Swimming & Diving
Bridget Engel - Swimming & Diving - University of Kentucky Athletics

BridgetEngel

  • position Breaststroke
  • class Sophomore
  • Hometown Springfield, Ohio
  • Major Biology
  • High school Catholic Central High School (Springfield)

Top Times (SCY):
100 Breaststroke: 59.96 (SEC Championships, 2/17/23)
200 Breaststroke: 2:09.17 (2022 SEC Championships, 2/18/23)
200 IM: 2:02.62 (2023 SEC Championships, 2/15/23)

Top Times (LCM):
100 Breaststroke: 1:09.20 (Phillips 66 National Championships, 7/29/22)
200 Breaststroke: 2:30.30 (Phillips 66 National Championships, 06/28/23)
200 IM: 2:23.46 (IN Indy Spring Cup, 05/20/23)

Career Notes:

  • 2023 NCAA Qualifier
  • 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier
  • 2023 CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team
  • 2021 CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention
  • 2022, 2023 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll
  • 2021 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

In the Record Book:

  • No. 4 in 100 breast (2023)
  • No. 7 in 200 breast (2023)
  • No. 1 in the 100M breast (2022)

2022-23 (Junior): Qualified for her first NCAA Championships, swimming to 29th in the 200 breast (2:10.30) and 35th in the 100 breast (1:00.09) … Set personal bests across the board at the SEC Championships, placing 8th in the 200 breast (2:10.69), 15th in the 100 breast (59.96) and 46th in the 200 IM (2:02.62) … Placed first in the 100 breast vs. Cincinnati (1:01.55) … Was first in the 200 breast vs. Louisville (2:09.37) and second in the 100 breast (1:00.36) … Swam in two finals at the Ohio State midseason invite, placing 14th in the 100 breast (1:01.48) and 16th in the 200 breast (2:16.02) … Came in the top three in both the 100 breast (1:02.25) and 200 breast (2:15.37) in season opening dual vs. Indiana.

2021-22 (Sophomore): Won the C-final of the 200 breast in a lifetime best of 2:12.02 at the SEC Championships to finish 17th overall, also racing the 100 breast and 200 IM … Placed 11th in the 100 breast (1:01.03) and 14th in the 200 breast (2:13.70) at the midseason Ohio State Invitational … Had 10 top-5 finishes throughout the dual meet season, including sweeping the breaststroke events (1:03.77, 2:18.25) against Ohio for her first collegiate victories … Also won both breaststroke events (1:02.59, 2:15.93) versus Cincinnati … Raced to third in her signature races (1:03.27, 2:18.52) against Marshall … Placed fifth in both breaststroke distances (1:04.28, 2:19.22) in the season-opening tri-meet against Indiana and Indiana State … Took fourth in the 100 breast (1:02.78) against Tennessee … Won the Bridgette Alexander 100% Award at the program’s annual award banquet.  

2020-21 (Freshman): Competed in the 100m breast at Wave I of the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials … Won the 100 breast at the Tennessee Last Chance Meet in 1:01.18, also taking second in the 200 IM (2:06.02) and fourth in the 200 breast (2:14.50) … Finished 12th in the 100 breast (1:02.99), 13th in the 200 breast (2:18.36), and 19th in the 200 IM (2:11.56) at the Missouri Invitational … Won the 100 breast in her Wildcat debut in 1:05.09 against Vanderbilt … Took eighth in the 100 breast against Tennessee with a time of 1:05.30 … Named to the SEC First-Year Honor Roll … Named a CSCAA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention.

Prior to UK: Five-time Ohio State Championship finalist … Won back-to-back titles in the 100 breast at the Ohio District Championships in 2019 and 2020 … Also competed for Springfield Family YMCA … Placed fifth in the 100 breast at the 2019 YMCA Short Course National Championships … USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.

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