University of California Athletics

Accolades

• NCAA team championship (2019, 2022)
• Pac-12 team championship (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
• 1x NCAA champion
  • 2022: 400 medley relay
• 17x CSCAA All-American
  • 2022: 100 breast, 200 breast, 400 medley relay
  • 2021: 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM (HM), 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay
  • 2020: 100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
  • 2019: 100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
• 10x Pac-12 champion
  • 2022: 100 breast
  • 2021: 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay
  • 2020: 100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 Medley Relay
  • 2019: 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay
• Pac-12 Swimming Freshman of the Year (2019)
• CoSIDA Academic All-American (2022, second team)
• CoSIDA Academic All-District (2022, first team)
• Pac-12 Men's Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2022)
• 4x CSCAA Scholar All-American (2019, first team; 2020, first team; 2021, first team; 2022, first team)
• 3x Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll (2020, 2021, 2022)
• 2x Pac-12 Swimmer of the Week (Jan. 29, 2020; Feb. 12, 2020)

At Cal

2022-23 (Gr.)

• Utilized the NCAA's wavier – which was granted to all Division I athletes who competed during the COVID-19-disrupted 2020-21 season – to compete collegiately for a fifth year

2021-22 (Sr.)

• Graduated with his degree in business administration following the 2021-22 season
• Capped an illustrious collegiate career by leading Cal to 2022 NCAA & Pac-12 team titles
• Won his first NCAA title & set school record in 400 medley relay (3:00.36) at NCAAs; split 50.64 in breaststroke leg
• Became the sixth CoSIDA Academic All-American in program history, earning a spot on the men's at-large second team
• Named the 2022 Pac-12 Men's Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• Scored 27 individual points & was an All-American in three events at NCAAs
  • 4th in 100 breast (50.84); personal-best time, ranking second in school history
  • 7th in 200 breast (1:50.83)
  • 27th in 200 IM (1:43.42)
  • 1st in 400 medley relay (3:00.36); school record
• Defended his Pac-12 100 breast title in 51.30, winning for the third consecutive year
• Totaled 36 individual points as Cal won its fifth straight Pac-12 team title
  • 1st in 100 breast (51.30)
  • 3rd in 200 breast (1:50.89)
  • 18th in 200 IM (1:45.45)
  • 3rd in 400 medley relay (3:02.84)
• Clocked a season-best 1:49.96 to win the 200 breast at #6 Stanford (Feb. 19)
• Won the Triple Distance Meet breaststroke title, sweeping all three distances (Nov. 5)
• Totaled 10 individual victories throughout the 2021-22 season

2020-21 (Jr.)

• Five-time All-American in the 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM (HM), 200 medley relay & 400 medley relay
• Totaled 36 individual points across three events in Cal's runner-up finish at the 2021 NCAA Championships
  • Runner-up finish in the 200 breast (1:49.54)
  • Placed third in the 100 breast (51.03)
  • Was 14th in the 200 IM (1:43.30)
  • Helped Cal place second in the 400 medley relay (3:00.73 - school record, 50.58 split) & third in the 200 medley relay (1:22.43, 23.57 split)
• Won four conference titles (two individual, two relay) to help lead Cal to its fourth consecutive Pac-12 Championships team title
• Swept the breaststroke events at Pac-12s, winning the 100 breast (51.38) & 200 breast (1:48.86 - Pac-12 Championships record)
• Added conference titles in the 400 medley relay (3:02.60 - Pac-12 Championships record, 50.83 split) & the 200 medley relay (1:22.74, 23.38 split)
• Blasted 1:48.53 in the 200 breast vs. Stanford (Nov. 14) after an eight-month racing layoff, marking the third-fastest time in school history
  • Was a school-record time & the nation's fastest 200 breast in the 2020-21 season
• Owned the nation's fourth-fastest 100 breast (41.03) & 18th-fastest 200 IM (1:43.07) for the 2020-21 season
• Set three Spieker Aquatics Complex pool records in the 100 breast (51.54, Nov. 14), 200 breast (1:48.53, Nov. 14) & 200 medley relay (1:24.38, Feb. 19)
• Named a Scholar All-American by the CSCAA for the third consecutive year
• Earned a spot on the 2021 Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll

2019-20 (So.)

