Courtesy: Duke Athletics
DURHAM, N.C. – Head coach Dan Colella and the Duke men’s swimming and diving program announced Thursday the Blue Devils’ 2019 incoming class.
The group includes 11 swimmers and divers from Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
“This is another large class,” Colella said. “We have to say we were excited when we started recruiting them and they just all continued to get a lot faster their senior year! It’s a class which will have to come in and fill some big shoes, but we are confident that they are up to the task.”
In total, the Blue Devil swimming and diving program welcomes 20 student-athletes ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. Learn more about the women’s program’s incoming class Friday on GoDuke.com.
“This group of women and men are exactly what we are looking for when we recruit Duke student-athletes,” Colella said. “We have all the confidence in the world that they will only enhance what we have been building here at Duke University.”
Jonah Cagley
Diving – Pittsburgh, Pa. – Fox Chapel Area High School – Pittsburgh Diving Club
Notes: USA Diving Nationals qualifier … USA Diving Zone Championship qualifier … All-American
On choosing Duke: “I chose Duke because of the top-tier academics and athletics. It also felt like home as soon as I stepped onto campus.”
Cagley Personal Records:
One-Meter – 453.95
Three-Meter – 496.55
Chris Dalla Valle
Distance Free/Fly – Glen Allen, Va. – JR Tucker High School – Nova of Virginia Aquatics
Notes: NCSA Juniors qualifier … VHSL Class 5 All-State honoree … Earned top-three finishes in the 500-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly at his senior state meet … Three-time Scholastic All-American
On choosing Duke: “Duke has an incredible combination of academics and athletics, and the coaching staff and team made me feel at home when I stepped on campus.”
Dalla Valle Personal Records:
500 Free SCY – 4:28.64
1,000 Free SCY – 9:11.05
1,650 Free SCY – 15:47.56
200 Fly SCY/LCM – 1:49.56/2:03.02
400 IM SCY/LCM – 4:00.77/4:38.86
Brendan Driscoll
Distance Free/IM – Tampa, Fla. – Jesuit High School – Greater Tampa Swimming Association (GTSA-FL)
Notes: U.S. Open qualifier … Two-time state champion in the 500 freestyle … Led high school squad to back-to-back state crowns … NICSA All-American … Member of 2018 NCSA All-American Ireland Team … Took part in 2018 USA Swimming Open Water Select Camp … USA Swimming Academic All-American
On choosing Duke: “In searching for the right place to continue my academic and athletic career, I was looking for a school that could offer me the best in both areas. Duke is the perfect school for a student athlete. It offers an incredible athletic department and a world class education. I fell in love with the school when I came to visit and soon later decided it was the place for me. I am honored that I have been given this amazing opportunity by Coach Colella and his coaching staff and am thrilled to be a Blue Devil!”
Driscoll Personal Records:
1,650 Free SCY – 15:14.60
1,000 Free SCY – 9:12.28
500 Free SCY – 4:27.01
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:41.91/2:00.03
400 IM SCY/LCM – 4:06.30/4:43.21
Charlie Gingrich
Sprint Free/Fly – Lancaster, Pa. – Manheim Township High School – Five Star Swim Club
Notes: All-state selection … School and league record holder in the 50 freestyle … Also a school record holder in the 100 butterfly … Scholastic All-American
On choosing Duke: “I chose Duke because it is a place where I can work to reach my full potential in not only academics but athletics as well. The people that I have met on my visits to Duke have been very nice and genuine and that is something that I would like to be a part of. Also, I have been a Duke basketball fan since I was little and I am super pumped to be a Cameron Crazie.”
Gingrich Personal Records:
50 Free SCY/LCM – 20.36/24.29
100 Free SCY/LCM – 45.61/53.93
100 Fly SCY/LCM – 48.35/56.88
100 Back SCY/LCM – 51.63/1:05.10
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:43.03/2:03.85
Phil Gong
Breaststroke – Demarest, N.J. – Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest – New York Sharks Aquatics
Notes: Summer and Winter Junior Nationals qualifier … Junior Nationals ‘A’ finalist as a senior … County champion … Took second in the state in the 100 breaststroke as a junior … Scholastic All-American
On choosing Duke: “Not many other schools offer the same balance of academic and athletic prowess and resources as Duke, and the coaches have built a great team culture and environment. It would be an honor to represent the school, and I’m so excited to start next fall.”
Gong Personal Records:
100 Breast SCY/LCM – 54.86/1:05.33
200 Breast SCY/LCM – 2:00.81/2:25.17
Matthew Knox
Freestyle – Springfield, Ill. – Springfield High School – Springfield YMCA Swim Team (SPY)
Notes: State finalist in the 400 freestyle relay as a junior … SPY 13-14 Boys Swimmer of the Year as a freshman … Reached finals in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle at 2019 YMCA Short Course Nationals … USA Swimming Scholastic All-American
On choosing Duke: “Duke offers the absolute best combination of academics and athletics. The campus is drop-dead gorgeous and it immediately felt like home.”
