Duke University swimming and diving head coach Dan Colella has announced the signing of six student-athletes who will join the Blue Devils women’s program for the 2016-2017 season.
Suzanne Dolan, Kylie Jordan, Brittany Kampfer, Alyssa Marsh, and Kira Page will swim under Colella next fall while Jaina Gaudette will dive under head diving coach Nunzio Esposto.
Duke Women’s Swimming and Diving Class of 2020:
Suzanne Dolan – Arlington, Va.
High School: Yorktown
Club Team (Coach): Machine Aquatics (Dan Jacobs)
Notes: All-American as a junior … State champion in 50 and 100 freestyle her junior year to earn all-state honors … Two-time All-Metropolitan selection
Why she chose Duke: “I couldn’t tell you why I chose Duke in a sentence, paragraph, or even a short essay because there is so much that I could talk about. Just to list a few things that made me pick this amazing school – the awesome team, the connection I have with the coaches, the stunning campus, the incredible academics, the history of the school, the Durham area and the students that are already attending. It wasn’t just one or two aspects about Duke that made me choose it, it was a multitude of factors that set it apart for me. I feel that this school is the perfect fit for me and I am ecstatic to be representing such an amazing college and team for the next four years.”
Dolan Personal Records:
50 Free SCY/LCM – 22.81/26.57
100 Free SCY/LCM – 49.97/58.05
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:49.71/2:07.38
100 Breast SCY/LCM – 1:01.84/1:14.29
200 Breast SCY/LCM – 2:17.64/2:42.74
100 Back SCY/LCM – 56.80/1:04.18
200 IM SCY/LCM – 2:02.65/2:22.74
Jaina Gaudette – Windsor, Ontario
High School: Assumption College Catholic HS
Club Team (Coach): Legacy Diving (Buck Smith)
Notes: Summer nationals and junior nationals qualifier … 1-meter springboard champion at 2013 U.S. Junior East Nationals … Four-time zone champion across the three disciplines … Captured a regional title on the 1-meter board … Placed 12th on the platform at 2015 summer nationals
Why she chose Duke: “I visited several great schools during the recruitment process, but the second I got to Duke I felt very at home. Having dreamt of going there for years, it was amazing to visit and experience firsthand the amazing qualities of the school. My coach and teammates made me feel so welcome and I can’t wait to join them in August. Not only will Duke provide an opportunity to begin the next stage of my diving career, but also will give me a world-class education. The biomedical engineering program at Duke, which I am looking to enroll in, is one of the top in the country, boasting esteemed faculty and ample opportunities for research. For me, this was as important to consider as the athletic aspects and when I took everything into account, Duke just made sense. The student body is one with huge international diversity, another factor that drew me as a Canadian. I already feel like a Blue Devil, and could not be more grateful or excited to pursue this new chapter of my diving and academic career!”
Gaudette Personal Records:
1-Meter – 405.35
3-Meter – 467.55
Platform – 394.90
Kylie Jordan – Leesburg, Va.
High School (Coach): The Madeira School (Rod Montrie)
Club Team (Coach): Nation’s Capital Swim Club (John Flanagan)
Notes: 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier … Six-time individual Virginia Independent Schools (VISAA) state champion … Broke league records in all six state championship swims … Three-time VISAA Female Swimmer of the Year … Has earned All-America honors each of her first three seasons … Multiple-time A finalist at NCSA Junior National Championships
Why she chose Duke: “I chose Duke University because it has the perfect balance of academics and athletics that I was looking for. Dan Colella is a great coach and will help me to improve my times. When I took my unofficial visit to Duke, I fell in love with the team and the campus and believe it will be a great fit for me.”
Jordan Personal Records:
50 Free SCY/LCM – 23.41/27.21
100 Free SCY/LCM – 50.50/57.80
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:48.44/2:07.32
100 Back SCY/LCM – 55.44/1:06.19
50 Fly SCY/LCM – 24.52/27.85
100 Fly SCY/LCM – 53.53/1:00.87
200 Fly SCY/LCM – 1:58.86/2:15.58
200 IM SCY/LCM – 2:01.19/2:19.73
400 IM SCY/LCM – 4:16.40/4:55.83
Brittany Kampfer – Orange, Calif.
