Canadian Junior Teamer Madison Broad has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Utah. She had previously committed to Toledo for the 2018-19 school year but deferred her start. She was expected to suit up for the Rockets this fall. Instead, she will follow former Toledo head coach Jonas Persson to his new home in Salt Lake City where he will be associate head coach on Joe Dykstra’s staff, it was announced today.
Broad won silver in the 200m backstroke at Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires last fall. She clocked a 2:10.32 to finished just behind Tatiana Salcutan of Moldova (2:10.13) and just ahead of Australian Kaylee McKeown (2:10.67). This summer she represented Canada in the 100/200 backstrokes at the 2019 Pan-American Games in Lima, Peru. There, she finished sixth in the 200 with 2:12.82 and sixth in the 100 back with 1:02.44.
Her best 200 time of 2:09.45 comes from 2019 Canadian Swimming Trials where she won the bronze medal behind Kylie Masse and Taylor Ruck. Jade Hannah finished fourth. Her top 100 back performance (1:00.53) dates from Junior Pan Pacs last summer, where she earned bronze behind Phoebe Bacon and Katharine Berkoff.
Broad’s best times, at the time of her original commitment to Toledo in January 2018, versus her best times today:
| 1/2018 PBs (converted to SCY) | 9/2019 PBs | |
| 200 back SCM | 2:07.48 (1:54.84) | 2:05.22 (1:52.81) |
| 100 back SCM | 1:00.31 (54.33) | 59.00 (53.15) |
| 50 back SCM | 27.83 (25.07) | 27.53 (24.80) |
| 200 back LCM | 2:13.56 (1:58.16) | 2:09.45 (1:54.45) |
| 100 back LCM | 1:01.92 (54.70) | 1:00.53 (53.45) |
Broad ranks 19th in the world for 2018-19 in the LCM 200 backstroke. When she joins the Utes mid-season in January 2020, she will be in good company. Utah had four sub-55 100 backstrokers last year (Audrey Reimer 53.20, Emma Broome 53.51, Emma Lawless 53.78, and Sarah Lott 53.94). Reimer (1:55.36) and Lott (1:55.59) also led the field in the 200 back. Reimer and Lawless are sophomores this season; Broome is a junior; and Lott is a senior. Broad’s top converted times would have placed her in the A final of the 200 back and on the A/B border of the 100 back at 2019 Pac 12 Championships.
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