Mizzou Grabs 2022 Verbal Commitment from Colorado 5A State Finalist Sydney Bales

Photo Courtesy: Sydney Bales

NEW COMMIT: Broomfield, Colo. native Sydney Bales has announced her decision to continue her academic and swimming career at the University of Missouri beginning in the fall of 2022.

She will join Grace Striley and Grace Hanson as a member of the Tigers’ Class of 2026.

She told Swimming World:

“I had a feeling the moment I stepped on campus that Mizzou was the place for me. Throughout the whole process, I fell in love with the family culture of the team and support staff, and I connected with the team immediately. The energy Mizzou has is unmatchable, and I can’t wait to spend the next four years with such an amazing group of people who share the same passion for swimming and in life. GO TIGERS!!!!! I am so incredibly excited and humbled to announce my verbal commitment to further my athletic and academic career at the University of Missouri!! A big thank you to my family, friends coaches and teammates who have helped me get to where I am today, it’s a dream come true. I can’t wait to be apart of the zou family, GO TIGERS!!”

A talented backstroker, Bales does her club swimming with Front Range Barracudas and earned 100% best times at the FAST Showcase last month. Last winter, she recorded three top-10 finishes at the Pioneer Open which included a runner-up showing in the 100 back.

In Summer 2019, she finished fourth in the 100m back at Arena Western Zones.

Her best times include:

100 back – 54.03
200 back – 1:59.91
100 fly – 54.29
200 IM – 2:06.83
100 free – 52.13

Currently a junior at Legacy High School, Bales finished third in the 100 back and sixth in the 100 fly at the 2020 Colorado 5A State Championships. She also swam on her team’s 4×50 medley and 4×100 free relay, both of which finished in the top-6.

With 1.5 years to go before suiting up for the Tigers, Bales is just shy of scoring range in the 100 back at the SEC Championship level. She’ll have one year of overlap with current sophomore Meredith Rees, one of Mizzou’s top backstrokers and butterflyers.

If you have a commitment to share, please send a photo and quote via email to hs@swimmingworld.com.

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