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Aiden Hammer of Fox Island, WA, announced his verbal commitment to continue his academic and swimming journey at the University of California, Berkeley. Hammer is just one of 11 swimmers in his class to go under 1:38 in the 200 free.
I am incredibly excited to announce that I will be furthering my development as an athlete and as a student at the University of California, Berkeley. I thank God for leading me to this decision and thank my family, friends, coaches, and competitors for helping me achieve this. Thank you to the Cal coaches for allowing me this opportunity. Much love to all, Go Bears!!
Hammer put up an impressive performance at the Washington Senior SC Champs back in December, where he set several best times. He swam personal bests in the 200 free (1:37.95), 1650 free (15:16.15), 200 back (1:49.50), 200 fly (1:49.34), and 100 free (46.03) on a relay leadoff. His times in the 200 and 1650 free are among the best for the class of 2026.
At the 2023 WIAA Boys 3A State Championships, Hammer won both the 200 free (1:39.58) and 500 free (4:28.63), and participated in both the 200 and 400 free relays, guiding Gig Harbor High School to a 5th-place finish overall.
While representing King Aquatic Club, Hammer qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 400, 800, and 1500 free. He went 8:01.23 in the 800 free, a personal best, and earned 15th place.
Hammer also competed at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships back in August, where he won bronze in the 400 free in a time of 3:52.06. He swam the 800 free (8:05.22) and 1500 free (15:40.60) as well, earning 7th in both events, and led off the 800 free relay with a split of 1:50.44, a personal best 200 free time.
We ranked Hammer as the #15 recruit in our initial round of rankings for the high school class of 2026, thanks to his exceptionally strong times in the 200, 500, and 1650 free, among the best in his class.
BEST SCY TIMES:
- 200 Free: 1:37.95
- 500 Free: 4:23.24
- 1000 Free: 9:06.92
- 1650 Free: 15:16.15
Hammer will join a Bears team that achieved great success in its 2023-2024 season, earning 2nd place in the 2024 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, behind Arizona State. The men have a stacked roster with some of the fastest swimmers in the nation, including Björn Seeliger, Jack Alexy, and Destin Lasco. Hammer is among the first in the high school class of 2026 to commit to Cal, and will be a valuable asset to the team in a highly competitive ACC.
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