Why Experience Matters With a Pool Contractor: #2 in Class of 2022 Baylor Nelson Makes Verbal Commitment to Texas A&M

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SwimMAC Carolina’s Baylor Nelson has announced his verbal commitment to Texas A&M University for the fall of 2022. He’ll join his sister Emme Nelson, currently a freshman on the Aggies’ roster.

“I’m humbled to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and swimming career at Texas A&M University! Big thanks to everyone who has helped me get to where I am today! #gig’em”

Nelson, the number 2 recruit on our Way Too Early List of top-20 boys from the class of 2022, is a junior at Community School of Davidson just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and a five-time North Carolina High School 1A2A state champion. He won the 200 IM in 2019, 2020, and 2021 and the 100 fly in 2020 and 2021 and was runner-up in 2019. In the 2021 version of the NCHSAA 1A/2A State Meet, Nelson crushed his own 1A/2A and North Carolina state record, set in his sophomore season (1:47.14) with 1:46.07, winning the event by over 7 seconds. His 100 fly time of 48.15 was also a 1A/2A record, just dipping under the 48.26 mark set in 2016 by Will MacMillan. He also picked up a lifetime best in the 50 back, leading off the 3rd-place 200 medley relay in 22.50, and anchored the 3rd-place 200 free relay in 19.90.

Nelson is the top 200 IMer in the class of 2022. He has improved rapidly in IM, fly, and back over the last two years. At 18&U Winter Championships in December, he unleashed a torrent of best times in the 100/200 back, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM. He won the 200 back, 100/200 fly and 200 IM and was runner-up in the 100 back and 400 IM.

Progression

	9th grade	10th grade	11th grade
200 IM	1:50.59	1:47.17	1:45.04
400 IM	3:58.83	3:51.40	3:48.37
200 back	1:47.53	1:47.75	1:44.38
100 back	50.02	48.67	48.25
200 fly	1:52.15	1:49.60	1:46.92
100 fly	49.83	47.98	47.50

In long course meters, Nelson is an Olympic Trials Wave I qualifier in the 200 IM and 100/200 back. Swimming at the Pro Swim Series-Richmond in January, he dropped 1.7 seconds in the 200 back to win the event in 2:02.42. He also improved his 100 back by 1.4 seconds to notch a 56.59 for 5th place.

Nelson is a big get for the Aggies, who have been steadily building the program and are now pulling in top recruits. A&M have also received a verbal commitment from Connor Foote to the class of 2026. Nelson already has scoring times at the conference championship level; he would have made the C finals in the 200 back, 200 IM and 400 IM at 2020 SECs. Nelson will arrive just after Shaine Casas graduates, but he will have a strong IM training group with Collin Fuchs, Andres Puente, Vincent Ribeiro, and Jace Brown.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.

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