Jack Ballard

Class:
Junior
Position:
Freestyle/IM
Hometown:
Fort Collins, Colo.
High School:
Fort Collins HS

Career Notes

Ranks 13th in team history in the 400 IM (3:48.40)

Career Honors and Awards

2025 Academic All-Big Ten honoree
Three-time winner of Outstanding Student-Athlete Award (3.50+ GPA) at team banquet (2023, '24, '25)
Twice named Most Improved at team banquet (2023, '24)

2024-25 Junior Season: Academic All-Big Ten honoree ... won Outstanding Student-Athlete Award with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher at the team banquet … Big Tens: Finished 23rd in 400 IM finals (3:49.09), competed in the 200 breast prelims (1:58.77) and the 200 IM prelims (1:46.67) ... Purdue/Northwestern Tri-Dual: Placed seventh in the 400 IM (3:54.71), was part of the 400 free relay… Arizona State Dual: placed eighth in the 200 free (1:40.98) ... Minnesota Invitational: Finished 19th in the 200 IM (1:49.29) and 400 IM (3:58.16) finals, placed 20th in the 200 breast finals (2:02.37) ... Wisconsin Dual: took seventh in the 200 free (1:40.50), was part of 400 free relay squad … St. Thomas/SDSU Tri-Dual: Placed third in the 500 free (4:40.75), placed fourth in the 400 IM (4:05.58), was part of the 400 free relay … Army Dual Meet: placed seventh in the 200 IM (1:52.23), was part of the 200 medley relay … South Dakota Dual: placed third in the 200 free (1:42.16) and fourth in the 200 breast (2:09.29), was part of 400 free relay.

2023-24 Sophomore Season: Won Most Improved and Outstanding Student-Athlete Awards at the team banquet… Big Tens: Competed in the 200 breast prelims (1:58.43), 100 fly (52.54), 200 IM (1:47.07), and 400 IM prelims (3:48.80)... Purdue/Northwestern Tri-Dual: Placed fifth in the 200 free (1:39.08) and sixth in the 400 IM (3:53.74)... Pitt Dual: Finished fifth (1:40.85) and third (1:58.35) in the 200 frees while also finishing fifth (1:51.94) in the 200 IM… Tampa Dual: Earned fifth during the 200 free (1:43.66) and second in the 400 IM (4:05.14)... Minnesota Invitational: Placed 24th (2:05.92) in the 200 breast, 21st (1:50.03) in the 200 IM, and 17th (3:56.76) in the 400 IM… Wisconsin Dual: Earned sixth in the 200 free (1:41.62) and fifth in the 200 IM (1:53.29)... St. Thomas/South Dakota State Tri-Dual: Finished second in the 200 IM (1:53.18) and fifth in the 200 breast (2:10.90)... Nebraska/South Dakota Tri-Dual: Placed fourth in the 200 free (1:43.97) and fifth in the 100 free (47.64).

2022-23 Freshman Season: Won Most Improved and Outstanding Student-Athlete Award (3.50+ GPA) at team banquet ... First Chance Meet: earned first in the 200 breast (2:00.84) and 200 IM (1:48.05), and second in the 400 IM (3:54.24) ... Northwestern/Purdue Tri-Dual: took ninth in the 200 free (1:39.87) and 11th in the 200 breast (2:04.51); also part of the 200 free relay that took eighth (1:23.18) and the 200 medley relay that was 10th (1:31.89) ... Minnesota Invite: came in 18th in the 400 IM finals (4:01.84), 38th in the 200 breast prelims (2:06.30), 43rd in the 500 free prelims (4:39.17), 45th in the 200 IM prelims (1:51.88) and 54th in the 200 free prelims (1:43.48); also part of the 800 free relay that claimed 12th (6:37.44) and the 400 free relay that was 19th (3:00.20) ... Wisconsin Dual: claimed fifth in the 200 free (1:41.54) and seventh in the 200 breast (2:09.03); also part of the 400 free relay that claimed fourth (3:08.05) ... SMU Dual: finished fourth in the 200 free (1:42.08) and fifth in the 400 IM (4:05.96); also part of the 200 free relay that finished third (1:35.93) and the 400 free relay that was fifth (3:05.71) ... South Dakota Dual: made collegiate debut against South Dakota by placing second in the 200 free (1:42.71) and sixth in the 200 breast (2:12.84), and swimming the 400 free relay (3:09.89) in an exhibition

Prep: A four-year letterwinner at Fort Collins High School … earned all-state honors in 2021 and was an All-American that year in the 200 free … broke school records in both the 200 free and 100 breast … also was a four-year letterwinner in golf … was a three-time academic all-state honoree in both swimming and golf … swam for the Fort Collins Area Swim Team since 2013 … has competed at sectionals and is planning to go to Junior Nationals in December … with his club team, set program records nine times across five different events (200 free, 3x; 500 free, 2x; 100 breast; 200 breast; 400 IM; 2x)

Personal: Parents are Beth and Mike Ballard … has two older siblings, Molly and Max … enjoys skiing and surfing

Why Minnesota: "I chose the University of Minnesota for the incredible team and coaching staff. They create such a good culture in and out of the pool and make it fun while doing it. With that, the University has great academics; it is truly a place where I will get the best education I can to set me up for success later in life."