Two-time Tampa Bay Times’ Hillsborough County swimmer of the year Maddie Hess has made a verbal commitment to join the Duke women’s swimming and diving team in 2015-16.
Newsome High School senior Hess has won the 100 free and 100 back for the last two years in a row at the Florida High School Class 4A state meet.
Hess trains with Blue Wave Swimming at the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center. She has achieved 2016 Olympic Trials cuts in both the 100m and 200m backstroke. Below are her top events:
| 200y back: 1:55.79 | 200m back: 2:15.77 |
| 100y back: 54.02 | 100m back: 1:03.31 |
| 50y back: 26.38 | 50m back: 31.14 |
| 50y free: 23.14 | 50m free: 27.05 |
| 100y free: 49.64 | 57.61 |
| 200y free: 1:48.37 | 200m free: 2:08.12 |
| 100y fly: 55.06 | 100m fly: 1:03.02 |
Hess is sure to make a big impact on the Blue Devils from the moment she suits up. Her 100 back time would have been right on the B/C-final cusp at 2014 ACC Championships and her 200 back would have been on the A/B cusp. Furthermore, her 50 free would have landed her in the C-final.
Hess will join a solid sprint group led by current sophomore Maddie Rusch, who scored in the 50/100 free and 100 fly as a freshman. Duke really needs backstroke points, though, and Hess is a great get for them in that department.