Indiana State Champion Braden Rollins Sends Verbal to Alabama (2021)

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Alabama has received a huge verbal commitment for 2021 as sprint specialist Braden Rollins of Newburgh, Indiana has announced that he will be joining the Crimson Tide after his graduation next spring. Rollins will be joined by Ben Hines, Mateo Miceli, Nicklas Bohn, and Nikolas Lee-Bishop as members of the class of 2025. He attends Boonville High School as well as competing for the Newburgh Sea Creatures.

Rollins was an honorable mention on SwimSwam’s Top 20 NCAA Swimming Recruits in the Boys High School Class of 2021.

As a junior, Rollins was the 2020 IHSAA (Indiana high school) state champion this spring in both the 50 (20.20) and 100 (43.84) freestyles. His 100 freestyle was just over half a second off the state record, set by Carmel High School’s Drew Kibler in 2017. Both of these times represent huge improvements as last season his best times were 20.9 and 45.5. On his current improvement path he will have a real chance at resetting that record during his senior season.

Top SCY Times

  • 50 free – 20.18
  • 100 free – 43.84
  • 200 free – 1:43.55
  • 100 fly – 49.33

Last summer, competing at the 2019 Summer Junior Nationals, Rollins swam best times in both the 100 free and 100 fly. His time of 52.48 in the 100 free marked a two-second improvement in the event from the summer before.

Alabama just finished their first season under new head coach Coley Stickles. Under Stickles’ guidance the men improved from a 6th place finish at the 2019 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships to a 4th place finish in 2020. After arriving on campus Rollins will have one year of overlap with current sophomores Jonathan Berneburg and Colton Stogner, both of whom were finalists in the sprint free races at SEC’s. Stickels’ strongest coaching reputation is as a sprint coach, having mentored Abbey Weitzeil to an American Record in the 50 free while still in high school.

At the 2020 SEC Championships it took a 19.77/43.60 to score in the freestyle events as well as a 47.27 to score in the 100 fly. With another year of improvement before he arrives on campus, Rollins will be an immediate scoring threat at the 2022 SEC Championships.

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Wondering
3 years ago

The Indiana to Alabama express shuttle is staying busy….

JCO
3 years ago

Between Rollins, Hines, and Matt King, there’s no shortage of sprint talent heading to Tuscaloosa. Congratulations Braden!