#6 Mena Boardman Gives Texas Longhorns Their 2nd Top-20 Verbal Commitment for 2026-27

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Mena Boardman from Portland, Oregon, has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Texas for 2026-27.

“I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic careers at the University of Texas. I want to thank my friends, family, coaches, and everyone who has supported me throughout my swimming career. So grateful for the opportunity to become a longhorn. HOOK ‘EM🧡🤘”

Boardman is a junior at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. A talented and versatile sprinter, we considered her to be the #6 recruit on our Way Too Early list of top girls swimmers in the high school class of 2026. She has swum for the club team Portland Aquatic Club, when home for the summer, and for SOLO Aquatics during the school year.

Boardman ranks among the cohort’s fastest in the 50/100 free, 100 back, and 100 fly. In high school swimming, she put on a show at the 2024 Eastern Interscholastics, winning 50 free (with a new meet record of 22.62) and the 100 back (52.93). Both times were lifetime bests. She also led off Exeter’s 200 medley relay with a PB of 24.41. Two weeks later she won the 50 free (22.22) and 100 fly (51.62) at the 2024 New England Private Schools Athletic Conference championships. She smoked the competition, winning the 50 free by 1.5 seconds and the 100 fly by 2.6, lowering her PBs in both events.

At the New England Swimming Senior Championships in December 2023, she finished 4th in the 100 free and 11th in the 200 back, clocking PBs in both events (51.24 and 2:04.53).

She kicked off the 2024 long course season with an Olympic Trials cut (59.37) in the 100 fly at Sectionals in Federal Way, Washington. She bookended that performance with PBs in the 50/100 free (25.55/56.62) and 100 back (1:02.14) at Mt. Hood Sectionals in July.

Best SCY times:

• 100 fly – 51.62
• 100 back – 52.93
• 50 free – 22.22
• 100 free – 49.37

Boardman will join #7 Avery Klamfoth and “Honorable Mention” recruits Brynn Lavigueur and Sydney Schoeck in Austin in the fall of 2026.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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