Penn’s Jamaican Record Holder Keanan Dols Announces Grad Transfer to Kentucky

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After competing for the University of Pennsylvania during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, Jamaican National Record holder and 2021 Olympian Keanan Dols left collegiate swimming briefly while continuing to compete internationally. While he has returned to compete for Penn this season, he has already announced that he will be continuing his swimming career into graduate school, electing to transfer to the University of Kentucky beginning in the fall of 2022.

While it’s been two years since Dols last swam in the NCAA, he has competed in meets such as the 2019 World Championships, 2019 and 2020 US Open, and the 2021 Olympic Games. At the Tokyo Olympics, he raced in the 200 fly and 200 IM, with his time of 2:00.25 in the fly earning him 34th in the event.

During his year away from the NCAA, Dols spent time training under Gregg Troy at Gator Swim Club. Under Troy, Dols trained alongside swimmers such as Ryan Lochte, Caeleb Dressel, and Andrew Loy.

In 2019, Dols swam three events at the Ivy League Championships. A sophomore at the time, he earned a spot in the B-final of the 200 fly and C-final of both the 200 and 400 IM.

As a club swimmer, Dols was a part of the Sarasota relay that set the YMCA National record in the 400 medley relay. Back in 2017, he swam the fly leg of that relay, splitting 48.80.

Top SCY Times

• 100 fly – 47.95
• 200 fly – 1:45.77
• 200 IM – 1:46.77
• 400 IM – 3:51.04

In April of this year, Dols re-broke his own Jamaican National Record in the 200 IM at the Pro Swim Series meet in Mission Viejo. There, he shaved over a second off of his previous record of 2:03.66, touching in 2:02.15. That swim was fast enough to earn an Olympic B standard in the event, ultimately paving the way to Jamaica granting him a Universality spot at the Games.

In addition to his IM record, Dols also holds Jamaican records in the 200 back LCM, as well as the 100 back, 200 back, 100 IM, and 200 IM in short course meters.

Dols will be a big pickup for the Wildcats, with times that put him in scoring range at the Southeastern Conference Championships. With his current best times, he would have earned a spot in the C-final of the 200 fly and both IM events at the 2021 SEC Championships. During the 2020-21 season his 100 fly would have been the third-fastest on the team, just over half a second off of Mason Wilby, who led the team in the event. Kentucky finished last in both medley relays last season.

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