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Kenzie Padilla from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, has committed to swimming and graduating at Harvard University beginning Fall 2024. In addition to her awards in swimming, Padilla has competed in track, cross-country and pentathlon.
“I am thrilled to announce my verbal acceptance into the Harvard University Graduate Studies and Swim Admissions process!! I am very much looking forward to pursuing my academic interests and continuing my sporting adventures at a school that offers such a good balance of the two. Thank you to my coaches, family and friends who have encouraged and supported me over the years. I can’t wait to be part of such a supportive and hard working team! Go Crimson!! ”
Padilla is finishing her junior year at Phoenixville Area High School and swims year-round for the Upper Main Line YMCA. In addition to swimming, Padilla has run for her high school track and cross-country teams, competed in the mile at the New Balance National Outdoor Track Championships, and took her cross-country team to third place at last fall’s Pennsylvania State Championships Place led. She has also dabbled in the pentathlon; She competed in the 2022 national championships and qualified for the USA World Junior Team.
Obviously, Padilla’s athletic prowess extends from the track to the pool. During the 2022 season, she qualified for the US Open with her 100-meter butterfly (1:02.06) and finished 20th in the Winter Junior National Championships East in the same event in 55.23. She swam her best time in the 100-meter butterfly just last month at the PIAA District I Girls Championships, where she finished second with 54.61
Padilla also set personal bests in her sprint freestyle events, swimming a 51.54 100-yard free run at the 2022 YMCA Short Course National Championships and a 1:50.45 200-yard swim at the 2023 PAC Girls Champs meeting. freewheel.
Best times SCY:
- 50 free — 24.60
- 100 free — 51.54
- 200 free – 1:50.45
- 500 free – 4:57.63
- 100 fly — 54.61
- 200 fly — 2:05.06
At the 2023 Women’s Ivy League Championships, Harvard suffered a tough loss to Princeton with a final score of 1480-1254. Despite losing this year, the Crimson women’s team has a combined 15 Ivy League league titles under their belt, most recently winning in 2022.
At the 2023 Ivy League championships, Padilla would have finished in both butterfly events and the 100-yard free final. Harvard will have a pretty strong butterfly list in 2024 as they will only complete one or two of their 2023 Ivy League finalists in the butterfly events.
Padilla’s highest-placed event would have been the 100-yard fly, where she would have finished 12th with her best time of 54.61. Freshman Sydney Lu finished second in the event with 52.31 and also swam the butterfly leg for Harvard’s championship-winning 400-yard medley relay. Of the three other Crimson finalists, Padilla’s time would have been third fastest, putting her out of contention for a place in the medley relay.
Her second-highest scoring event would have been the 200-yard fly, with a 2:05.06 in 21st place and three other Harvard finalists in that event. Her 100-meter freestyle would have just crept into the finals and placed 23rd, but her 51.54 is just a second too slow to earn her a relay spot for the Crimson.
Padilla joins IMer Payton Foster, freestyler Kaylee McDonald and breaststroker Gabi Augustyn for the Harvard Class of 2028.
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