College Recruit Rankings Profile: Five-Star Melissa Bates, Class of 2010

PHOENIX, Arizona, September 21. MELISSA Bates, a five-star recruit from the Class of 2010, is the next subject in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings Profiles series. Bates hails from Santa Ana, Calif., and swims for the OC Waves. She also preps at Mater Dei High.

Bates maintains her profile in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings powered by Take Your Marks, and is a breaststroker with IM capabilities.

Bates owns long course senior national cuts in the 100 breast (1:10.87), 200 breast (2:34.47) and 200 IM (2:19.18). She also has NCAA Division I B cut times in the 100-yard breast (1:01.60) and 200-yard breast (2:13.80) heading into her final prep season.

Where and when did you start swimming?
I started swimming in 2000 for the Tustin Dolphins. It was a local team in the neighborhood I am from.

Who would you name as the most influential person and coach in your swimming career?
The most influential person for me is my coach Chris Duncan. He has taught me everything I know up to this point in my career.

Walk us through a day of practice:
We get in the water at 3 p.m. I love to pull, so I usually do a long pulling set and then a sprint set. I also do a lot of best stroke/IM swimming. I swim until 5:30, then get out and do a half hour of dryland exercises.

What is your favorite set?
Anything with pulling. Preferably sprint 50s descending.

What is your least favorite set?
Breath-control sets.

What are your short-term goals?
Break a minute in the 100-yard breast, 23 in the 50-yard free, two minutes in the 200 IM and 50 in the 100 free. Also, to win both of my events at CIFs.

What are your long-term goals?
In the future, I hope to win NCAAs and compete at the Olympics.

What colleges are you interested in so far?
California, UCLA, USC and Notre Dame.

What has the recruiting process been like so far, now that you are allowed to be called by coaches?
It has been very busy, but so exciting at the same time. It is fun talking with all the different coaches and learning about their school and their swim programs. The best part about the whole process is being able to take official recruit trips.

Is there anything else interesting that you'd like our readers to know about you?
Aside from swimming, I am also a competitive horse rider.

RECRUITS: To make sure we have the most updated information on your recruiting, and to earn the highest star ranking you deserve, please either create a new profile, or request to take over your admin-created account in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings powered by Take Your Marks. Then make sure to update your profile with your top times. Click here for information on how to do so.

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