There’s no question that Mahlon Reihman has drawn plenty of attention from Division I college swimming teams across the nation. It isn’t hard to see why schools would salivate over the senior’s 6-foot-6 frame and state championship resume.

With a number of options, Reihman’s choice wasn’t necessarily clear-cut at the beginning of the recruiting process. But his decision became more and more clear with the passing weeks.

That decision came almost two months ago when Reihman chose to continue his academic and swimming career at Harvard University. He’ll be joining head coach Kevin Tyrrell’s unit that is ranked among the top teams in the nation.

“When visiting schools across the country, I was given the opportunity to see multiple different training programs, coaches and training philosophies,” Reihman said. “I quickly developed a strong relationship with the supportive coaches at Harvard, and came to realize that the balance between academics and athletics at Harvard was unparalleled.”

Reihman, a state gold medalist who committed back on October 4, had a number of other Ivy League schools interested. Yale and Princeton, along with Penn State, were among his final four choices as he narrowed down where he wanted to spend the next four years of his life.

“After finishing my recruiting trips during the weekends of September, I narrowed my list down to two potential schools to commit to,” Reihman said. “In the final stages of my college selection process, the decision to join Harvard became increasingly easier. The decision began rather difficult, but when it came time to commit, I had no reservations and fully gave my support to Harvard.”

That decision was easier as he started to weigh the success of the Harvard swimming team and the prestige that comes with succeeding academically at that level.

“The education and courses taught at Harvard are globally recognized as some of the best in the world,” Reihman said. “Professors at Harvard are often pioneers in their respective fields and work to create atmospheres of success, inspiration and creativity. I found that the swimmers at Harvard found ways to balance their time and become incredibly successful in the classroom and the pool simultaneously.

“The swimming program at Harvard is nationally ranked and growing rapidly. I am excited to be on the team, and hopefully will help bring Harvard to new heights.”

From the moment he stepped onto Harvard’s campus to experience that sea of crimson and white, he felt like a member of the team instantly.

“The team atmosphere at Harvard was one of the biggest factors for me when deciding where I wanted to commit,” Reihman said. “Of all my visits, I did not experience a team as cohesive and closely-knit as Harvard. Everybody on the team was welcoming, kind and thoroughly enjoying their experiences at Harvard.” Reihman’s major of concentration is still up in the air, as he wants to narrow down his future plans over the course of his freshman season.

“My future academic plans are fluid at this point; I have a broad range of interests and passions that I hope to pursue at Harvard, and do not yet want to limit myself this early on by declaring a concentration,” Reihman said. “My plan now is to sample from and enroll in a wide variety of courses my freshman year to find subject areas that truly inspire and interest me.”

Reihman captured gold in last year’s 100- and 200-yard freestyles at the PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships at Bucknell University.