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The College of Virginia ladies have landed one other game-changing recruit within the type of Smilte Plytnykaite, a Lithuanian sprinter who holds a number of Nationwide Data and is elite in each freestyle and breaststroke.
Plytnykaite, who turned 18 in early January, will be a part of the Cavaliers within the fall of 2026.
As a dash freestyler and breaststroker, Plytnykaite suits proper into Virginia’s wheelhouse as they’ve managed to develop a number of swimmers who’re robust at each disciplines, particularly Kate Douglass, Aimee Canny, Alex Walsh and Jasmine Nocentini (as a switch).
Plytnykaite, who trains out of the Sostines Sporto Centras within the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, owns the Nationwide Report within the ladies’s 100 free in lengthy course, having clocked 54.74 in April of 2023 to decrease Ruta Meilutyte‘s decade-old file of 54.94 from 2013.
Plytnykaite additionally ranks #2 all-time amongst Lithuanians within the 50 free (25.46), and #3 within the 200 free (2:01.79), 50 breast (31.20), 100 breast (1:07.91) in lengthy course meters. She’s additionally a member of six totally different relay groups that maintain Nationwide Data.
On the 2023 European Junior Championships, Plytnykaite gained gold within the women’ 100 free (55.31), and added a Sixth-place end within the 50 free (25.49) and an Eleventh-place exhibiting within the 200 free (2:02.23). That got here after she made her Euro Junior debut in 2022, inserting ninth within the 50 free, twenty sixth within the 100 free and nineteenth within the 50 fly on the age of 15.
After she was the one Lithuanian girl to compete on the 2023 European Quick Course Championships, Plytnykaite made her World Championship debut final February in Doha, inserting forty fifth within the 50 free and twenty fifth within the 100 free.
That led her into the 2024 European Junior Championships, the place, racing on house soil, Plytnykaite gained gold within the women’ 50 breast (31.20), claimed silver within the 100 breast (1:07.91), and added a bronze medal after swimming the breast leg on the Lithuanian women’ 4×100 medley relay.
Most just lately, she represented Lithuania at Quick Course Worlds in December, setting a brand new greatest time within the SC 50 free (24.80) to complete thirty first whereas recording her highest end within the 200 free, inserting twenty fifth.
PLYTNYKAITE’S BEST TIMES
| Occasion | LCM | SCM | |
| 50 Free | 25.46 | 24.80 | 22.21 |
| 100 Free | 54.74 | 54.52 | 47.87 |
| 200 Free | 2:01.79 | 1:59.15 | 1:46.83 |
| 50 Breast | 31.20 | 31.36 | 27.20 |
| 100 Breast | 1:07.91 | 1:08.39 | 59.37 |
SCY conversions from LCM.
The Virginia ladies have been a powerhouse since 2020, and are effectively on their solution to profitable their fifth straight NCAA title in March, with Olympic medalists Claire Curzan and Katie Grimes two key additions in 2024-25.
By the point Plytnykaite arrives on campus within the fall of 2026, a number of of the workforce’s present stars, such because the Walsh sisters, will now not be representing the Cavaliers, however there’s a talent-stacked group of recruits set to hitch the workforce subsequent season who she’ll have three seasons with, highlighted by mid-distance freestyler Madi Mintenko and breaststroker Raya Mellott.
In UVA’s class of 2026, Plytnykaite strengthens an already-loaded group of swimmers that features 4 home swimmers ranked in SwimSwam’s Manner Too Early recruit rankings: #9 Roos Rottink, #12 Caden Martin, #17 Molly Workman and #20 Alyssa Sagle.
Martin and Workman specifically will function good coaching companions for Pltnykaite as dash freestylers.
Virginia’s class of 2026 additionally at present contains breaststroker Sara Czirjak and Andrea Herrera.
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