• Earned CSCAA All-America honors in five events, including three individual, as a sophomore
• Swam NCAA "A" cuts in the 100 breast (50.85) & 200 breast (1:49.85)
• Added an NCAA "B" cut in 200 IM (1:43.65)
• Owned nation's fastest 200 breast time & second-fastest 100 breast time in 2019-20
• Amassed 62 total points (52 individual, 10 relay) to help lead Cal to its third straight Pac-12 Championship
  • Swept the breaststroke events & set Cal's school record in the 100 breast
    • 1st in 100 breast (50.85) (School Record)
    • 1st in 200 breast (1:49.85)
  • 1st in 200 medley relay (1:22.16) (Pac-12 Championship Record)
  • 7th in 200 IM (1:44.23)
• Broke three Spieker Aquatics Complex pool records in a dual meet victory vs. Arizona State (Jan. 25)
  • 100 breast (52.77)
  • 200 breast (1:53.65)
  • 200 medley relay (1:25.14)
• Named the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Week twice in a three-week span (Jan. 29, Feb. 12)
• One of five Bears named to the 2020 Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll

2018-19 (Fr.)

• Kicked off collegiate career in style, playing a role in Cal's sixth NCAA team title & sixth Pac-12 team title
• Named Pac-12 Swimming Freshman of the Year & collected CSCAA All-America honors in four events
• Impacted Cal's NCAA title run in the breaststroke & medley relays
  • 4th in 100 breast (51.11)
  • 5th in 200 breast (1:50.84)
  • 2nd in 200 medley relay
  • 2nd in 400 medley relay
• Won a pair of Pac-12 Championship titles in 200 medley relay (1:23.44) & 400 medley relay (3:04.09)
  • Placed second in 100 breast & 200 breast at Pac-12s
• Excelled in the classroom & earned CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team honors

• Placed 10th in the 200m breast (2:11.12) & 29th in the 100m breast (1:01.98) at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials
• Was dynamic at 2019 Phillips 66 National Championships, dropping personal bests in winning the 200m breast (2:09.69) & taking third in the 100m breast (1:00.65)
• Served as team captain for Team USA at 2017 FINA World Junior Championships (Indianapolis, Ind.)
• Won four medals at 2017 FINA World Junior Championships
  • 1st in 400 medley relay
  • 2nd in 100 breast
  • 2nd in 200 breast
  • 2nd in 400 mixed medley relay
  • 4th in 50 breast
• Won 200-meter breast (2:12.17) at 2015 Speedo Junior National Long Course Championships
• Was a member of USA Swimming Junior National Team from ages 14-18

• Set 23 national age group records throughout club & high school career
• Graduated from William Penn Charter School (Philadelphia, Penn.)
• Swam for Penn Charter Aquatic Club
• Named 2015 Sports Illustrated SportsKid of the Year
• Two-time National High School Swimmer of the Year (2017, 2018)
• Earned team MVP honors in five consecutive years (eighth grade - 12th grade)
• Earned Penn Charter Alumni Society Senior Award & maintained High Honors throughout high school

• Full name is Reece Preston Smith Whitley
• Born on Jan. 3, 2000 in Lafayette Hill, Pa.
• Son of Karl Whitley & Kim Smith-Whitley
• Both parents are doctors, his mother a Pediatrician, & his father, an ENT surgeon
• Accepted into the Haas School of Business in the spring of 2020
• Council member of USA Swimming's Black Leadership in Aquatics Coalition (Team BLAC), which was developed as part of a long-term action plan to provide expertise and strategic guidance to USA Swimming staff and swimming leaders regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
• Postgraduate plans include pursuing pharmaceutical business after finishing his swimming career