{"id":448063,"date":"2020-09-30T15:08:06","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T22:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=448063"},"modified":"2020-09-30T15:08:06","modified_gmt":"2020-09-30T22:08:06","slug":"after-iowa-program-cut-aquajets-brecken-merkel-changes-verbal-pledge-to-mizzou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/after-iowa-program-cut-aquajets-brecken-merkel-changes-verbal-pledge-to-mizzou\/","title":{"rendered":"After Iowa Program Cut, Aquajets’ Brecken Merkel Changes Verbal Pledge to Mizzou"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW COMMIT:\u00a0<\/strong>After the University of Iowa cut their program<\/a>, former Hawkeye commit<\/a> Brecken Merkel<\/strong> of Crystal, Minn. has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Missouri as a member of the Tigers’ Class of 2025.<\/p>\n

She will join\u00a0Ashley Gill<\/strong><\/a>, Abbey<\/strong> Taute<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Colleen Duffy<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Taylor Williams\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>on campus in Columbia at the start of the 2021-22 season.<\/p>\n

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

“I am extremely happy to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and swimming career at the University of Missouri.\u00a0 A huge thank you to everyone that has helped me through these uncertain times!\u00a0 Go Tigers!\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Currently competing for Aquajets Swim Team, Merkel owns three Junior National standards and is a talented sprint freestyler, butterflyer, and IMer. She raced four events at Juniors West in December and placed third in the 200 fly at the Vince Herring Classic in February.<\/p>\n

Last summer, she finished seventh in the 200m fly at NCSAs after placing fourth in that event at Minneapolis Sectionals. In 2018, she recorded three best times at Juniors West before going on to final in a pair of events at NCSAs.<\/p>\n

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