Washington 3A Swimmer of the Year Billy Oates Gives Arizona Wildcats First 2022 Verbal

Photo Courtesy: Billy Oates

NEW COMMIT: The University of Arizona has kicked off their 2022 recruiting with a verbal commitment from sprinter Billy Oates of Gig Harbor, Wash.

He is the first public verbal commitment for the Wildcats’ Class of 2026.

He told Swimming World:

“I’m very excited to give my verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Arizona! The exceptional coaching, staff, and the tight-knit team atmosphere were key in making my decision. Thank you to all my coaches, family, and friends. Bear Down!”

A talented sprinter, Oates trains with King Aquatic Club and only turned his attention to full-time swimming this past year. He finished fourth in the 50 free, seventh in the 100 back, and ninth in the 100 fly at Pacific Northwest Seniors in December after racing the 50 free at Juniors West.

In summer 2019, he posted three top-6 finishes at Pacific Northwest LCM Seniors before going on to finish 13th in the 50m free at Mount Hood Futures.

His best times include:

50 free – 20.53
100 free – 47.49
100 back – 49.10
100 fly – 49.23

Oates is currently a junior at Bellarmine Preparatory School, but he competes for Gig Harbor High School. At the Washington 3A State Championships during his sophomore season, he won both the 50 free and 100 fly. He finished first and second, respectively, in those events as a freshman.

The NISCA All-American was named the Washington 3A Swimmer of the Year in 2020.

The Wildcats finished second at the 2020 Pac-12 Championships behind 2019 NCAA champions Cal. They were the runners-up with 578 points to edge out Stanford (573) and Arizona State (566).

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

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