The Golden Gophers picked up their most recent verbal commitment from in-state breaststroker Olivia Johnston this weekend. Johnston swim for Blackline Aquatics and Rosemont High School, was a big contributor at last year’s MSHSCA Girls State AA Championships, where she had two B-final appearances in the 100 breaststroke and 200IM and was a member of the second place 4×100 freestyle relay.
She has best times of 1:05.19 in the 100 breaststroke and 2:06.52 in the 200 IM. Last season, the Golden Gophers had a talented breaststroke group, led by Kierra Smith. With a year of high school remaining, Johnston is set up to be one of the top two or three breaststrokers on the team.
She will fit nicely within Minnesota’s team as she begins her freshman year next fall. The Golden Gophers will have the opportunity to develop Johnston into a strong 100 and 200 breaststroker. The high school season tends to only allow high school athlete to focus on the shorter distances. The 200 breaststroke may be a good race for her as she starts training with the program.