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Joshua Stokes has announced that he has signed to attend and swim at Notre Dame College this upcoming fall. Stokes is from Destrehan, Louisiana, and graduated with honors this spring from Destrehan High School. He also trains and competes year-round with the South Louisiana Swim Team, located in Metairie, Louisiana.
“I chose Notre Dame College because I really like the team, the coach and the surrounding area. I am happy to continue my swimming career at NDC. I would like to thank my parents, Coach Scott Rigby, Coach Kier Braendel, and Coach Sean McGuire”
Stokes will definitely bring versatility to Notre Dame College, but his main events fall under sprint freestyle and backstroke. He recently raced at the Louisiana Senior State Championships, where he earned his highest finish in the 50m backstroke at 5th (29.20). In addition to the 50m back, Stokes notched personal best times in the 100m free (56.84), 100m back (1:04.30), and 200m back (2:28.36).
This past fall, Stokes represented his high school at the Louisiana High School State Championship meet (Division 1). He advanced to the A-final in the 100 backstroke, where he swam a 56.99 in finals to finish 8th overall. He also scored in the 200 freestyle, going a 1:53.32 in finals to take 15th.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 free – 23.14
- 100 free – 49.06
- 200 free – 1:50.38
- 100 back – 54.19
- 200 back – 2:04.50
Notre Dame College is a Division II program located in Cleveland, Ohio. This year, the Notre Dame men finished 5th out of 9 teams at the Great Midwest-Mountain East Conference Championships. Their highest individual finisher was Ashton Smith, who took 2nd in the 100 freestyle with a time of 46.06.
With his current best time, Stokes would have been the team’s 2nd-fastest performer in the 100 backstroke this past season. The top performer was Adonis Thomas, who clocked a 53.88 on a relay lead-off leg. Thomas has one year of eligibility remaining at Notre Dame College, making Stokes’ arrival timely as they look to rebuild the event in the future.
Joining Stokes in Notre Dame’s incoming class of 2027 this fall is Maryland native Lucas Vandewinckel. Vandewinckel is also versatile with his events and swims a mix of IM, breaststroke and mid-distance freestyle.
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