Northwood High School's Hunter Hitchens has made a verbal commitment to swim for Cornell University's class of 2022. Hitchens will begin his NCAA swimming career in the Fall of 2018. Photos via Hunter Hitchens.
Junior national swimmer Hunter Hitchens has committed to swim in the Ivy League for Cornell University. Hitchens is a senior at Northwood High School, and competes for the Irvine Novaquatics swim club. He is one of the top national recruits in the class of 2018, and will begin his NCAA swimming career in the Fall of 2018.
A two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and three-time NISCA All-American, Hitchens gives Big Red a versatile speed threat for the next four years in sprint/mid-distance freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke. Hitchens holds several individual and relay records at Northwood High School, Irvine Novaquatics, Southern California Swimming LSC, and National Age Group -
Hunter Hitchens - NHS Roster Profile
Cornell Men’s Swimming Asst. Coach Jordan Lieberman, Hunter Hitchens and Head Coach Wes Newman.
Hitchens is a real blue chip recruit for Big Red whose versatility is evidenced with US Open and Junior National cuts in 6 different individual events.
He is the first male sprinter recruit of Cornell University's incoming Class of 2018, and offers multiple event options to Cornell Head Coach Wes Newman. Additionally, he immediately will compliment any of Cornell's relays, be it with a backstroke leg, butterfly leg, or freestyle anchor.
Last season, Hitchens' bests would have had an immediate impact at the Ivy League Championships with times that would have scored in the 50 free (C final), 100 free (C final), 200 free (B final), 500 free (B final), 200 fly (C final), and 100 back (C final).
Hitchens, a NHS swim team captain, helped lead the Timberwolves to a 3rd place overall finish at the 2017 CIF Southern Section Division 1 Championships. As a junior he finished 4th in the 200 free (1:39.72), 7th in the 100 free (45.62), and swam anchor legs on Northwood's 200 free relay (20.91) and 400 free relay (45.44).
Hitchens is coming off a strong 2017 that saw him improve in every event he swam, from off events to specialties, in SCY and in LCM. He set new individual school records in the 50 (20.88), 100 (45.62), and 500 (4:33.60) freestyle events. As a member of the record breaking 200 free and 400 free relay squads, they hold the best-time in school history with 1:24.98 and 3:04.04. He ended the long course season with excellent performances at the Speedo Summer Junior Nationals in East Meadows, NY in addition, taking part as a member of the championship 4x200 free relay team.
Hitchens also has international experience, racing in five North American Challenge Cups extending in Canada and Mexico. He was a finalist at the MLC Aquatic Invitational SCM swim meet in Melbourne, Australia.
Hitchens will be enrolled at Cornell University as a premed student with the College of Human Ecology majoring in Human Biology, Health and Society.
Here's a look at his best times:
| Event |
SCY |
LCM |
| 50 Free |
20.88 |
24.52 |
| 100 Free |
45.54 |
52.22 |
| 200 Free |
1:39.69 |
1:53.80 |
| 500 Free |
4:30.53 |
4:02.55 |
| 100 Fly
|
49.55 |
55.65 |
200 Fly
|
1:52.15 |
2:05.54 |
| 100 Back |
51.03 |
59.75 |
“I am proud to share my verbal commitment to Cornell University to be a student-athlete. I researched and visited some of my top schools and found that Cornell represented the whole package. The combination of world class academics, outstanding swimming environment, and an unbelievable beautiful campus made me feel as though I could reach my fullest potential at Cornell. I feel very honored to be part of the Cornell family. Thank you to those who have supported me in this journey.
Go Big Red!!!” - Hunter Hitchens
