Summer Juniors Qualifier Matthew Purcell Commits to Brown for 2023-24

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Matthew Purcell from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has committed to Brown University’s class of 2027. Purcell, a senior at Northgate High School, attends Avonworth High School, and swims for the Avonworth/Northwood co-op and Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics.

Purcell is a versatile swimmer, with a Summer Juniors cut in the 400 IM, Winter Juniors standards in the 800/1500 free, and Futures times in the 500 free, 100/200 back, 100/200 fly, and 200 IM. He was on an absolute tear in 2022, clocking PBs across the board.

Purcell is the reigning Pennsylvania High School AA state champion in the 500 free, which he won in a PB of 4:35.14 last March. He also placed fourth in the 200 IM (1:53.95) and swam legs on the seventh-place 200 medley relay (23.81 leadoff backstroke) and 400 free relay (48.44 anchor). At Christiansburg Sectionals a few weeks later, Purcell improved his times in the 200 back, 100/200 fly, and 400 IM while coming in fifth in the 400 IM, seventh in the 200 fly, 11th in the 200 back, 13th in the 100 back, and 14th in the 100 fly.

In December, he competed in back-to-back championship meets. At Winter Juniors East, he lowered his PBs in the 500 free, 1650 free, 100 back, and 400 IM and was a C-finalist in the 400 IM. A week later, he swam at the PITT 60th Annual Christmas Meet and won the 200 back and 400 IM, was runner-up in the 500 free, and placed third in the 1000 free and 200 IM. He also finaled in the 200 free and 100 breast, and he left the meet with new PBs in the 200/1000 free, 200 back, 100/200 breast, and 200 IM.

Best SCY times:

• 400 IM – 3:56.80
• 200 IM – 1:52.77
• 1650 free – 15:39.31
• 1000 free – 9:26.53
• 500 free – 4:35.08
• 200 back – 1:51.71
• 100 back – 51.00

Purcell’s 1650 free and 400 IM times would have scored at the 2022 Ivy League Men’s Championships. To make it back to finals in his other events, it took 1:39.92/4:27.75 in the 200/500 free, 1:48.63 in the 200 IM, and 49.65/1:50.13 in the 100/200 back.

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