400 I.M., scoring some points. His 1650 Free has potential to score as well. As it stands, his 200 I.M. and 500 Free are close to making the C Final, but by the time he arrives in Minnesota those times may be at the scoring level too. We still have another year to see Poon progress before he is a Golden Gopher.