Texas Native Kendall Shields Announces Verbal Commitment to Texas

Photo Courtesy: Kendall Shields

Texas native Kendall Shields recently announced her verbal commitment to swim for the University of Texas starting with the 2018-19 season. Shields joins fellow future Longhorns Grace Ariola and Julia Cook in the Class of 2022.

Shields enters her senior year at Vandegrift High School in Austin, and is also a member of the Austin Swim Club. She represented Vandegrift as a freshman at the 2015 Texas 5A State Championships, where she placed second in the 100 back and seventh in the 200 free.

Additionally, she earned the USA Swimming Scholastic All-America honor in 2016.

Shields explained to Swimming World,

I chose the University of Texas because I fell in love with the pride and commitment the team has to their school in addition to the amazing coaching staff. I believe I will be pushed, supported, and invested in fully by my coaches, professors, teammates and classmates. I love the idea of staying connected with where I grew up and have always loved the culture and activities in Austin. I couldn’t be more excited to be a longhorn – Hook Em!

Several of Shields’ top times were set within the past six months as she competed in the ‘A’ finals of the 200 free, 100/200 back, and 200 IM at the 2017 American Short Course Championships, and added the 100 free to her list of events at the 2017 Winter Juniors West meet last December.

Her top SCY times include:

50 back – 25.60
100 back – 53.98
200 back – 1:56.14
100 free – 50.88
200 free – 1:48.53
200 IM – 2:01.93

Shields’ experience in both backstroke and the shorter IM will add some depth to the Longhorns as Texas all-stars Madisyn Cox and Tasija Karosas graduated in 2017.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVSbh2GAPCn/?taken-by=kendall_shields

To report a college commitment email HS@swimmingworld.com.

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