Winter Juniors qualifier Madeline King has committed to Boston College, where she’s scheduled to arrive in the fall of 2019 (BC class of 2023). She’ll join an Eagles backstroke group that is arguably its best, and deepest.
King currently trains with the Cape Cod Swim Club in Massachusetts, and she scored runner-up finishes in the 200 yard free and 200 yard IM at the 2018 New England Swimming 15-18 Age Group Championships. A year prior, at the 2017 edition, she was the high-point award winner.
King’s Best Times in Yards:
- 50 free – 24.20
- 100 free – 51.93
- 200 free – 1:50.09
- 100 back – 57.96
- 200 back – 2:01.19
- 100 fly – 57.13
- 200 IM – 2:04.36
- 400 IM – 4:29.48
King should immediately step into BC’s 400 and 800 free relays, at least, as a freshman. Boston College finished last at the 2018 ACC Championships, picking up just the minimum 120 points from 4 scoring relays (their 200 free relay was DQed). While they are a long way from climbing out of that last-place position in the ACC either as a team, or in any specific relay, they do have a young roster that relied almost entirely on freshmen and sophomores for relays last season.
King’s 200 free alone is enough to almost halve the gap between BC and the 11th-place team in the 800 free relay last season, Miami (though the Hurricanes are another young team).
King joins a backstroke group that includes sophomore Maura Grimes. Grimes didn’t swim the 200 back at ACCs last season, focusing instead on the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 back, but has already taken 8 seconds from her 200 back lifetime best this season to lead the Eagles in 1:59.77. It took a 1:57-mid to score at ACCs last season.
This is another big in-state pickup for BC, joining Julia Donahue of Crimson Aquatics in joining the team next season.
King attends the Sacred Heart School in Kingston, Massachusetts.
Coach Stephens is doing a great job with their underclassmen. She’s got a bright future!