FORT MYERS, Florida, April 23. LOOKING to build upon the success of the 2013-14 season, the FGCU women’s swimming and diving team along with head coach Neal Studd will welcome NJCAA record holder Rebecca Derogatis to The Nest this Fall as she has signed a National Letter of Intent, becoming an official member of the Green and Blue.
“Rebecca will be a great addition to our already strong sprint group,” Studd said. “I think she has shown some incredible improvements this year and is the fastest junior college swimmer of all time! That’s pretty cool to add to our program. She had a lot of attention from several schools, including the Southeastern Conference, so we are excited to get her commitment here at FGCU. I know this will put our relays as some of the best in the nation. I hope Becky can continue to improve and like Emma and Kira make an impact at the NCAA’s.”
Derogatis – who will be a junior and have two seasons of eligibility beginning in the fall – will join the FGCU family as a transfer from Indian River State College, where she was a stand-out competitor for the Pioneers during her sophomore season. At the 2014 NJCAA Championship, Derogatis took home the top title in the 50-yard freestyle, finishing the race in a junior college record 22.93. Upon her arrival, Derogatis will become the Eagles’ third sub-23 seconds sprinter, joining Emma Svensson (Upsala, Sweden/Celsiusskolan) (22.09) and Kira Toussaint (Amstelveen, Netherlands/Keizer Karel College) (22.79).
While Derogatis’ current time ranks her third-fastest on the team, a chance for the newcomer to take the lead is certainly a possibility as she has shown significant drops in time over the past few years. During her senior year at Cardinal Gibbons High School, Derogatis’ personal best was a 24.47. Last year, as a freshman, she dropped half-a-second, and as a sophomore she dropped another one.
Her talents also extend into the 100-yard distance as she touched second in the NJCAA Championship race with a 50.78.
The Green and Blue returns 30 members for the 2014-15 season, led by Svensson and Toussaint who help FGCU finish 32nd in the nation at the NCAA Championship for its best finish ever.
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