Leesburg, Va. — Riverside High School junior Allison Kopac has made an early verbal commitment to continue her swimming career at the University of Notre Dame beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year.
“Notre Dame is my dream school, and I’m honored to be able to be a part of their team and school,” Kopac said. “However, I’m still looking forward to another full year of high school and how I may be able to further improve before joining the Irish. I’m so happy I found a school that is right for me.”
[adrotate banner=”18″]On top the opportunity to swim in college, Kopac chose Notre Dame in part because of its excellent academic reputation.
“Their commitment to athletics and academics really inspires me and is part of what drew me to the school,” Kopac said. “When I met their amazing coaching staff and team, I knew it was the place for me.”
At Notre Dame, Kopac will join a Division I Fighting Irish team that finished fourth at the ACC swimming championship in 2019 and ended its season ranked in the Top 25 in the country.
“I think my work ethic and commitment to the sport will help me be a great teammate,” said Kopac, who plans to swim the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events at Notre Dame. “I’m so excited to be able to contribute to such an amazing team, both in the pool and out.”
Before she heads to Indiana, Kopac will swim one final season for Riverside, where she is a stand out for the Rams. In 2019, Kopac won the VHSL 4A State title in the 100-yard freestyle and finished runner up to teammate Claire Nguyen in the 200-yard freestyle. The freestyler also helped lead the Rams to the state title in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
“I’ve absolutely loved every second of my high school swimming experience. Our team is so close and supportive, and that’s something I’m excited to experience in college as well,” said Kopac, who was named first team All-LoCo in 2019. “At Riverside, I go to school every day with not only my teammates, but my best friends, and that’s something I cannot wait for in college.”
Being a part of a team is something Kopac really appreciates as it drives her to be the best swimmer she can be.
“Swimming is both a team and individual sport, and I love working hard in the pool for myself along with working for a common goal,” Kopac said. “Swimming has taught me so many things about perseverance and work ethic; I can’t imagine who I’d be without it.”