Dreams of collegiate glory are igniting for a talented swimmer ready to swap mountain vistas for ocean breezes! Imagine leaving the rugged landscapes of Albuquerque behind to chase academic and athletic excellence at one of America's top universities. That's the exciting journey ahead for high school phenom Soren Carlson, who has just pledged his verbal commitment to swim for the Stanford Cardinal starting in the fall of 2027. But here's where it gets intriguing—how does a young athlete like Carlson stack up against the elite competition, and what controversies might arise from recruiting strategies in college sports? Stick around to dive deeper into his impressive path and the buzz surrounding Stanford's program.
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Carlson, hailing from the heart of Albuquerque, is set to transition from the high altitudes of New Mexico to the iconic Stanford campus in Palo Alto. His announcement marks a pivotal step in his pursuit of balancing scholarly achievements with swimming prowess.
In his own heartfelt words, Carlson shared: “I’m thrilled to share my verbal commitment to pursue both academics and athletics at Stanford University! I want to express my deepest gratitude to God, my family, and friends for their unwavering support on this incredible journey. Special thanks go to Coach Jim, Coach Elise, and all the other coaches who've guided me. Lastly, a massive shoutout to Coach Dan and Coach Mike (https://swimswam.com/tag/mike/) for offering this amazing opportunity. GO CARD!!”
And this is the part most people miss—Carlson's rise began as a freshman just two years ago, when he competed for Albuquerque Academy at the New Mexico State Championships. He secured two top-8 placements, finishing fourth in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.22 and fifth in the 100-yard freestyle at 48.71. He kicked off the event by anchoring the 200-yard medley relay to a silver medal, contributing a split of 21.54, and wrapped up by claiming gold in the 200-yard freestyle relay, where he posted a split of 21.60—barely a hair slower than his relay time.
The following year, Carlson dominated with a sweep in his individual races and played key roles in anchoring two relays to victory. In the 200-yard medley relay, he anchored in 20.43, teaming up with Pierce McShane, Shep Camp, and Jack Yu to clock a winning time of 1:32.93, surpassing the competition by more than five seconds. On his own, he shattered personal bests in both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles, claiming wins in 20.77 (his inaugural sub-21-second swim) and 45.34. He concluded the championships with another 45.57 in the 100 free, helping his squad secure a 3:11.69 in the relay. Collectively, Albuquerque Academy triumphed in nine events, amassing 356.5 points—a commanding lead of over 100 points against La Cueva's 220.
Carlson carried his momentum from the high school season into spring, representing Charger Aquatics at the Sectionals in Austin. The New Mexico native smashed personal records in the 50, 100, and 200-yard freestyles. In the 50-yard event, he achieved his second sub-21-second performance, placing 20th overall with 20.75. For the 100-yard free, he dipped under 45 seconds for the first time in preliminaries at 44.98, earning 10th place, and advanced to finish eighth in the A-final with 45.06. In the 200-yard freestyle, he not only broke the 1:40 barrier but recorded his first sub-1:41 time in prelims at 1:39.62. He capped it off with a finals swim of 1:38.94, landing 13th overall.
His summer long-course campaigns were equally triumphant. At the Western Zone Senior Championships, Carlson captured victories in the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyles, establishing new personal bests of 52.26 and 1:55.53. Though he placed 10th in the 50-yard free with 24.31, he had already improved his seasonal best to 24.28 during the Sacramento leg of the Pro Swim Series in April.
For those new to swimming metrics, SCY stands for short-course yards, which are standard in many high school and collegiate pools in the U.S.—think 25-yard lengths versus the 50-meter pools used in Olympics. Carlson's top SCY times include:
- 50-yard Free – 20.75
- 100-yard Free – 44.98
- 200-yard Free – 1:38.94
With most of his junior year and his entire senior high school seasons still ahead, Carlson has ample opportunity to refine his skills before joining Stanford's program under head coach Dan Schemmel (https://swimswam.com/tag/dan-schemmel/) in 2027. In their inaugural year in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the Cardinal secured second place behind their old Pac-12 rival California, tallying 1065 points to Cal's 1271.5. They also claimed the runner-up spot among ACC teams at the 2025 Men's NCAA Championships, accumulating 216 points for eighth overall—edging out NC State, who trailed closely at the ACC meet.
To qualify for a second swim at the ACC Championships, athletes needed times like 19.41 in the 50-yard free, 42.78 in the 100, and 1:34.41 in the 200—all surpassing Carlson's current bests. But remember, with two more years to train, Carlson is poised for significant growth. Upon his arrival at Stanford (often called The Farm), the team will see key players depart: Rafael Gu (https://swimswam.com/tag/rafael-gu/) and Jonathan Tan (13th and 14th in the 50-yard free) will graduate, as will Andrei Minakov (https://swimswam.com/bio/andrei-minakov/) and Andres Dupont (https://swimswam.com/tag/andres-dupont/) (8th and 9th in the 100-yard free).
Stanford attracted SwimSwam's #6-ranked recruiting class this past year, headlined by formidable freestylers Ethan Ekk (https://swimswam.com/tag/ethan-ekk/) and Jason Zhao (https://swimswam.com/tag/jason-zhao/). Their 2026 cohort is loaded with powerful sprinters, including Maxwell Stanislaus (https://swimswam.com/tag/maxwell-stanislaus/) and Nathan Foucu (https://swimswam.com/tag/nathan-foucu/) at the forefront.
But here's where it gets controversial—Carlson's incoming class of 2027 appears set to make an even larger impact, with commitments from four of the top 20 prospects in SwimSwam's Way Too Early Recruit Rankings (https://swimswam.com/way-too-early-recruit-rankings-boys-high-school-class-of-2027/). Joining Carlson in Palo Alto will be #2-ranked Luke Vatev (https://swimswam.com/tag/luke-vatev/), #10-ranked Owen Ekk (https://swimswam.com/tag/owen-ekk/), #15-ranked Connor Christopherson (https://swimswam.com/tag/connor-christopherson/), #19-ranked Yi Zheng (https://swimswam.com/tag/yi-zheng/), and Honorable Mention Jacob Bougaieff (https://swimswam.com/tag/jacob-bougaieff/). Some might argue that stacking a class with such high-ranked talent could shift the competitive balance in college swimming—potentially turning recruiting into a cutthroat arms race. What do you think: Does this level of talent scouting elevate the sport or unfairly advantage certain programs? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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In This Story
- Andrei Minakov (https://swimswam.com/bio/andrei-minakov/)
Andrei Minakov (https://swimswam.com/bio/andrei-minakov/)
