DURHAM, N.C. – After capping the 2015-16 season with five new All-Americans, the Duke men’s swimming and diving program, led by head coach Dan Colella, will welcome nine student-athletes to the program next fall.
The incoming class features swimmers Sheldon Boboff, Roger Kriegl, Daichi Matsuda, Chris Murphy, Emir Ozsuer, Noah Stevens, Eric Strickland and Miles Williams and diver Nathaniel Hernandez.
“We’re so excited about the addition of this freshman class to a team that turned in some tremendous accomplishments this past season,” Colella said. “We feel this freshman class, maybe more so than ever, is a group that can come in and make a big impact right from the start. I am thrilled these young men have chosen Duke University to be their home for the next four years. They’re going to help us continue to take this program to new heights.”
Men’s Swimming and Diving Class of 2020:
Sheldon Boboff – San Francisco, Calif.
High School (Coach): Saint Ignatius College Prep (Jordan Wood)
Club Team (Coach): North Bay Aquatics (Ken Demont)
Notes: Five-time All-America, including in 100 and 200 freestyle as a junior … Fourth in 200 freestyle at 2015 Junior Nationals
Why he chose Duke: “I chose Duke because of the incredible academic and athletic opportunities. The facilities, coaches and team atmosphere all contribute to a program on the rise. I see myself fitting in perfectly and contributing both in and out of the pool. I can’t wait for the next four years and I knew as soon as I landed in Durham that Duke swimming and diving was the place for me.”
Colella on Boboff: “Sheldon is a young man who has really come on in the last couple years. His level of commitment to the sport has really increased immensely. He is very athletic, very gifted and we saw those kinds of performances last year as a junior and last summer. We are really looking forward to his high school championship in May. He’s a big, tall guy who’s got the potential to really develop to the next level here at Duke. He’s not only going to have an impact individually, but he’ll be a big factor when it comes to the 400 and 800 free relays. I know he’s excited about joining the program, and we are really looking forward to his arrival.”
Boboff Personal Records:
50 Free SCY/LCM – 20.99/24.52
100 Free SCY/LCM – 45.40/52.22
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:37.93/1:52.67
200 IM SCY/LCM – 1:49.83/2:09.80
Nathaniel Hernandez – Southlake, Texas
High School: Carroll Senior HS
Club Team (Coach): GC Diving (Jeff Bro)
Notes: Senior nationals qualifier … Three-time junior nationals finalist on the platform … Captured silver medals on the 1 and 3-meter at junior nationals his sophomore year … NISCA/Speedo high school national champion as a junior … Two-time Texas state champion on the 1-meter … State bronze medalist on the 1-meter as a sophomore
Why he chose Duke: “I selected Duke University due to the combination of top-notch academics and a swimming and diving program that is consistently improving. I am so excited to join the Blue Devil family, and to work with [Duke head diving coach] Nunzio Esposto, under whom I believe that I will be able to thrive.”
Esposto on Hernandez: “Nathaniel is going to be an excellent addition to our team. He is a dedicated and talented diver who we should see great things from. He has an energetic personality which is going to be great for the others training around him.”
Colella on Hernandez: “We’re extremely excited about, once again, signing one of the top high school divers in the country. Nathaniel’s many accomplishments at the national level will only better prepare him for success within the conference and NCAA championship ranks.”
Hernandez Personal Records:
1-Meter – 326.75
3-Meter – 367.90
Platform (10 dive) – 520.25
Roger Kriegl – Moorpark, Calif.
High School: Moorpark
Club Team (Coaches): Conejo Simi Swim Club (Lauren Hancock and Kacy Ota)
Notes: 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier … Selected to 2014 USA Swimming National Select Camp and National Open Water Select Camp … CIFSS Division III champion in the 200 and 500 freestyle as a junior … As a sophomore, ranked among all-time top-100 age group list for 1,500-meter freestyle … Also ranked third in the country in that event among 15-year old males … Southern California CIF qualifier as a freshman … Named to All-Marmonte League boys list his first year
Why he chose Duke: “I chose Duke because it’s a rapidly improving program with great potential for big things in the future. I look forward to contributing to these successes.”
Colella on Kriegl: “The distance core here has really made some big advances in the last couple of years and Roger is going to be a great addition to that group. He is very versatile – in addition to the distance freestyle he has a great 400 IM and 200 butterfly. I know he is incredibly hungry and a hard worker. His previous club coach, Lauren Hancock, a Duke graduate, had nothing but great praise for his work ethic, both in and out of the pool. I think Duke is a great fit for him. He is coming in with times that are going to be extremely competitive right away at the ACC level. He is someone who has the potential to make NCAAs, and we can’t wait for him to arrive on campus.”
Kriegl Personal Records:
500 Free SCY/LCM – 4:26.06/3:59.58
1,000 Free SCY/LCM – 9:02.29/8:13.52
1,650 Free SCY/LCM – 15:12.58/15:32.11
400 IM SCY/LCM – 3:58.49/4:26.99
200 Fly SCY/LCM – 1:48.21/2:03.18
Daichi Matsuda – Palo Alto, Calif.
