Biography
Career Notes: Swam in 38 regular-season meets across four seasons ... is a two-time All-American honoree (one Second Team and one Honorable Mention), while being a 12-time All-GLIAC recipient (two First Team, four Second Team, and six Third Team) ... named to the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team three times (2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25) ... three-time recipient of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award (2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25) ... garnered CSC Academic All-District recognition following the 2024-25 year.
2024-25: 2024-25 recipient of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award ... earned Second Team CSCAA Scholar All-America accolades ... named CSC Academic All-District ... received GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team honors. GLIAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: Banked four All-GLIAC honors in seven events competed in ... was a Second Team All-GLIAC recipient as a member of the 400 free relay (second - 3:25.57) ... collected a trio of Third Team All-GLIAC awards in the 50 free (third - 23.60) and as a member of both the 200 medley relay (third - 1:43.32) and 200 free relay (third - 1:34.63) ... earned fourth as a member of the 400 medley relay (3:47.71) ... touched the wall seventh in the 100 free (52.18) and 16th in the 100 breast (1:08.48). SEASON: Competed in nine of the team's 10 swim meets ... did not appear at Oakland (Sept. 12).
2023-24: 2023-24 recipient of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award ... Named to the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: Earned Second Team All-American recognition as a member of the 400 free relay team that placed 16th with a time of 3:26.73 ... placed 18th in the 200 free relay (1:34.23), 20th in the 200 medley relay (1:44.00), 22nd in the 50 free (23.45), and 37th in the 100 free (52.06). GLIAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: Four-time All-GLIAC honoree ... was a member of the 400 free relay squad that set a GLIAC Meet Record with a mark of 3:24.16 for First Team All-GLIAC recognition ... named Second Team All-GLIAC three times, including in the 200 medley relay (1:42.79), 50 free (23.48), and 200 free relay (1:34.31) ... swam in the 100 free and placed seventh (51.94), while also participating in the 100 breast (21st - 1:08.99). SEASON: Competed in all 10 of the team's swim meets.
2022-23: Earned First Team CSCAA Scholar All-America accolades ... 2022-23 recipient of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: Earned Honorable Mention All-American honors after swimming anchor leg for the 200 free relay team that finished in 16th (1:34.12) ... also swam fourth in the 200 medley relay team that placed 18th (1:44.94). GLIAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: Earned All-GLIAC honors in a trio of relays including the 200 medley relay (third - 1:43.02), the 200 free relay (third - 1:33.98) and the 400 free relay (third - 3:25.89) ... also finished tied-for-fourth in the 50 free (23.86), tied-for-ninth in the 100 free (52.22) and 14th in the 100 breast (1:09.22). SEASON: Named to the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team ... competed in all 11 of the team's meets.
2021-22: Received Second Team CSCAA Scholar All-America recognition. GLIAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: Earned First Team All-GLIAC honors after anchoring the winning 200 free relay team (1:34.09), while nabbing fourth in the 50 free (23.94) and eighth in the 100 free (53.31) … collected 14th in the 100 breast (1:09.11) and 18th in the 200 free (1:57.01). SEASON: Swam in eight regular-season meets ... finished first with the 400 free relay team (3:38.89), while taking third place in the 50 free (25.36) and 100 free (55.11) against Davenport and Ashland (10/22) … tied for second in the 25 free (12.10) and anchored the third place 125 free relay team (58.55) at Northern Michigan (11/5) … led off 200 free relay team which finished third (1:40.42) against Northern Michigan (11/6) … helped the 400 free relay squad take first (3:25.94) and 200 free relay team take second (1:36.41) at the Don Kimble Invitational (11/21) … anchored the winning 200 free relay team (1:37.10), while also competing in three individual events versus Oakland (1/22) … saw action in four events (100 free, 50 free, 400 free relay and 200 medley relay) at Oakland (1/23) … swam in three events, including a third-place finish in the 200 medley relay (1:50.30) against Calvin (1/28) … led off the winning 200 free relay team (1:39.72) and anchored the second place 200 medley relay team (1:52.51) at Saginaw Valley State (1/29).
High School: A 2021 graduate of Salem High School ... was a four-year letterwinner and two-year team captain for the Rocks and coach Matt Zavislak ... competed in four events at the 2020-21 MHSAA Division 1 state meet ... place 10th in both the 50 free and 100 free ... swam leadoff on both the fifth-place 200 free relay and eighth-place 400 free relay ... placed sixth in the 50 free in a personal-best time of 23.76 at the 2019 MHSAA Division 1 state meet and eighth in the 100 free (52.18 in prelims) ... swam the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay at the state meet as a junior ... finished 13th in the 100 free (school record time of 52.10 in prelims) at the 2018 MHSAA Division 1 state meet and 14th in the 50 free (24.40 in prelims) ... placed 22nd at the MHSAA Division 1 state meet as a freshman in the 100 free (53.84) ... also swam both the 200 free relay (part of school record time of 1:40.30 set in 2017) and 400 free relay at the state meet in both 2017 and 2018 ... is a member of the National Honor Society ... competed at the YMCA Short Course Nationals in both 2018 and 2019 for coach Rick Bennetts and the Farmington Family YMCA Stingrays ... swam the 200 free (1:54.86), 200 free relay and 800 free relay.
Personal: Full name -- Sabine N. Branford ... born on June 16, 2003, in Salt Lake City, Utah ... daughter of William and Greta Branford ... has an older sister, Lauren, who swims on the club team at Grand Valley ... is a Mechanical Engineering major ... named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll (term GPA 3.5+) for Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023 and Winter 2025 (4.00) ... named to the Coach's Honor Roll (term GPA 3.0-3.49) for Winter 2024 and Fall 2024 ... first name is pronounced suh-BEEN ... inductee into WSU’s inaugural (2024-25) Chi Alpha Sigma Athlete Honor Society class.
