In her first season with Simpson College, first-year Audrey Bramlett made school  history by breaking the 50-yard backstroke.

The record was broken at a dual meet against Nebraska Wesleyan University on Oct. 18. Bramlett set the record with a time of 29.86, surpassing Blake Kakacek’s previous record of 29.96. 

“I didn’t even know that I broke the record until three weeks later, when my mom texted me to tell me,” Bramlett said. 

A tenth of a second is extremely significant in a race, especially in the 50-yard backstroke and can make a huge difference between a win and a loss. 

Bramlett said she didn’t feel like her time was the best when she finished the race, so she didn’t expect to hear she had broken a school record. She also was not aware of what the previous school record was. 

Bramlett said it was exciting to find out she had broken the school record. The surprise made the accomplishment feel even more memorable for her. 

“I started crying tears of joy, I was so happy,” Bramlett said. “I was like, no way, because I was so upset with my other score, so finding that out kind of lifted my spirits.” 

Bramlett trains once a day, working on the distance sets, as those are her main events. Though she does not usually compete in shorter distance races, she has a goal of breaking multiple school records during her time at Simpson. 

Bramlett believes the endurance and underwater work she builds during distance training play a big role in helping her perform better in shorter races. She said she can apply distance training tactics to shorter races. 

Bramlett has been swimming for 13 years, as she started when she was 6 years old. The people she grew up swimming with quickly felt like a second family, which led her to fall in love with the sport. 

Swimming became a way for her to express herself and let out emotions. She said it helps her feel grounded and understood.

 “It’s kind of like my safe haven,” Bramlett said. 

Bramlett attended Reedy High School in Frisco, Texas, where she quickly made a name for herself in the pool. During her time there, she became a one-time state champion and a two-time state runner-up. 

Those experiences helped her prepare for the higher-level competition she would soon face in college. Her success at Reedy showed her ability to continue swimming competitively in college. 

While being a freshman in college, it is very rare to break a school record, especially so early in the season. Bramlett’s accomplishment shows she has even more to offer during her time at Simpson. 

Her performance shows lots of momentum for Simpson’s swimming program as the team is developing athletes who can compete at a high level right away. 

“I want to break as many records as I can, to keep improving, and to be someone people look up to,” Bramlett said. 

Bramlett’s record represents a personal milestone as well as the potential of the entire swim program at Simpson. Her achievement shows Simpson has athletes are capable of making an impact and setting new standards.