Knox Personal Records:
50 Free SCY/LCM – 20.93/24.43
100 Free SCY/LCM – 45.17/53.14
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:38.01/1:55.46
500 Free SCY – 4:26.45
1,650 Free SCY – 15:50.10
100 Fly SCY/LCM – 50.25/1:00.01
200 Fly SCY – 1:52.25
200 IM SCY/LCM – 1:52.72/2:11.72
Coleman Kredich
Freestyle – Knoxville, Tenn. – West High School – Tennessee Aquatics
Notes: Summer and Winter Junior Nationals qualifier … State runner-up in the 50 freestyle as a junior … Also took third in the 100 freestyle at his junior year state meet … Scholastic All-American
On choosing Duke: “Durham has always been a second home for me. I would usually be in Durham at least twice a year while I was growing up to visit my grandparents and great-grandparents. I was raised a Duke fan by my family and have always wanted to follow in my parents’ footsteps. When I started the recruiting process, Duke was obviously a top choice because of its academic and athletic environment, but I did not realize how much I wanted to go there until I went on my trip and felt like I belonged there. It just felt like home!”
Kredich Personal Records:
50 Free SCY/LCM – 20.22/23.49
100 Free SCY/LCM – 44.36/52.34
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:39.50/1:56.13
Kevin Repice
Mid-Free/IM/Fly – Southlake, Texas – Carroll Senior High School – North Texas Nadadores (NTN)
Notes: USA Swimming Junior Nationals qualifier … NICSA All-American … Member of Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (TISCA) All-State Team … District champion in the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley as a senior … All-District/All-Region/All-State qualifier
On choosing Duke: “After my official visit, I immediately felt that Duke was a place that I could call home. The campus is amazing, the team had great chemistry and I knew that Duke would offer me the ability to have a great balance between academics and athletics.”
Repice Personal Records:
200 IM SCY/LCM – 1:51.06/2:10.46
400 IM SCY/LCM – 3:57.46/4:47.17
100 Free SCY/LCM – 45.59/52.31
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:39.51/1:53.93
100 Fly SCY/LCM – 49.43/57.40
200 Fly SCY/LCM – 1:52.53/2:13.43
Nick Talati
Fly/Mid-Distance – Yorktown, Va. – Tabb High School – Coast Guard Blue Dolphins
Notes: Finalist at Winter Junior Nationals … State champion in the 100 butterfly and state runner-up in the 200 individual medley as a senior … Also captured a state title in the 200 freestyle as a junior … Selected to USA Swimming Eastern Zone Select Camp … USA Swimming Scholastic All-American
On choosing Duke: “I chose Duke because of the people. The coaches are unbelievably friendly and welcoming, and the swimmers are, well, hilarious. I can’t imagine another place on earth where I’d receive a better education or have a more enjoyable four years. Go Blue Devils!!”
Talati Personal Records:
200 Fly SCY/LCM – 1:47.16/2:05.86
100 Fly SCY/LCM – 48.96/56.50
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:38.70/1:55.21
200 IM SCY/LCM – 1:50.47/2:10.18
200 Back SCY/LCM – 1:49.59/2:16.45
Will Tenpas
Breast/IM – Chevy Chase, Md. – Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School – Nation’s Capital Swim Club
Notes: USA Swimming Winter Nationals and Junior Nationals qualifier … Finalist at NCSA Junior Nationals … Took fifth in the 200 individual medley at state championships his senior year … USA Swimming Scholastic All-American
On choosing Duke: “I chose Duke for the excellent academics and elite level of athletics. The resources on both the academic and athletic side were really exciting, as well as the opportunity to compete in the ACC. I connected well with the team and coaches when I visited and have seen great success in the program.”
Tenpas Personal Records:
100 Breast SCY/LCM – 57.32/1:07.84
200 Breast SCY/LCM – 2:02.39/2:22.59
Nick Viers
IM/Fly/Breast – Richmond, Va. – Douglas S. Freeman High School – NOVA of Virginia Aquatics
Notes: All-American … NCSA Junior Nationals qualifier … State champion in the 200 freestyle relay as a senior … State championship team MVP … State runner-up in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke his senior year … USA Swimming Scholastic All-American
On choosing Duke: “I chose Duke because it had the perfect combination of stellar academics and elite level athletics. Duke has the spirit of a big state school, but the tight knit community of a small one. For me, Duke had everything I wanted in a school, and everything I wanted in the pool as well.”
Viers Personal Records:
400 IM SCY/LCM – 3:55.35/4:35.91
200 IM SCY/LCM – 1:51.61/2:08.85
200 Breast SCY/LCM – 2:01.81/2:25.45
200 Fly SCY/LCM – 1:49.79/2:10.46
100 Fly SCY/LCM – 49.30/58.53