NISCA All-American Sophia Harrison Announces Verbal Commitment to Amherst College

Photo Courtesy: Allison Beebe

NEW COMMIT: Sophia Harrison, a senior at Archbishop Mitty and a member of the Santa Clara Swim Club, has verbally committed to swim for Amherst College next year. Sophia is a National Merit Commended Scholar, a NISCA All American (200 and 400 free relay), and a Futures qualifier in the 200 butterfly. She is also an athlete representative for Pacific Swimming.

Harrison is strongest as a butterflier and backstroker. She puts it all together for a nice 200 IM as well. Her top short course times include:

100 Back 58.56
200 Back 2:07.20
100 Fly 58.58
200 Fly 2:06.09
200 IM 2:08.62

At the 2017 NESCAC Championships Harrison’s best 200 fly would have been good for sixth, Amherst’s highest finisher in the event. She’d also be a 100 fly C finalist.

Amherst was thin on backstrokers last year, swimming only junior Stephanie Moriarty (57.07, fourth) in the 100 and sophomore Bridgitte Kwong (2:02.19, third) in the 200 at last year’s NESCAC meet. Harrison will have a year to train with Kwong. At last year’s NESCACs, Harrison’s best times would have placed her 12th in the 100 and 13th in the 200 backstrokes.

She’s also likely looking at a 200 IM day one event, where her best time would have placed 10th, right alongside sophomore Jayne Vogelzang (2:08.51) and freshmen Heather Grotzinger (2:08.61) and Sarah McDonald (2:09.00), who she’ll overlap with.

Harrison shared about her decision,

“I am very excited and thankful to announce my commitment to Amherst College! I chose Amherst because it is an academically strong school with an excellent swimming program where I can truly succeed at being a high-level student-athlete. I am extremely grateful for all the support I received along this journey from my coaches, family, teammates and friends. I look forward to being a part of such an amazing program! Go Mammoths!”

Santa Clara Swim Club contributed to this report.

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