High School: Henry M Gunn
Club Team (Coach): Palo Alton Stanford Aquatics (Dana Kirk)
Notes: Summer and winter junior nationals qualifier … Three-time Central California finalist in 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle
Why he chose Duke: “I chose Duke because it offers a world-class education and the opportunity to be a part of an up-and-coming swimming powerhouse. After meeting the excellent coaching staff and tight knit, supportive team, I knew immediately that Duke was the place for me.”
Colella on Matsuda: “Daichi has a number of great accomplishments already in the books. I think what we are most excited about is his potential. His club coach at Palo Alto, Dana Kirk, thinks he is going to make some huge advances once he gets to the collegiate level. Daichi will certainly bolster an area that we really need to strengthen, and that’s the butterfly, particularly the 200 butterfly. In addition to his butterfly, he will be one who can add some depth to the middle distance freestyle events. I feel that he will have an impact both during the dual meet season as well as in the championship season. Duke is a great fit for him and we are looking forward to helping him develop into an NCAA Championship-caliber athlete.”
Matsuda Personal Records:
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:41.93/1:58.81
500 Free SCY/LCM – 4:30.71/4:08.23
100 Fly SCY/LCM – 49.52/57.09
200 Fly SCY/LCM – 1:47.95/2:04.71
200 IM SCY/LCM – 1:52.26/2:11.31
400 IM SCY/LCM – 3:56.43/4:35.27
Chris Murphy – McLean, Va.
High School: McLean
Club Team (Coach): Nations Capital Swim Club (John Flanagan)
Notes: Winter nationals qualifier … Winter and summer junior nationals qualifier … Four-time Virginia state qualifier … Automatic All-America in 100 backstroke and 500 freestyle as a junior … 2016 and 2015 state runner-up in the 100 backstroke … Earned state runner-up finish in the 500 freestyle as a sophomore
Why he chose Duke: “I chose Duke because of the abundance of opportunities available in both swimming and academics. After visiting, I fell in love with the suburban campus setting surrounded by a distinctly historical town, along with the beautiful Gothic architecture. The coaches and swimmers made the decision easy by making me feel like I was already part of something so great and unique. I cannot wait to be a Blue Devil this fall.”
Colella on Murphy: “Chris was the first male in this class to commit to Duke. Initially we were looking at him for more mid-distance freestyle, and as of late he has really excelled in the backstroke, another area that we need to strengthen – particularly the 200 backstroke. From the start of the recruiting process Chris has been really high on being a Blue Devil and we love that enthusiasm. He comes out of a great program, Nations Capital. John Flanagan, his club coach, has had nothing but great things to report on Chris. We think he will have an immediate impact in dual meets and at the ACC Championships. He absolutely has the potential to qualify for NCAAs. We are excited that Duke has been his top choice and he has decided to be a Blue Devil.”
Murphy Personal Records:
200 Free SCY/LCM – 1:39.08/1:55.04
500 Free SCY/LCM – 4:28.66/4:06.79
1,000 Free SCY/LCM – 9:20.25/8:32.97
1,650 Free SCY/LCM – 15:39.75/16:16.34
50 Back SCY/LCM – 23.07/26.99
100 Back SCY/LCM – 49.62/57.96
200 Back SCY/LCM – 1:47.88/2:04.33
Emir Ozsuer – Istanbul, Turkey
High School (Coaches): Enka (Ender Kalpak and Vajda Tamas)
Notes: Istanbul champion in the 100 freestyle … Member of Turkey’s Olympic candidate team … National record holder in 200 freestyle relay … Age group record holder in 50 and 100 freestyle
Why he chose Duke: “From the first moment I set foot on campus, I knew I was home. I love working with people who I can count as a part of my family, and Duke gave me that sweet feeling. I am willing to do anything that will make me a better swimmer and also benefit my team. Both the coaches and the team share the same passion towards swimming as I do, so I am sure that as a team we will achieve excellence. I chose Duke because we share a common interest – becoming the best!”
Colella on Ozsuer: “Emir is a very big, athletic individual. He has gone through a variety of coaches in the last year, year and a half. Emir has really worked hard both in and out of the pool. I think he has a tremendous amount of potential. We are not even 100 percent sure what events he’ll swim, more so the sprints but possibly up to the 400 or 500. Ultimately he is a big, athletic guy who has shown that he has some real speed and power. I think he is going to be someone who will surprise a lot of folks down the road and will add some real depth in the sprints and to the sprint relays. I know Emir is extremely excited about being here at Duke University, as are we.”
Ozsuer Personal Records:
50 Free SCM/LCM – 23.60/23.92
100 Free SCM/LCM – 51.98/52.80
200 Free SCM/LCM – 1:54.10/1:55.92
Noah Stevens – Rochester, N.Y.
