Thomas Heilman and Maximus Williamson headline a stellar freshman class

By Jeff White ([email protected])
VirginiaSports activities.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The longer their go to went on, the more serious Todd DeSorbo and Tyler Fenwick felt in regards to the University of Virginia’s possibilities with Maximus Williamson, one of many high two swimmers in the highschool Class of 2025.

It was October 2023, and DeSorbo, the Cavaliers’ head coach, and Fenwick, his senior affiliate head coach, had flown to Texas to see Williamson in his hometown Keller, a suburb of Fort Worth.

“We were watching practice, and Tyler and I were sitting with Maximus’ mom in the stands, just talking to her, and she’s just going on and on about all the other schools that Maximus is considering,” DeSorbo recalled. “Like, on and on and on about it, to the point where Tyler and I were like, ‘We got no shot with this kid.’ ”

DeSorbo laughed. “We were basically ready to leave way before we were supposed to go home. We were like, ‘OK, this is a lost cause, let’s move on.’ So we then go to dinner, we then go to his house to talk, and randomly Thomas calls.”

That can be Thomas Heilman, a U.S. Olympian who was the opposite top-two recruit within the Class of ’25. Heilman’s name to Williamson was something however random, it turned out. The two phenoms have been good buddies who’d determined the earlier night time to decide to UVA throughout DeSorbo’s and Fenwick’s go to to Keller.

“So we were thinking about a way to surprise him,” Williamson stated, “and I was just like, ‘You should FaceTime me while we’re having dinner or something.’ ”

First, although, Jennifer Williamson bought to scare the coaches by gushing about different colleges. “She loved the fact that she pulled a fast one on us,” DeSorbo stated.

Williamson stated he might inform that DeSorbo’s hopes have been fading because the go to went on—“He was definitely nervous”—however the temper modified when the decision got here from Heilman and the acclaimed recruits stated they have been sure for Charlottesville.

“Todd and Tyler both kind of lost their minds and went crazy,” Williamson stated.

“It was pretty wild,” DeSorbo stated of the second.

Heilman took 4 official visits: to UVA, Florida, Texas and, final, Arizona State. Williamson took three: to UVA, Florida and Arizona State, which he toured with Heilman.

“We were kind of both down to UVA and Florida in our final two,” Williamson stated. “And so we had a couple of discussions between our ASU visit and when we eventually committed to Virginia.”

Heilman, who graduated this yr from Western Albemarle High School in Crozet, stated he and Williamson “had discussions before and during the recruiting process about the idea of going to the same place. We didn’t like the idea of having to swim against each other, but we kind of always had the mindset that we’ll go where it makes the most sense for us individually. And if it happens to be the same place, then great.”

They’ve identified one another for a number of years. When he and Williamson have been younger, Heilman stated, “we kind of just went back and forth breaking each other’s records. So I guess we kind of bonded over that a little bit.”