After three years at Carson-Newman University, Kailee Morgan has announced she will be transferring to the University of Tennessee next school year. Knoxville is about half an hour west of Carson-Newman.
“Gonna be great to be a Tennessee Vol!! 🍊I will be continuing my college career with @vol_swimdive and I couldn’t be happier 🧡”
Morgan graduated from Greenville, South Carolina’s Christ Church Episcopal School in 2019 and made her way two-and-a-half hours north to Jefferson City, Tennessee, that fall. She found immediate success at Carson-Newman, dropping nearly 2 seconds in the 100 breast her freshman year to place 5th at the 2020 Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships with 1:02.81. She also dropped 2.2 seconds in the 200 breast to place 9th with 2:20.57. The 2020 NCAA Division II Championship was canceled after prelims on Day 2, because of COVID-19. But the next season she improved again to go 1:02.02/2:17.98 at conference (placing 2nd and 4th in the respective events), before going on to the 2021 NCAA Division II Championships and finishing 2nd in the 100 breast with 1:01.44. As a junior, she won both events at conference (1:00.89/2:13.75), then placed 4th (1:01.14) in the 100 and 2nd in the 200 (2:12.33) at NCAAs.
Breaststroke evolution:
| Event | High School PB | C-N 2019-20 | C-N 2020-21 | C-N 2021-22 |
| 100 breast | 1:04.75 | 1:02.81 | 1:01.44 | 1:00.89 |
| 200 breast | 2:22.77 | 2:20.57 | 2:17.98 | 2:12.33 |
The 10-time All American will join the 2022 SEC-champion Lady Vols with incoming freshmen Julia Burroughs, Camille DeBoer, Libby Russum, and Regan Rathwell. Morgan will train with a breaststroke group led by Mona McSharry (57.18/ 2:07.24 last season), helping to fill a hole left by the graduation of breaststrokers Alexis Yager, Alexandra Gebel, Tjasa Pintar, and Emily Sykes.
Tennessee always seems to pull in transfers each year. I wonder if anyone else is joining?
Welcome to Rocky Top! Huge addition to fill a big hole. Can see her staying a 5th year to train with McSharry and Fast and go to Olympic Trials.
That’s a cool story! What an upward trajectory. Congrats!
That’s a very short trip to switch schools
Gas isn’t cheap these days