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Florida high school state finalist Elise Panna has announced her verbal commitment* to swim and study at Dartmouth College beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to the admissions process at Dartmouth College!! First, I want to thank my family, friends, and coaches for the endless love, support, and encouragement. It has meant the absolute world to me. I also would like to thank Coach Milana and Coach Blair for this incredible opportunity. I’m extremely honored and can’t wait to be part of such an amazing team. GO BIG GREEN!!
A rising senior at Eastside High School in Florida, Panna has competed for the school’s swimming and diving team since her freshman year. She also currently trains year-round with Gator Swim Club, where she primarily specializes in sprint freestyle and backstroke.
This past season, Panna dropped time in several events, improving nearly a full second in both backstroke events and the 200 free. She set her 200 free PB of 1:51.38 at the FL GSC Holiday Classic in mid-December, before going on to take third in the 200 back (2:00.23), eighth in the 100 back (55.47), 12th in the 200 free (1:52.31), and 14th in the 100 fly (57.92) at the Florida Senior Championships at the end of March, clocking personal bests in both backstroke events in what was her best performance at the meet to date. Panna also holds best times of 24.45/52.43 in the 50/100 free from the 2024-25 short course season.
On the high school scene, Panna has been a mainstay for Eastside at the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 2A State Championships. In November, she placed third in the 200 IM (2:08.09) and seventh in the 100 free (53.07), while also anchoring the 200 free relay (24.15) to bronze and the 400 free relay (52.09) to fourth, with both relay finishes marking the first time Eastside cracked the top five, following her dual bronze medal performance in the 100 free and 100 back during her sophomore campaign.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 24.45
- 100 Freestyle: 52.43
- 200 Freestyle: 1:51.38
- 100 Backstroke: 55.47
- 200 Backstroke: 2:00.23
A Division I Mid-Major program, Dartmouth competes in the Ivy League Conference, with the women’s team taking eighth out of eight teams at this past season’s conference championships. Panna’s current lifetime bests would have qualified for the ‘C’ finals in the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 free, setting her up to be an immediate contributor, and she still has two full seasons of training to go before she lines up for her first conference meet.
Panna joins Georgia Howard, Arden Keitel, and Elise Nguyen in committing to Dartmouth’s class of 2031 so far.
*Note: A verbal commitment between an Ivy League coach and a prospective student-athlete is not an offer of admission, as only the Admission Office has that authority. The coach can only commit his or her support in the admission process. Ivy League Admission Offices do not issue “Likely Letters” before October 1 of the prospective student-athlete’s senior year of high school. The Likely Letter, while issued after an initial read of the student’s application, is not an offer of admission to the university.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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