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Kaitlyn Kolessar will trade Aston, Pennsylvania for the Palmetto State after committing to South Carolina’s class of 2030. She made the announcement on Instagram, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academics at the University of South Carolina! I want to say a huge thank you to my friends, family, coaches and God for supporting me through this process. I would also like to thank the coaching staff at South Carolina for giving me this amazing opportunity! GO COCKS!
Kolessar is currently a senior at Notre Dame Academy, where she has competed on the varsity swimming and diving team since her freshman year. She also trains year-round with Suburban Seahawks Club and specializes primarily in middle-distance freestyle, IM, and the 200 butterfly.
She currently holds best times of 1:51.76/4:56.08 in the freestyles, 2:02.89/4:19.46 in the IMs, and 1:59.90 in the 200 fly. She has improved each season of her high school career, dropping nearly 3.5 seconds in the 200 free and about a second and a half in both the 200 fly and 400 IM over the past year alone. Her 200 IM best dates back to February 2024, while her 500 free personal best was set in December 2024.
At the high school level, Kolessar has competed at the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championship each year of her career. The meet serves as a premier championship for prep schools across the Eastern US, drawing top talent from multiple states rather than serving as a single-state championship.
As a freshman, she touched third in the 200 IM and fifth in the 500 free. She repeated as the bronze medalist and upgraded to fourth in the 500 as a sophomore, and last February fell to fourth and sixth in the same events. She has helped her Notre Dame team secure a top-10 team finish each of the past four seasons.
Kolessar has qualified for the Winter Junior Championships each of the last three seasons, but only competed in 2023, when she finished 42nd in the 200 fly, 51st in the 400 IM, 54th in the 500 free, and 110th in the 200 IM.
She has, however, competed at the National Club Swimming Association (NCSA) Spring Championships annually since 2023. She set her personal bests in the 200 fly and 400 IM at last March’s edition, making her first-ever championship final with a seventh-place finish in the 200 fly. She also touched 17th in the 400 IM, 20th in the 500 free, and 64th in the 200 IM prelims. Her best placement prior to 2025 was 13th in the 200 fly.
Top SCY Times:
- 200 Freestyle: 1:51.76
- 500 Freestyle: 4:56.08
- 200 IM: 2:02.89
- 400 IM: 4:19.46
- 200 Butterfly: 1:59.90
South Carolina, guided by head coach Jeff Poppell, delivered a strong showing at the 2025 SEC Championships, finishing fifth in a competitive 13-team field. The Gamecocks carried that momentum into the NCAA Championships, where they placed 24th overall with 28 team points.
At the 2025 SEC Championships, where the top 24 finishers across the ‘A,’ ‘B,’ and ‘C’ finals score points, the times required for a second swim were 1:46.68/4:44.88 in middle-distance free, 1:59.04/4:14.85 in IM, and 1:57.21 in the 200 fly. Her progression suggests that she is capable of reaching scoring range, especially in the 200 fly and 400 IM.
On the team’s 2024–25 depth chart, Kolessar would have ranked fourth in the 200 fly, sixth in the 400 IM, ninth in the 200 free, and 14th in the 200 and 500 free. As she develops and the roster evolves through graduation, she is well-positioned to become one of the team’s most versatile swimmers.
Kolessar joins Farrah Klein (Dix Hills, N.Y.), Agatha Amaral (Kissimmee, Fla.), Sophie Fox (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.), and Jessica Robie (Osprey, Fla.) in committing to South Carolina’s class of 2030, who should all make for strong training partners over their four years together.
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