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Sacred Heart University has picked up verbal commitments from six women who will join the team in the fall of 2021. The Pioneers have a young team; the 2020-2021 roster features only three seniors out of 35 women.
Distance freestyler Caroline Duhamel is a senior at Marvin Ridge High School and she swims year-round for SwimMAC Carolina.
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Sacred Heart University. Thank you so much to my family, friends and coaches that supported me! Go pioneers!!
Top SCY Times:
- 500 free – 5:07.63
- 1000 free – 10:36.05
- 1650 free – 17:46.22
Devon Corvaia is in her final year at Parkland High School and she swims club at Parkland Swimming Club. When she is not in the pool, she is a swim coach for the 8-12 age group.
“I am super excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Sacred Heart University! I chose this program for the opportunities to study health sciences, the great swimming program, team, and coaches! The second I stepped on campus I knew it was the place for me! I can’t wait to be a pioneer!”
Top SCY Times:
- 100 fly – 59.13
- 200 fly – 2:12.32
- 50 back – 28.77
- 100 back – 1:00.95
- 200 back – 2:11.94
Greater Philadelphia Aquatics Club’s Emma Chambers will also join the Sacred Heart class of 2025. She is a National Honors Society member at Gloucester Catholic High School. She volunteers at the Brandywine Valley SPCA, Tidewater Adaptive Aquatics Club, and at Some Gloucester Catholic News.
“I am blessed to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Sacred Heart University. I would like to thank my family, friends, teammates, and coaches for supporting me every step of the way. Coach John and the team were so welcoming and I felt as if I was already a part of the SHU family. Go Pioneers!”
Top SCY Times:
- 200 IM – 2:08.64
- 400 IM – 4:31.46
- 200 fly – 2:09.01
- 100 back – 59.46
Meghan Hammarlund is a scholar-athlete for the Southington High School Blue Knights, where she is a member of their National Honor Society. She swims club for the Southington Rays.
“I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Sacred Heart University. A huge thank you to my family, friends, teammates, and coaches. Go pioneers!!”
Top SCY Times:
- 100 fly – 58.19
- 50 back – 28.14
- 100 back – 58.90
- 200 back – 2:08.56
Rosemery Nieto is a senior at Bunnell High School in Stratford, CT, where she is a National Honor Society member. She swims club for the Shelton-Monroe Rapids.
“I’m so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Sacred Heart University! Thank you to all those who have pushed me along the way! Go Pios!”
Top SCY Times:
- 50 breast – 32.32
- 100 breast – 1:06:06
- 200 breast – 2:26.30
- 100 IM – 1:05.12
Condors Swim Club’s Melanie Sanchez also sent her verbal commitment to Sacred Heart University. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Varsity Swim Team at Ursuline High School.
“I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Sacred Heart University! Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way! Go Pioneers!!”
Top SCY Times:
- 100 fly – 59.09
- 200 fly – 2:07.01
- 100 IM – 1:07.01
- 400 IM – 4:43.19
Sacred Heart Impact
The six women will be top contributors to Sacred Heart’s swim team. Duhamel, the only distance swimmer in the group, would have been the Pioneers’ top freestyler in the 500, 1000, and 1650 free. Her 500 free would have been the team’s fastest by 8.6 seconds, her 1000 would have been 20.8 seconds faster than the next swimmer, and her 1650 would have made her the fastest by 23.2 seconds last season.
Corvaia and Sanchez both swim a strong 200 butterfly. They would have posted two of Sacred Heart’s top 3 times during the 2019-2020 season and will look to make it back to finals at the Northeast Conference Championships. Sanchez’s best time would have scored in the A final while Corvaia would have scored just behind then-sophomore Nicole Tingley in the B-final.
Nieto is the only breaststroker of the group, bringing in new top times for the Pioneers. Her 100 breast time of 1:06.06 and her 200 breast time of 2:26.30 would have made her the team’s top competitor last season. These times would have landed her in the B-final of each event at the 2020 NEC Championships. Jessica Poole set the 100 breast program record in 2017. Her time of 1:05.97 is only 0.09 seconds faster than Nieto’s best time.
Hammarlund’s 200 back time makes her the team’s second-fastest swimmer behind current sophomore Casey Barrett. Hammarlund’s top time would earn a spot in the B-final at the conference meet. In 2020, Barrett finished 8th as a freshman, scoring 11 points for Sacred Heart.
Finally, Chambers will add depth to the IM group. Her 200 IM would have been the second-fastest on the squad last season behind Tingley, while her 400 IM would have been the fastest. Chambers should earn a spot in both A-finals at the conference meet. Last season, Tingley won the B-final and set school records in both the 200 and 400 IMs. Chambers will come in with the fastest 400 time in school history.
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So excited for this talented group of ladies! Congrats Caroline!!!
Great job, Coach John! And CONGRATS to Rosemery!