DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University swimming and diving head coach Dan Colella and the Blue Devil coaching staff have announced the signing of six student-athletes, with the group joining the women’s program for the 2016-17 campaign.
Suzanne Dolan, Kylie Jordan, Brittany Kampfer, Alyssa Marsh and Kira Page will bolster the Blue Devils’ swimming roster next fall while Jaina Gaudette will join the group overseen by head diving coach Nunzio Esposto.
“This whole class, their level of enthusiasm about Duke University is significant,” Colella said. “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.”
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.”
Colella on Dolan: “Suzanne expressed a lot of interest in Duke very early on. With that enthusiasm, we knew this was the place for her. She was looking for a great mix of academics and athletics. Athletically, the exciting thing about Suzanne is she really has come on to the national scene in the last just year and a half to two years. She is just beginning to really understand what it takes to swim at an elite level and is really excited to explore that. We’re ecstatic about her being here with us. She’s going to add tremendous depth in the sprint frees. She’s a great breaststroker – she’s going to be a real force in that area as well as having a great 200 IM.”
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!”
Esposto on Gaudette: “I’m particularly excited about Jaina because she’s a good springboard diver but her specialty is platform. It’s always exciting to get a good 10-meter diver so we’ll have that to add to our group of women. Also, she’s very, very good academically so I think she’ll mesh really well with the team. She’s friends with some of the kids who are already on the team and I think she’ll fit in great.”
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.”
Colella on Jordan: “Along with Suzanne, Kylie made the commitment to Duke back in the spring of her junior year. She has tremendous versatility – we’re going to be able to use her in a variety of positions next year. She was looking for a school that was really going to help her swim at the highest level and be able to get a world-class education. Kylie is going to add great depth in the butterfly events and has the potential to swim on just about any relay. As we continue to develop our program, one of the key components to that is just having depth and she is going to be someone we can move around within the lineup.”
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.”
Colella on Kampfer: “We’re very excited about Brittany joining the program. An area that we really wanted to add some depth is the mid-distance and distance freestyle, and she will do just that. Brittany these last couple years has performed at a very high level. She’s very close to NCAA standards in the mile already and has times that will be very competitive at ACCs. We feel Duke will be a great fit for her and she’ll have a huge impact among our group of distance freestylers. We can’t wait for her to join us next fall.”
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.”
Colella on Marsh: “Alyssa is coming off of an impressive Winter Junior Nationals in Atlanta where she posted some phenomenal times. Alyssa and the other sprinters in the class, along with the current sprinters on the team, are going to make our relays just incredibly competitive nationally. What I like about Alyssa, in addition to her athletic skills, is that as the daughter of David Marsh she has been immersed in an environment of excellence her entire life. She’ll bring this experience to the program and continue to help us develop our winning culture. Growing up in the Auburn setting during Coach Marsh’s tenure and now SwimMAC, she’s been surrounded with athletes who truly understand what it takes to swim at the highest level.”
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!”
Colella on Page: “Kira’s dad was a member of the 1989 ACC Championship football team at Duke and I know she’s grown up loving Duke University. She’s going to bring a lot of athletic ability to our program, especially to our group of sprint specialists. Kira is still somewhat raw in some areas and has not really explored the area of strength and conditioning. As a sprinter this process is only going to enhance what she’s already accomplished. We’re thrilled to have another Page in the Duke family and are looking forward to her arrival in the fall.”
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
Swimming news courtesy of Duke Swimming & Diving.