Duke Women Land Another Huge 2016 Commit, Suzanne Dolan from Machine Aquatics

The Duke Blue Devils are cleaning-up in Virginia early in the class of 2016 recruiting. After NCAP’s Kylie Jordan verbally committed on WednesdaySuzanne Dolan from Machine Aquatics gave her pledge late Thursday evening.

“I picked Duke because I was looking for a top notch education and they have that, and I also fell in love with the campus. After talking with the coaches for a few months I felt a real connection, so I went to do an unofficial and fell in love with the team. I am also very excited to have Kylie as a teammate.”

Dolan and Jordan will make fantastic complements to each other in Duke’s freshman class; whereas Jordan primarily specializes in the butterfly events and the 100/200 freestyles, Dolan’s best races are the breaststrokes, and the shorter 50/100 freestyles.

Best times in yards, through her junior season:

  • 50 free – 22.81
  • 100 free – 49.97
  • 200 free – 1:49.71
  • 100 breast – 1:01.84
  • 200 breast – 2:17.64
  • 200 IM – 2:02.65

While Duke has some very fast sprint freestylers coming in from their class of 2015, to supplement those already on campus, Dolan should have a shot at all 5 relays as a freshman for the Blue Devils. Besides the sprint freestyles, Dolan will also have a chance to battle for the top spot in what was Duke’s weakest discipline last season – the breaststrokes – with class of 2015 commit Alyssa Arwood, who comes to campus with a best of 1:01.1 in the 100 and 2:15.4 in the 200 breaststroke.

Dolan made huge time drops between her sophomore and junior seasons. At the 2014 Virginia High School League 6A State Championship  meet (the biggest schools), she was 8th in the 50 free (24.4) for Yorktown High School and failed to even make the B-Final in the 100 freestyle (54.4). As a junior, she was the state champion in both, with a best time in the 50, and just shy of a best time in the 100 breaststroke.

Coming into her junior season, her previous best time in the 100 breaststroke was done more than two years earlier, as an 8th grader. She managed to improve that mark by two-and-a-half seconds. She also improved her best time in the 100 free by over a second (previous best done as a freshman), and her 50 free by half-a-second (previous best done as a freshman).

As a senior, Dolan says she’s going to focus on getting some Olympic Trials cuts, making long course her effort – similarly to comments made by classmate Jordan.

Dolan also played on her school’s highly-touted varsity tennis team as a freshman.

 

19
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

19 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Gina Rhinestone
8 years ago

The sooner these threads appear on SwSw the better . Not only do I hear of swimmers I never knew about often going to places I never knew about but I get a head start on the new seasons shorts .

Keep them rolling . I am down to my last pair & as soon as I see one I like I am a whizz in tracking them down . I was eyeing some great red silky ‘soccer’ shorts but I am worried about being arrested.

CC
Reply to  Gina Rhinestone
8 years ago

what

Coach UK
8 years ago

What about actually applying and getting into the Universities? That doesn’t happen until the fall at the earliest so are these super early commits assuming they will get in, or perhaps in communicating with the coach they are given assurances based in their current academics records? Does this work like the “likely letters” in the Ivy League?

Joel Lin
8 years ago

No roads leading to Charlottesville in the Old Dominion.

SUNY Cal
8 years ago

Can they then offer scholarship via email???

Ervin
8 years ago

Is she related to Tom Dolan? Or just a coincidence? Same last name same high school

Arlingtonian
Reply to  Ervin
8 years ago

Just a coincidence. They are not related.

Tom Dolan
Reply to  Arlingtonian
8 years ago

Hi my name is Tom Dolan.
I am Suzanne’s father!

Calbearfan
8 years ago

The coaches can talk to juniors via email and on the phone as long as the call is initiated by the PSA.

Coach
8 years ago

E-mail communication can start Sept. 1st of their Junior year. Plus, they can take unofficial visits and talk to coaches when they are on campus.

SUNY Cal
8 years ago

I wondered the same thing with all these early committs???? If coaches can’t talk to you how do they make scholarship offers????How do you commit not knowing if you will receive anything??????

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

Read More »