Junior National Butterfly Champion Mark Jurek Commits To Southern California

Photo Courtesy: Donna Nelson

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The Southern California Trojans got another verbal commitment to beef up next year’s freshman class to go along with Markus Thormeyer, as butterflyer Mark Jurek will join Dave Salo’s men’s team next season.

Jurek is a major talent in the 100 and 200 butterfly. He finished the previous high school season ranked eighth in the nation in the 100-yard fly with a lifetime best 47.80, the result of winning the Arizona high school state title in November 2014. Interestingly, that was the time he swam to win the 2013 state title. In a couple of weeks, he’ll go for the threepeat in the event as he looks to lower his state record.

In the 200 fly, Jurek could be a Pac 12 champion in his freshman year, as his 1:43.72 lifetime best would have been five tenths off the winning time at the 2015 meet. It’s also not too far off from giving the Trojans points in the event at the NCAAs. Given the rising success of Michael Domagala this past summer, USC could have two 200 butterfly point scorers at the 2017 meet.

Jurek is the 2015 junior national champion in the 200-meter butterfly with a 1:58.81, which is in the top 16 among Americans this year. That means Jurek is primed for a semifinal swim at next year’s Olympic Trials in the event.

But Jurek is more than a superb butterfly talent. He brings a strong 200 IM to the Trojans with a current short course yards best of 1:47.03 from the 2014 Arizona state meet. That was good enough for the 10th-fastest time in the high school ranks in the previous season. In the 400 IM, he could score in the B final at the conference meet with his lifetime best of 3:48.32.

Jurek, who represents Arizona Gold, would be a good contributor to the 800 free relay in the immediate future, given his lifetime best of 1:37.90.

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Bill Bell

8 years ago

Two top AMERICAN recruits committing to USC?

Where’s all the Hozzus, Manadous and Mirozovs of the swimming world?

Don’t tell me his foreign pipeline has dried up.

Well he did getbthatbCanadian kid so some things are still ok I guess.

Now WIN NCAAs, Dave! Trojans haven’t earned a men’s ring since going four- for- four from 1974-’77 and that guy whose name escapes me but used to be U.S. National Team Director guided the Trojans to their ONKY women’s title some 20 years ago.

Wonder whatever became of Mr. “X”? Always thought he was a pretty good coach.