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Dylan Purrington, a senior at Park High School in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota, has committed to swim at the University of South Dakota beginning in the fall of 2021.
Purrington trains with the St. Croix Swim Club, as does Brodie Watson, who is also committed to USD for the fall of 2021.
I chose the University of South Dakota, because of its team
environment that made me feel at home as well as the academic
opportunities available.
In February, shortly before coronavirus quarantines began shutting down competition across the country, Purrington won a Minnesota High School 3AA Boys Sectional Championship title in the 100 breaststroke, swimming 1:00.29. A week later, at the AA State Championship meet (for Minnesota’s biggest high schools), he swam a best time of 58.06 to finished 12th in the finals.
He also placed 19th in the 200 IM at that meet in 1:58.50.
His best time of 2:06.18 in the 200 yard breaststroke also came just before quarantines kicked in in early March at the Minnesota Senior State Championships (the club edition). He placed 6th there.
Best Times in Yards:
- 100 breast – 58.06
- 200 breast – 2:06.18
- 200 IM – 1:57.46
- 400 IM – 4:20.78
Purrington is primarily a breaststroker; in addition to that best of 58.06 in the 100 breaststroke, he has been as fast as 2:06.18 in the 200 breaststroke. He has raced a handful of times in the latter part of 2020, but not since November. He has been able to dip under 1 minute a few times in the 100 breaststroke, but hasn’t challenged his best times this season.
South Dakota finished 2nd at last year’s Summit League men’s championship, 376 points behind the dominant Denver squad that took the title. The Coyotes had success in the breaststroke races, with then-sophomore Jacob Leichner finishing 5th in 56.38. That made him the best finisher in the conference behind a foursome from Denver (which won every event at the meet). Purrington’s best times in both breaststroke races would have put in the B final of that championship meet.
He joins a small announced class so far for South Dakota that also includes Nathan Noll from Missouri, Preston Schmeidel from Minnesota, and Brodie Watson from Minnesota. That’s as compared to the 13 athletes in the program’s women’s class.
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AA is the biggest high schools. A is the smaller ones.
Best wishes in your college career, Dylan!