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Madeline Menkhaus from Fort Mill, South Carolina has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Notre Dame for 2021-22. She will join Maggie Graves, Mary Cate Pruitt, and Sophia Karras in the class of 2025 and will overlap one year in the ACC with her sister Julia Menkhaus, currently a sophomore at the University of Virginia. The Menkhaus sisters’ uncle Scott Jaffee swam for Cal and won a bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics in the 4x100m free relay.
“I am so EXCITED to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and swimming careers at the University of Notre Dame! 🍀 I would like to give a special thanks to all of my family, friends and coaches for their support and guidance along the way!🍀#GoIrish”
A junior at Charlotte Catholic High School, Menkhaus is a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American who specializes in butterfly, IM and backstroke. She was runner-up in the 200 IM (2:06.17) and 100 fly (55.58) at the 2019 North Carolina High School 3A State Championships. She also swam the leadoff backstroke (26.67) on the state-champion 200 medley relay and contributed a leg (52.09) on the runner-up 400 free relay.
Menkhaus swims year-round for SwimMAC Carolina like her sister before her. Also, like Julia, Madeline was a nationally ranked gymnast before transitioning to swimming full-time at the age of 11. She competed recently at 2019 Winter Juniors East in the 100/200 back 100/200 fly, and 200 IM and made finals in the 100 fly (23rd) and 200 fly (13th). She notched PBs in the 100 fly and 200 IM. This summer, she swam the 100/200 back and 200/100 fly at Summer Junior Nationals and came in 24th in the 100 fly.
Her best SCY times would have qualified her for the C finals in the 100/200 fly at 2019 ACC Women’s Championships. It took 54.80/2:01.40 in the butterfly and 54.13/1:57.55 in the backstroke to get a second swim at the 2019 conference meet.
Top SCY times:
- 100 fly – 54.76
- 200 fly – 2:00.90
- 50 back – 26.67
- 100 back – 55.91
- 200 back – 2:01.94
- 200 IM – 2:05.30
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Go Irish!! Congratulations to you and Notre Dame.
Congratulations Madeline and congrats Notre Dame for getting a great person and swimmer!