The rich get richer. The presumptive 2016-2017 NCAA favorites from Stanford have added their biggest commitment yet in the high school class of 2017. Brooke Forde, the 4th-ranked female in the group, has verbally committed to the Cardinal.
Forde, from the Lakeside Swim Team and Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Kentucky, is a three-time Kentucky High School State Champion. She won the 200 free (1:46.76) and 500 free (4:48.46) as a junior last season, and the 200 IM the year before (2:00.61).
So excited to announce my commitment to swim for Stanford University! I can't wait to be a tree!???? pic.twitter.com/dle5kFC9hC
— Brooke Forde (@forde_b) October 10, 2016
Best times in yards/long course meters:
- 50 free – 23.65/26.99
- 100 free – 49.74/58.19
- 200 free – 1:46.76/2:00.97
- 500y/400m free – 4:48.46/4:15.96
- 100 back – 55.74/1:05.77
- 200 back – 2:01.11/2:18.21
- 100 breast – 1:03.34/1:11.85
- 200 breast – 2:11.29/2:30.49
- 100 fly – 53.44/1:01.98
- 200 fly – 1:57.03/2:14.81
- 200 IM – 1:57.85/2:14.36
- 400 IM – 4:07.49/4:40.98
Forde’s short course times belie her true abilities – which are better represented by her long course successes. She’s a member of the USA Swimming National Junior Team, was 4th at the 2015 World Junior Championships in the 400 IM, and took a silver medal at the 2016 Jr. Pan Pac Championships.
Forde’s no-weaknesses, IM-specialty resume is reminiscent of the one that Ella Eastin had coming into her freshman season at Stanford last year. Eastin ended her freshman year with NCAA titles in the 200 and 400 IM, plus the fastest 200 yard IM in history (at any level).
Stanford’s weakest relay last year was the 800 free relay (they were 6th at NCAAs). That relay gets immediately better with the return of Olympic gold medalists Simone Manuel (Olympic redshirt) and Katie Ledecky (enrollment deferral), but that will still be Forde’s best shot at cracking a relay lineup as a freshman.
One of Brooke’s brothers, Clayton, swims at the University of Georgia; another, Mitchell, is a senior at Missouri, and her mom Tricia swam at Northwestern.
AB
Lakeside has a great history of producing incredibly versatile IM-ers. Think of Burckles, Leah Stevens, and now Forde.
I’m a little surprised, I had the Forde’s pegged as an SEC family. Regardless, she’s got a bright future at Stanford!
You can go no higher than Stanford for academics and location. Cal, you too!
Brooke is the daughter of famous sportswriter Pat Forde, who works for Yahoo Sports and used to cover college football for ESPN.
Definately the team to watch out for this season!!
Wowzers, Hannah Kukurugya as well. Good day for the Card! Did they just have a recruiting weekend?
#12 Ashley Volpenhein just committed to Stanford as well!
Goodness. One of the best swiss army knife swimmers in America right now. Meehan has certainly done a great job with IMers. I know Im getting way ahead of myself and off topic, but the U.S. women have scored silver or bronze in every IM event in the past 4 Olympics, but not a single gold. Hoping the next generation of U.S. women’s IMers will break this trend.
well rip, didn’t win a gold in either IM event in Tokyo but silver+bronze in both of them is still pretty good
The rich get richer. Great addition.. They will be hard to beat for 4 or more years.