High School: Crean Lutheran
Club Team (Coach): Irvine Novaquatics (Ken LaMont)
Notes: Nationals qualifier … Winter junior nationals finalist in 1,650 free … Runner-up in 500 freestyle at CIF Division 1 finals as a junior … Transferred to Crean Lutheran from Mater Dei
Why she chose Duke: “I chose Duke because I feel the team has something special – that despite their workload of both academics and swimming, they take the time to hang out with each other and be a real team. There is also the fact that Duke is such an amazing and prestigious school, and I would like to get the best education while also getting the best athletic experience.”
Kampfer Personal Records:
100 Free SCY/LCM – 52.88/59.38
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:50.48/2:04.49
500 Free SCY/LCM – 4:47.56/4:18.86
1,000 Free SCY/LCM – 9:51.13/8:52.59
1,650 Free SCY/LCM – 16:26.44/16:58.70
Alyssa Marsh – Davidson, N.C.
High School: Pine Lake Preparatory
Club Team (Coach): SwimMAC Carolina (Pam Swander)
Notes: 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier … Two-time 1A/2A North Carolina state champion in 100 butterfly … Also won a state title in the 100 backstroke last season … Two-time North Carolina state meet MVP … Member of three national age group record-setting relays (400 LCM freestyle relay, 800-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard medley relay) … Father, David Marsh, is the U.S. Olympic Team head women’s coach and previously led the Auburn men and women to a combined 12 national championships while serving as head coach from 1990-2007
Why she chose Duke: “Duke swimming is in such an exciting place, and I wanted to have the chance to be a part of a program that is on the rise. The chance to be coached by some of the best while going to one of the country’s top academic colleges was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”
Marsh Personal Records:
50 Free SCY/LCM – 22.48/25.95
100 Free SCY/LCM – 48.77/57.61
50 Fly SCY/LCM – 24.72 (split)/27.14
100 Fly SCY/LCM – 52.95/1:00.74
100 Back SCY/LCM – 54.12/1:04.00
200 Back SCY/LCM – 1:58.78/2:19.78
Kira Page – New Milford, Conn.
High School: New Milford
Club Team (Coach): Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut-RYWC (Jason Paige)
Notes: Winter nationals qualifier (100 freestyle, 200 LCM freestyle) … Junior winter nationals qualifier (200 freestyle, 100 and 200 backstroke, 100 butterfly) … Collected top-five finishes in 100 and 200 freestyle at last spring’s YMCA nationals … Conference record holder in the 100-yard backstroke
Why she chose Duke: “I chose Duke because I felt like it was the perfect fit for me. Duke provides me with the opportunity to study at a world class institution, as well as train with amazing teammates and coaches. It’s always been a dream of mine to attend Duke, and I can’t wait to be a Blue Devil!”
Page Personal Records:
50 Free SCY/LCM – 23.59/27.09
100 Free SCY/LCM – 49.72/56.79
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:48.95/2:04.17
500 Free SCY/LCM – 4:59.67/4:26.40
100 Fly SCY/LCM – 54.67/1:02.90
100 Back SCY/LCM – 55.44/1:05.50
200 Back SCY/LCM- 1:59.78/2:26.08
“This whole class, their level of enthusiasm about Duke University is significant,” Colella said in a Duke press release. “If they’re really excited about the university that they’re representing, that pride is just going to help them always compete at the highest level. As we continue to grow and develop as a program, this group will further help us establish ourselves both within the conference and at the national level. They’re going to be huge assets to the program coming in, and we’re thrilled with them making the decision to wear the Duke Blue and White for the next four years. We can’t wait for their arrival on campus.”
Duke Athletics contributed this report.
Congrats Kylie!!