High School (Coach): Brighton (Benjamin Vick)
Club Team (Coach): Victor Swim Club (Mike Murray)
Notes: Winter nationals qualifier … Summer and winter junior nationals qualifier … Four-time All-America … New York State Championship Swimmer of the Meet (2016) … State champion in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke as a senior … Two-time All-Greater Rochester Swimmer of the Year … Named to All-Greater Rochester Team three years … Three-time Section V Class B Swimmer of the Year
Why he chose Duke: “I chose Duke because of the incredible opportunities they provide both in the pool as well as academically. Through the tranquil environment, beautiful facilities and tremendous resources, I feel that Duke is the school I can truly excel at. Duke’s prestigious academics along with the prideful spirit allows for the perfect balance of what a student-athlete desires, and I know the next four years of my life will change me forever.”
Colella on Stevens: “Noah is thrilled to be a Blue Devil. He has really done some great things in the last two years. He recently won the New York state championship in the 100 butterfly and the 100 breaststroke. We have a great core of breaststrokers, but a lot of them are graduating next year, so it’s great to have him coming in. Noah has been one of the most dynamic individuals that I have recruited in a number of years. He has a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm. He definitely has the skill set to do some big things in the future years, and we are really excited that he’s a Blue Devil.”
Stevens Personal Records:
100 Breast SCY/LCM – 54.95/1:03.96
200 Breast SCY/LCM – 2:01.21/2:24.33
100 Fly SCY/LCM – 48.86/57.56
200 Fly SCY – 1:52.03
200 IM SCY – 1:53.33
Eric Strickland – Norcross, Ga.
High School (Coach): Norcross (Emily Mercier)
Club Team (Coach): Fowler Family YMCA (Mark Schremmer)
Notes: 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier … Georgia 6A Male Swimmer of the Year as a senior … Two-time All-America in 50 freestyle … Also garnered All-America status in 100 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay his final year … State champion in 50 and 100 freestyle as a senior … First team all-state in his final season … Took second in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle at 2016 Speedo Champions Series ESSZ
Why he chose Duke: “I originally planned on attending Duke solely because of its academic standards and was accepted to Pratt Engineering Early Decision in December of 2015 without any affiliation with swimming. Duke is a school that my father attended and my brother currently attends and I have been raised to bleed Duke Blue. After being accepted in December, I entered the home stretch of my high school swim season with incredible improvement from last year and even qualified for Olympic Trials. After my finishes at state and leading into the U.S. sectionals, I started thinking more seriously about continuing to swim after high school. My coaches, especially my club coach, Mark Schremmer, had consistently told me that my times would continue to drop and I had untapped potential since I had never swum year round in a program. When I qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 50m free, I decided that I needed to see how far I could go in a full college program. Since I already was accepted to my dream school, I contacted Coach Colella and I asked him if he thought he could use me as a walk-on to the Duke program and he welcomed me with open arms. I’m looking forward to seeing how far I can go at Duke.”
Colella on Strickland: “Eric has really only in the last year, year and half, made the commitment to swim year round. The kind of drops he has made over the last few years have been remarkable. He has turned in some very solid times, times that are still very exciting when you look at the amount of training he has done and his background. Just recently, Eric was the state champion in the 50 and the 100 free, posting times that are going to be really competitive within the ACC. I think with additional strength training, his sprints are only going to continue to get better. He is raw, but he has a lot of talent and we are excited to have him join the sprint core here at Duke University.”
Strickland Personal Records:
50 Free SCY/LCM – 20.36/23.28
100 Free SCY/LCM – 44.76/51.87
Miles Williams – Hong Kong
High School: West Island School
Club Team (Coach): Harry Wright International (Michael Fasching)
Notes: FINA World Cup finalist in 2014 and 2015 … Hong Kong high school record holder in the 50, 100 and 200-meter freestyle … Hong Kong age group record holder in the 400 and 1,500-meter and yard freestyle as well as the 800-meter freestyle … Recipient of Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association High Point Age Group Award
Why he chose Duke: “Choosing a U.S. university from Hong Kong wasn’t easy, but Duke’s combination of great academics and athletics immediately stood out. The easy communication with the coaches made me confident that my choice was right. It will be a great opportunity for me to receive a world-class education as well as train with a quality program. I look forward to being a part of a talented team and hope to contribute to Duke’s success.”
Colella on Williams: “Miles is very versatile, and he has posted times that are fast, from the 50 to the 1,500. Right now we aren’t 100 percent sure where we are going to go with him. He is somebody that is going to come in and be a big contributor right from the start. Because he is so versatile, he is going to enable us to use him in a variety of different areas. I think that as the year unfolds, it will give us a better idea of exactly where our focus will be. Miles definitely has a lot of ability and we are thrilled that he has made the decision to compete collegiately here at Duke University.”
Williams Personal Records:
50 Free SCM/LCM – 20.40/23.83
100 Free SCM/LCM – 50.55/51.80
200 Free SCM/LCM – 1:51.26/1:55.13
400 Free SCM/LCM – 3:53.49/4:02.60
800 Free SCM/LCM – 8:16.19/8:26.57
1,500 Free SCM/LCM – 15:35.78/16:05.39
400 IM SCM/LCM – 4:27.34/4:37.38
Swimming news courtesy of Duke Swimming & Diving.
Yeah Roger, HERE WE GO BABY!!!