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Cotter Welch has announced her decision to swim for the Butler University Bulldogs beginning in the 2021-2022 season. Welch is a tear-round member for the Novi Sturgeons and she represents Farmington Hills Mercy during the high school season. She will graduate in the spring of 2021.
I am beyond excited to announce I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at Butler University. From the moment I stepped on campus I knew it was the right fit for me. I want to thank my parents, coaches, and everyone else who made this possible. In January of last year I was diagnosed with severe anemia. Over quarantine I managed to recover and return my iron levels to normal. With my new energy, I was able to drop 6 seconds in my 200 freestyle and 12 in my 500 freestyle, in just one season. I’m excited to see what the future at Butler holds.
Welch qualified for her first high school state meet as a senior at Farmington Hills Mercy. In January of 2021, she swam the 200 and 500 free at the MHSAA Girls Division I State Championships. She went into the meet with a seed time of 1:56.57 in the 200 free, a best time from the Oakland County Championships in October of 2020. She finished 16th at the state meet, going a 1:57.86.
She was also entered in a best time from the Oakland County Championships in the 500 free. She went 2.90 seconds slower than her time, to touch 12th in 5:14.82.
Welch most recently competed at the Speedo Sectionals Championships in Indianapolis. She swam the 200m and 400m free and the 100m back. She picked up personal bests in all three of her races.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 back – 1:01.05
- 200 back – 2:13.87
- 200 free – 1:56.57
- 500 free – 5:11.92
The Butler University women’s team finished 5th at the 2020 Big East Conference Championships. Freshman Hannah Pugh won a bronze medal in the 100 fly, the team’s only medal of the meet. Welch would have been the team’s third-fastest 500 freestyler and 100 backstroker, and its 4th fastest 200 freestyler during the 2019-2020 season.
The Bulldogs have also picked up commitments from sprint freestyler and backstroker Caroline Colombo and sprint freestyler Alani Hightower.
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