New Zealand National Record Holder Bre Crawford Commits to Indiana

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Brearna Crawford, a New Zealander, has verbally committed to Indiana University. She is scheduled to join the team in the 2021-2022 season.

Crawford was a dominant force at the 2019 New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships, where she swept the 50, 100, and 200 meter breaststroke events. Those swims alone would make her an interesting target for Indiana’s breaststroke group, one of the most successful in the NCAA, but Crawford brings incredible versatility to the table as well.

I am beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to Indiana! A very big thank you to Coach Ray (Looze) and coach Emily (Eaton) for letting me become a part of your team! Thank you to my coach Paul (Kent) for all of your support and guidance of me throughout my swimming career. To my team, I love you guys so much and it has been such a privilege to be able to do what I love every day surrounded by some of the best people I know. A big thank you to Swimming New Zealand for all of your support and opportunities that you gave me. A very big thank you to my family and friends for always supporting me through the highs and lows, I wouldn’t be who and where I am today without you all. I’m so excited to become a part of the Hoosier family! Can’t wait for 2021!

She’s currently the New Zealand National Record holder in both the 100 breaststroke (1:07.14) and 50 fly (26.43) in short course meters, and was also the National 3rd-place finisher in the 200 SCM IM (2:13.90) at just 16-years old.

In total, Crawford, who turned 17 in January, holds 13 New Zealand National Records across all age groups in breaststroke, butterfly, and IM events. That earned her a spot at the World Junior Swimming Championships in 2019, where she finished 21st in the 50 breast (32.69), 24th in the 100 breast (1:11.22), 36th in the 200 IM (2:23.70), and 25th in the 200 breast (2:34.52). While she is still a better short course swimmer than long course swimmer, her best times in long course are faster than those results.

Best Times

Indiana has among the best breaststroke reputations in the country, with recent graduates like Lilly King, Cody Miller, and Ian Finnerty all winning NCAA titles or earning Olympic berths. With rising junior Noel Peplowski leading the way, the team still has a young and deep breaststroke group (they scored 68 points in the 100 and 81 in the 200 at last year’s Big Ten Championships), but that group will be turning over when Crawford arrives on campus.

Without any big name breaststrokers coming in for the class of 2020 (that have been announced, anyway), head coach Ray Looze has hit that group hard in 2020. Besides Crawford, also in that class is Kabria Chapman (1:03.09/2:23.91) and Catherine Graham (1:03.20/2:20.61).

Crawford also brings some versatility in that she could easily slide into a 200 medley relay butterfly leg if need be.

Crawford trains at the Mount Albert Grammer School and Waitakere Swimming Club in Auckland under Paul Kent, who is the same coach with whom she started swimming competitively at 8-years old.

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