Princeton Adds Verbal Commitment from U.S. Open Qualifier Jake Tarara for 2025-26

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Jake Tarara from Carmel, Indiana, has announced his intention to swim and study at Princeton University* beginning in the fall of 2025.

“I am extremely excited and proud to announce my verbal commitment to the admissions process at Princeton University to move forward with my athletic and academic career! I want to thank Coach Matt and Mia for putting their faith in me and extending to me such an incredible opportunity to swim for their program. I also want to thank my parents, family, teammates, coaches, and friends for their continuous support throughout my career, especially my older brother, JT, who I have swam with for the last 10+ years. Go Tigers! 🐅”

Tarara swims for Brebeuf Jesuit High School in Indianapolis, where he was a junior this past year, and Zionsville Swim Club. He told SwimSwam “I moved from Chicago in 2020 and was not very devoted in swimming until I got into high school. I even thought originally that I would play basketball until finding that swimming was truly the sport that I love. I believe that the reason I have grown such a love for swimming and the competitiveness is from my high school coach BJ Sayre and club coach Eric Meyer.”

Tarara holds the Brebeuf school records in the 100 free, 100 back, and 100 fly. He was runner-up in the 50 free (20.25) and 100 free (44.65) at the 2024 IHSAA Boys Swimming/Diving Championships in February. He also contributed a 20.02 anchor to the 6th-place 200 free relay on which his older brother, J.T. Tarara, swam the second leg.

Two weeks after States, Tarara kicked off 2024 long course season with PBs in the 50 free (23.94), 100 free (52.81), 200 free (1:57.40), and 100 back (59.58) at Indiana Senior State Championships. Also in March, he swam at Indy Sectionals, where he improved his 100 free to 52.46.

In SCY over the last year, he has dropped .8 seconds in the 50 free, 2.1 seconds in the 100 free, 7.2 seconds in the 200 free, 5.1 seconds in the 100 back, and 3.9 seconds in the 100 fly.

Best SCY times:

• 50 free – 20.25
• 100 free – 44.65
• 200 free – 1:41.11
• 100 back – 50.10
• 100 fly – 52.00

Outside of the pool, Tarara enjoys playing and watching sports (he’s a huge NBA and NFL fan), collecting shoes (his favorite type is the Jordan 1 low), and spending time with his dog, a 5-year-old mutt named Sasha.

He’ll join Jiarui Xue, Oliver Rowe, Alex Townsend, and John Rusnock in the Princeton men’s class of 2029.

https://www.instagram.com/jaketarara1/p/C64kx0kJn-7/?img_index=1

*Note: A verbal commitment between an Ivy League coach and a prospective student-athlete is not an offer of admission, as only the Admission Office has that authority. The coach can only commit his or her support in the admission process. Ivy League Admission Offices do not issue “Likely Letters” before October 1 of the prospective student-athlete’s senior year of high school. The Likely Letter, while issued after an initial read of the student’s application, is not an offer of admission to the university.

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