Summer Junior Nationals Qualifier Sophia Frei Commits to UNC

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Sophia Frei, a Summer Junior Nationals qualifier from Colorado, has announced her verbal commitment to the University of North Carolina. Frei currently trains and competes with the University of Denver Hilltoppers. She is expected to arrive in Chapel Hill for the 2023-2024 season.

I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am so grateful for my coaches, family, and friends for their endless support in helping me accomplish this! GO TAR HEELS 🤍💙

Frei attends Regis Jesuit High School, where she has received multiple NISCA All-American Honors for both her individual and relay performances. She is primarily a backstroke specialist, with her main events being the 100 and 200 backstrokes. She has competed at several prestigious meets, including the CHSAA 5A State Championships, Speedo Sectionals, and Summer Junior Nationals.

Best Times SCY:

• 100 back- 54.58
• 200 back- 1:56.67
• 100 fly- 56.61
• 200 IM- 2:04.34

At the 2022 CHSAA 5A (largest schools) State Championships, Frei competed in the individual 200 IM and 100 backstroke. She was also a member of her school’s 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. At the CHSAA Championships, the top 20 swimmers in prelims will advance to either the A or B final. In the 200 IM, Frei finished 11th, winning the B-final in a time of 2:05.91, a best time by well over a second. She dropped another second and a half a month later, bringing her best time down to 2:04.34.

Frei advanced to the A-final of the 100 back, finishing 5th. She posted a 55.07, a new best time by .20 seconds. A month later, she dropped another half-second to go 54.48. Frei also led off the 200 medley and 400 free relays for the Denver Hilltoppers, leading them to 3rd and 5th place finishes, respectively.

Most recently, Frei competed at the 2022 Speedo Junior National Championships in the 100 and 200 meter backstrokes. She finished 40th in each, also earning new personal bests. In the 100 back, she dropped .10 to go 1:04.08. In the 200 back, she dropped about a second and a half, racing to a 2:18.84. She also led off the 400 medley relay, lowering her 100 back time again to 1:08.83. 

UNC is a Division I program that competes in the Atlantic Coast Championships (ACC). At the 2022 Championships, they finished 4th out of 12 teams.

Among last year’s team, Frei would have ranked 7th in the 100 back, 3rd in the 200 back, and 8th in the 100 fly for UNC. Last year’s top 200 backstroker was a senior, so will not be on the team by the time Frei arrives. Three of the top 100 backstrokers also graduated last season, opening up the need for backstrokers which Frei should be able to help fill. At the 2022 ACC Championships, her best 200 back time would have qualified her for the B-final and placed her 15th overall. 

Other class of 2023 recruits that will be joining Frei include Lucy Walker, Taylor Bloom, and Ava Muzzy. For the most part, this group isn’t expected to make any immediate waves when they arrive at UNC, as they rank somewhere between 5th and 10th in their primary events among last year’s team. One exception is Muzzy, who would have owned the top time in the 400 IM last season (making the A-final at ACCs), and the fourth ranking time in the 200 IM.

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