Ellie Thornbrue Named Oregon Female High School Swimmer of the Year

Courtesy: Hillsboro HEAT

Century High School’s Ellie Thornbrue has been named the Oregon Female Prep Swimmer of the Year on Thursday at the 63rd annual Oregon Sports Awards. The honor has come as part of a busy week for Thornbrue, who on Saturday was also named one of four salutatorians in a graduating class of 405.

Thornbrue, who will swim for BYU in the fall as one of the better recruits in program history, was dominant at Oregon’s 6A State Championship meet three months ago. She won the 200 free by two seconds (1:50.03) and the 500 free by almost five seconds (4:53.97).

That was part of an effort to lead her high school team to a much tighter 8-point overall team victory in the final team standings.

Thornbrue’s 2015 title was her 4th-straight in the 200 free and her 7th overall out of a possible 8 in individual events; the lone exception was a runner-up finish in the 500 free as a sophomore.

Thornbrue does her club training with the Hillsboro HEAT Swim Team, whom she represented en route to Sectional Championships in the 50 (23.91) and 500 (4:51.87) freestyles two weeks after the state championship meet, where she also swam a 1:48.66 in the 200 free – her best event.

Her teammate Sara Metzsch, and West Salem’s MacKenzie Rumrill, were also named finalists for the award.