2024 NCAA Qualifier Elle Braun will return to Wisconsin to use her COVID-19 fifth year. Braun spent her undergraduate career with the Badgers.
Braun arrived in Madison in fall 2020. She finished her freshman season at the Big Ten Championships, with her highest finish coming in the 1650 free as she was 17th in a 16:35.00.
She had a large improvement as a sophomore as she finished 9th in the 1650 free at Big Tens in a 16:13.38. That time marked a personal best and also earned her an invite to NCAAs. Braun also was 18th in the 500 free at Big Tens swimming a personal best 4:45.49. She went on to improve that best time with a 4:45.15 for 38th at NCAAs while she also was 34th in the 1650 free (16:21.30).
In her junior season, she swam to a 10th place finish in the 1650 free at Big Tens swimming a 16:17.71, a season best. She also was 20th in the 500 free in a 4:47.42.
This past season, Braun went three for three in best times at Big Tens. She finished 8th in the 1650 free (16:08.59), 15th in the 500 free (4:43.56), and 27th in the 200 free (1:47.99). She scored 34 individual points at Big Tens, the 9th most for the team this past season.
Braun went on to swim at 2024 NCAAs, scoring a point in the 1650 freestyle as she was 16th in a best time of a 16:02.47. She also finished 30th in the 500 free in a 4:41.66, another best time. She helped the Badger women to a 15th place finish.
Most recently, Braun swam at US Olympic Trials and just missed finals in both the 800 and 1500 freestyles. She was 10th in the 800 (8:38.88) and 11th in the 1500 (16:31.16).
Braun is not the only senior returning to the Badgers this fall as NCAA Champion Phoebe Bacon also has announced her return. Bacon was the team’s highest scorer at NCAAs with 49 individual points.
