Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Madeline Gau has verbally committed to the application process* at Columbia University for fall 2026. She announced her decision on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so thrilled to announce my commitment to the admissions process at Columbia University! I want to say thank you to my mom, as well as my teammates and coaches, past and present, for supporting me throughout this process. A special thank you to Diana, Demerae, and my future teammates @culionswsd for making me feel so at home. Cannot wait to be in the big city! Roar Lions!
A senior at Mayo High School in Rochester, Minnesota, Gau has been a member of her school’s varsity swimming and diving team since her freshman year. She also currently swims year-round with Rochester Swim Club, where she primarily specializes in backstroke and butterfly.
Gau has fancied the middle distance events over the past year, particularly the 200 back where she dropped over two seconds. She entered 2025 with bests of 2:03.98 in the 200 back and 2:04.86 in the 200 fly, and at the 2025 Speedo Sectionals in March, she posted her current lifetime bests in both events. She placed fourth in the 200 fly in 2:04.80 and 11th in the 200 back in 2:01.96. She also finished 12th in the 100 fly in 56.53 and 12th in the 100 back in 57.42.
Gau wrapped up her high school career at the Minnesota State High School League Class AA State Championships in November. She made the ‘A’ final of the 100 fly, placing eighth in 57.41 after posting a season best of 56.86 in prelims, and also touched 10th in the 100 back with a time of 58.21. She’s no stranger to the meet, having placed fifth in the 100 fly in 56.01 and sixth in the 100 back in 56.56 as a junior, which is when she set her 100 fly personal best. She was fourth in the 100 fly and seventh in the 100 back as a sophomore and finished 11th in the 100 fly as a freshman. Her 100 back personal best of 56.45 was posted at the Minnesota Senior Short Course Championships in March 2024.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 Backstroke: 56.45
- 200 Backstroke: 2:01.96
- 100 Butterfly: 56.01
- 200 Butterfly: 2:04.80
A Division I Mid-Major program, Columbia is a member of the Ivy League, with the Lions taking sixth out of eight teams at last season’s conference championships. Gau is poised to make an immediate impact, as her current times in the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 fly would have placed her in the C-finals at the 2025 conference meet. It took a time of 55.69 to earn a second swim in the 100 fly, so she’s just over three-tenths shy in that event.
On the team’s 2024-25 depth chart, Gau would have ranked fourth in the 100 back and fifth in the 100 fly, 200 fly, and 200 back. With most of Columbia’s current depth in these events coming from upperclassmen, Gau will help provide continuity as the Lions reload over the next few seasons.
Joining her in that effort is a class of 2030 that’s stacked with talent in backstroke and butterfly, giving Columbia a strong foundation to rebuild both event groups. In backstroke, she’ll be joined by Romy Kirby (55.3/2:00.0), Brisa Gao (55.5/1:58.9), Angelina Lu (56.2/2:00.0), and Audrey Schroeder (57.7/2:03.1). On the butterfly side, Katie Shaps brings times of 56.4/2:01.5, while Gao, Lu, and Schroeder also contribute depth at 55.4/2:03.9, 56.7, and 56.7/2:07.3, respectively. The class also includes breaststroker Mary Bao and distance freestyler Maebelle Stern.
*Note: A verbal commitment between an Ivy League coach and a prospective student-athlete is not an offer of admission, as only the Admission Office has that authority. The coach can only commit his or her support in the admission process. Ivy League Admission Offices do not issue “Likely Letters” before October 1 of the prospective student-athlete’s senior year of high school. The Likely Letter, while issued after an initial read of the student’s application, is not an offer of admission to the university.
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].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
FFT SOCIAL
Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
