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Futures qualifier Ella Butcher has announced her commitment to swim for Utah beginning in the fall of 2027. She confirmed the news in an email to SwimSwam, writing:
I am beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic career at the University of Utah!! I am incredibly grateful for my parents who have always encouraged and supported me through my swimming career. I truly would not be here without my amazing family, teammates, and coaches. A big thanks to the Utah staff for this amazing opportunity! Go Utes!
The Arkansas native is currently a junior at Bentonville West High School, where she has been a member of the varsity swim team since her freshman year, while also training year-round with the Razorback Aquatic Club.
Though she built her foundation as a freestyler, backstroke is quickly becoming her standout stroke. Over the past year, she dropped nearly three seconds in the 100 back from 59.07 to 56.26 and almost five seconds in the 200 back from 2:07.07 to 2:02.23. She has continued to improve in freestyle as well, dropping from 24.17 to 24.04 in the 50 free, 51.88 to 51.35 in the 100 free, and 1:53.62 to 1:52.26 in the 200 free.
Butcher set her current best times across several local and regional meets. In December 2024, she swam her 50 and 100 free at the NT MAC Holiday Invitational. In March 2025, she recorded her 200 free at Speedo Sectionals and her 200 back at the Arkansas Senior Meet. Just three weeks ago, she posted her 100 back best at the Beam Toyota Meet.
Across Arkansas 6A High School State Championship meets, Butcher has claimed five state titles: four in relays and one in an individual event. As a freshman, she split 26.50 on the fly leg and led off the 400 free relay in 53.82 as both relays won titles. She also placed third in the 200 IM (2:10.69) and fourth in the 500 free (5:13.84). Last March, Bentonville West defended both relay titles with Butcher improving her splits to 26.20 and 52.99, while her switch to different individual events paid off with a win in the 200 free (1:53.87) and a runner-up finish in the 100 free (51.89).
Over the summer, Butcher qualified for the Futures Championship, where she finished third in the 100 back (1:05.05), sixth in the 50 back (30.61), seventh in the 200 free (2:08.39) and 200 back (2:22.58), 10th in the 100m free (59.18), and 14th in the 50m free (27.53). Her times in the 100 free, 200 free, and 100 back were new career bests.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 24.04
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:52.26
- 100 Backstroke: 56.26
- 200 Backstroke: 2:02.23
Utah is led by head coach Jonas Persson, who took over both the men’s and women’s programs in 2022. The women finished fifth out of 10 teams at the 2025 Big-12 Championships, just 44.5-points behind Texas Christian in fourth.
The conference meet scores ‘A,’ ‘B,’ and ‘C’ finals, and it took times of 23.17, 50.48, and 1:49.72 in the freestyle events and 54.99/1:59.84 in the 100/200 back to score last season. Based on Butcher’s current personal bests, she’s closest to scoring in the 100 back and 100 free.
On the team’s 2024–25 depth chart, Butcher would have ranked fourth in the 100 back, fifth in the 100 free and 200 back, seventh in the 200 free, and ninth in the 50 free. Many of those above her are upperclassmen, and with another year and a half to improve before arriving on campus, she could have an immediate impact not just individually but on the team’s freestyle relays as well.
Butcher joins Riley Hollingsworth, a butterfly specialist who also boasts strong sprint freestyle times (23.8/52.5), and distance freestyler Makenna Sherman as part of Utah’s class of 2031.
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Let’s go Ella!