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The United States Air Force Academy picked up a commitment from Isabella Denise Gelle for its class of 2025. She graduated from Grosse Pointe South High School in the spring of 2021 and she trained year-round with the Lakers Aquatic Club.
The USAFA has all of the qualities I was looking for and hoping for to continue my studies and swimming. Smaller school with smaller classroom sizes but still offers many engineering degrees and Division 1 Swimming. A very rare mix not found at many institutions in the country. I am specifically interested in their Astronautical Engineering program and plan to work for NASA or Space X after I serve my country and retire from the Air Force. Also, assistant coach Scott Cameron (former head coach of Illinois State) coached as an assistant coach under my Lakers Aquatic Club head coach Kelton Graham while they both coached at Club Wolverine, so I am hoping for some continuity in training at the USAFA. When I visited the campus in February 2020, just before COVID shut everything down and spent the day with the ladies on the swim team and Coach Colleen Murphy, I knew immediately it was the place for me to be.
Gelle competed for Grosse Pointe South High School, the same school that Ali, Jackie, Catie, and Gabby DeLoof attended. Gelle successfully claimed a spot on the record-board with the DeLoof sisters, putting up the school’s fastest time in the 500 free. She set the record at the 2021 Michigan High School Division 2 State Championships. Gelle finished fourth in the 500, going a personal best time of 5:04.29.
Top SCY Times:
- 200 back – 2:07.36
- 400 IM – 4:33.03
- 500 free – 5:04.29
- 1000 free – 10:28.20
- 1650 free – 17:34.54
Gelle has already begun her first season as a Falcon. The team has a dual meet on November 5 against Grand Canyon. She finished 13th in the 100 back, 7th in the 400 IM, and 6th in the 500 free. The Air Force women took home the top 6 spots in the 500 free.
Last season, Gelle’s personal best times would have made her the Falcons’ third-fastest competitor in the 1650 and the 400 IM. She would have been the second-fastest in the 1000 free behind Kendra Joachim during the 2020-2021 season.
The U.S. Air Force Academy had a strong recruiting class of 2025. Gelle joined Abby Turner, Addie Orris, Alex Clark, Anna Scofield, Charlotte Choo, Corbyn Cormack, Darien Tompkins, Ella Gross, Ella Martin, June Phang, Katie Kucik, Lauren Arnold, Lauren Unruh, Maeve Rosko, Margaret Meehan, Michelle Cabonce, Sophie Boulware, and Tynryn Empremsilapa as a freshman on campus this fall.
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