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Lily Struempf has announced her verbal commitment to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Struempf, a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, is a junior at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, California. She also trains and competes year-round with Orinda Aquatics, and serves as a Pacific Swimming Junior Athlete Representative.
“I am honored to announce my verbal commitment to continue my swimming and academic career at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Thank you so much to my family, coaches, and friends for supporting me through everything. Go Tar Heels!”
Struempf, a mid-distance freestyle and fly specialist, recently set a slew of personal best times at Winter Juniors – West in December. She recorded her highest finish in the 200 freestyle, where she earned 25th with a best time of 1:49.73. She also dropped over two seconds in the 500 free to finish 32nd (4:54.98), and nearly a second in the 200 back for 61st (2:03.13). Additionally, she cut a tenth off her PB in the 100 fly to finish 60th with a 55.54.
This summer Struempf raced at Junior Nationals in August. She logged a 58.27 in the 100m free, which was a few tenths quicker than she was at Sectionals just a few weeks prior. Over the course of last summer, her 100m free came down by nearly two seconds, while her 200m free (2:04.86) improved by almost three seconds.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 free – 51.71
- 200 free – 1:49.73
- 500 free – 4:54.98
- 100 fly – 55.54
- 200 fly – 2:03.94
The Tar Heels finished 4th out of 12 teams at the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships. Struempf is the closest to scoring range in the 200 freestyle, where it took a 1:48.68 to advance to finals at this year’s conference meet. UNC tallied 16 points in the 200 free this year, making it one of their weaker events at ACCs.
UNC was led by Amy Dragelin and Sophie Lindner in the 200 freestyle this past season. They finished 17th and 18th at ACCs, with Dragelin clocking a 1:46.63 and Lindner coming in at 1:47.01. Neither of them will be on campus when Struempf arrives, making her arrival timely as UNC rebuilds their mid-distance group.
Struempf joins Ivy Monk, Paige Dillon, and Emma Sayers in the Tar Heels’ class of 2028. Struempf is the lone freestyler of the group so far, as Sayers and Monk focus on breaststroke and IM, while Dillon is a backstroker.
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4:24 500??