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Ohio high school state finalist Maddie Davidson has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at Ball State University beginning in the fall of 2027, marking the first publicized commitment in the university’s class of 2031. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Ball State University! Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, especially my family, friends, teammates, and coaches for always pushing me to be my best and supporting me through every high and low. A special thank you to Coach Jeff and Coach Rich, who in just a year have made such a huge impact on me both in and out of the pool. I’m so grateful for all of the guidance, support, and encouragement they’ve given me. Thank you as well to Coach J. Agnew and Coach James for believing in me and giving me this amazing opportunity. I can’t wait for this next chapter. GO CARDS!!!
A rising senior at Darby High School in Hillard, Davidson has been a member of her school’s varsity swimming team since her freshman year. She also trains year-round with Hydra Aquatics, where she primarily specializes in breaststroke, IM, and sprint freestyle.
A three-time qualifier for the OHSAA Division I State Championships, Davidson had her best-ever placements at the meet this past February, touching fifth in the 100 breast in a personal-best 1:02.90, as well as seventh in the 200 IM, and helping Darby to 13th in the 200 medley relay with a 25.15 fly split. She also set a lifetime best of 2:06.56 in the 200 IM the week prior at OHSAA Districts.
A few weeks later, Davidson turned in some freestyle lifetime bests at the Ohio Tim Myers Short Course Senior Championships. She touched 20th in the 200 free in 1:54.65 and swam to bronze in the 100 breast (1:03.05). She also led off the 800 free relay, which was eighth in 1:54.91, and the 200 free relay in a lifetime-best 24.16, helping that relay finish 20th.
Davidson trimmed time in four events this season: over five seconds in the 200 free, about a second and a half in both the 100 breast and 200 IM, and just over half a second in the 50 free. Her lifetime bests in her other two top events date back further, to November 2024, when she clocked 52.90 in the 100 free at the AJ Glover Memorial Invitational and 2:21.81 in the 200 breast at the OH BGSC Senior Invitational; she went season-bests of 53.88 and 2:23.43, respectively, in those this season.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 Breaststroke: 1:02.90
- 200 Breaststroke: 2:21.81
- 50 Freestyle: 24.16
- 100 Freestyle: 52.90
- 200 Freestyle: 1:54.65
- 200 IM: 2:06.56
A Division I Mid-Major program, the Ball State women compete in the Mid American Conference, with the women’s team placing third out of nine teams at this past season’s conference championships. Davidson’s current personal best in the 100 breast would have already qualified for the ‘B’ final, positioning her to make an immediate impact with two full seasons of training still ahead of her before she lines up at her first conference meet. Times of 23.45, 50.54, and 1:52.01 in the 50, 100, and 200 free, along with 2:19.52 in the 200 breast and 2:02.92 in the 200 IM, were needed to earn second swims in those events.
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].
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