September 20, 2016 Article courtesy of SwimSwam
San Antonio, Texas-based Zach Yeadon has made a verbal commitment to the University of Notre Dame for 2017-18. Yeadon, a senior at Ronald Reagan High School, has been the runner-up in the 500y free for each of the last two years at the Texas 6A State Championships. Moreover, he has improved dramatically in that event in his high school career, going from 4:39.42 as a freshman to 4:23.01 as a junior.
Yeadon does best in events that aren’t on the high school program, though. He has taken over 1 minute off his 1650 time since beginning high school, and his long course progressions tell a similar story. Yeadon swims for Alamo Area Aquatic Association in San Antonio. In early July he won the 400m free and 1500m free at Austin Sectionals, earning his first 2016 Olympic Trials cut in the latter with a 19.4-second drop. He also finaled in the 100/200m free and 100/200m back.
Yeadon’s best times are
SCY LCM
200 free 1:40.21 1:55.06
500/400 free 4:23.01 3:59.45
1000/800 free 9:33.26 8:21.25
1650/1500 free 15:09.77 15:44.20
Yeadon’s 500 time would have landed him solidly in the B final at the 2016 ACC Championships, between current senior Trent Jackson and current junior Richard Mannix. His 1650 time would have placed sixth, the highest finish for the Irish in the event.
Yeadon will join Will Cumberland in the University of Notre Dame class of 2021.