{"id":398464,"date":"2019-10-17T04:48:08","date_gmt":"2019-10-17T11:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=398464"},"modified":"2019-10-17T04:48:08","modified_gmt":"2019-10-17T11:48:08","slug":"alabama-crimson-tide-reels-in-class-of-2025-verbal-from-kentucky-state-champion-holden-smith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/alabama-crimson-tide-reels-in-class-of-2025-verbal-from-kentucky-state-champion-holden-smith\/","title":{"rendered":"Alabama Crimson Tide Reels In Class of 2025 Verbal from Kentucky State Champion Holden Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW COMMIT:\u00a0<\/strong>Three-time U.S. Open qualifier\u00a0Holden Smith\u00a0<\/strong>has pledged his verbal intention to the University of Alabama, giving the Crimson Tide their first Class of 2025 commitment. The Louisville, Ky. native will arrive in Tuscaloosa in the fall of 2021.<\/p>\n

Primarily a butterflyer, Smith does his club swimming with Race Pace Club and competed in four events at Junior Nationals after earning 100% best times at the Kentucky LCM Championships this past summer. Last winter he recorded a pair of lifetime bests at Juniors East, placed ninth in the 100 fly at the Southern Premier Invitational, and raced 12 events at NCSAs.<\/p>\n

A current junior at Saint Xavier High School, Smith is already a four-time Kentucky State Championship finalist and has earned both NISCA and USA Swimming Scholastic All-American honors. An All-State honoree, he won the 100 fly and grabbed bronze in the 200 IM as a sophomore after finishing ninth and fourth, respectively, in those events during his freshman season. He helped his team secure their 31st-straight title<\/a> last season.<\/p>\n

He told\u00a0Swimming World:<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI am thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and swimming career at the University of Alabama!\u00a0\u00a0I want to give special thanks to God, my family, friends, coaches and teachers for their investment in me and my success.\u00a0\u00a0I also want to give thanks to AD Greg Byrne for his investment in the swimming program and Coach Coley Stickels and the other coaching staff for giving me the opportunity to be part of something really special that\u2019s about to happen in swimming at the University of Alabama. Roll Tide Roll!”<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

His best times include:<\/p>\n