Nicole Stafford
Nicole Stafford is a freestyle and butterfly swimmer from Atlanta, Ga. Stafford competed for Dynamo Swim Club in her prep career before attending Stanford University in northern California. She’s currently in her sophomore season, but she’s undeclared on a major. The 5’6″ Stafford is versatile – she is competitive in nearly every freestyle distance and backstroke races in addition to her specialty, sprint butterfly. Stafford was a member of USA Swimming’s National Junior Team, and is a 10-time Georgia A-AAAA state champion. She graduated from The Westminster Schools, where she earned 10 All-America honors and she helped her school to many swimming titles. She also won the 200 freestyle every year as student at Westminster. At her senior showing at the state championships, Stafford was apart of three state record-setting swims and won four gold medals. After the competition Stafford gave her gold medals to four of the Westminster freshman, and asked them to carry on the tradition she had been apart of.
Stanford University
2013-2014
As a freshman Stafford didn’t have much time to adjust before jumping in full throttle as a relay member. She swam on the 200 medley relay and 800 freestyle relay, winning the Pac-12 title in the 200 medley relay.
2014-2015
Stafford swam the first leg of the runner-up 800 freestyle relay at the Pac-12 Championships. She also finished 11th in the 100 butterfly, 15th in the 100 freestyle and 35th in the 50 freestyle. At the NCAA meet Stafford anchored the second-place 800 freestyle relay.
National Competition
Stafford competed at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200m freestyle, 200m backstroke, 100m butterfly, and the 200m butterfly. She was also a member of USA Swimming’s National Junior Team. When Stafford was in the 13-14 age division, she joined her Dynamo team to break the National Age Group record in the 800m freestyle relay. In 2011 she won the national title as a member of the 400 freestyle relay.
