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Carmel, Indiana’s Anderson Kopp, a senior in high school, has announced his intentions to swim for Duke University a year from now (Fall of 2025).
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This past winter, he was a member of the Carmel Boys 2024 IHSAA winning team. Carmel scored 409 points, more than 200 points clear of second place en route to their 10th straight title. At the meet, Kopp was part of Carmel’s dominant 500 free group, which saw three swimmers within the top four. Kopp swam a personal best in prelims of 4:29.24 but slashed over two seconds off that time to finish 4th in the final in a new PB of 4:26.95. Teammates Gregg Enoch and Lewis Zhang finished 1st and 3rd, respectively, in 4:19.55 and 4:26.79.
Kopp podiumed in his second individual event, the 100 back, where like in the 500, he set a PB in prelims (49.25) and then again swam faster in finals, recording a new best of 49.04. However, his contributions to the team’s success were not limited to individual events, as Kopp led off Carmel’s victorious 200 Medley relay, where he posted a split of 23.20. The quartet of Kopp, Brandon Malicki (24.51), Andrew Shackell (21.65), and Michael Gory (20.03) combined for a time of 1:29.39, over two seconds clear of the field.
This past long course season, Koop continued his short course success and set several new PBs at the Indiana Sectionals meet. He set new bests in the 200 free (1:55.03 prelims), 400 free (4:06.12 prelims), and in the 400 IM (4:36.12). In the backstroke events, he also rewrote his personal record book, recording a time of 58.98, which was good for 20th in the finals of the 100 and he took 6th in the 200 back in 2:05.35.
More recently, at the Huntsville edition of the Futures Championships, Kopp lowered his 100-back time even further, swimming 58.63 in prelims and then shaving another .3 off to finish in 58.30, which was good for 1oth.
Best Yards Times
- 500 Free – 4:26.95
- 1650 Free – 15:37.60
- 100 Back – 49.04
- 200 Back – 1:47.49
Kopp will join his brother Nolan Kopp as Division 1 swimmer, who wrapped up his senior year at Columbia this past spring. Anderson, however, will eschew the Ivy League for an increasingly competitive ACC, which will see the addition of the top ten programs, Cal and Stanford, this season.
Duke, under the tutelage of Brian Barnes, who took over the program just last year after Dan Colella passed away, placed 10th at the 2024 ACC Championships, scoring 287 points.
In the distance events, Duke was represented by then-junior Blake Johnson, who placed 23rd in the 500 finals in a time of 4:25.39, and Austin Simpson, who placed 21st in the 1650 (15:41.08). Simpson, a then-sophomore, also swam the 500, finishing 32nd (4:28.59). In the 100 back, Duke’s highest finisher was then senior David Chang (3oth – 47.93), whereas in the 200, Michael Jiang, a junior, finished 23rd in a time of 1:44.27.
While Kopp still has a year to improve, his times as they currently stand would be in scoring range in multiple events. His personal best in the 500 of 4:26.95 would have been 29th. In the 1650, which only saw 25 entries at the 2024 ACC Championships, Kopp would have placed 20th, ahead of Duke’s top finisher, Simpson. Now a junior, he should be around on campus in Durham when Kopp arrives next fall.
A large group of swimmers have already committed to the Duke for the Fall of 2025. Ryan Griffith, Gus Koh, and Cade Anderson all have a backstroke pedigree, so Kopp may train more with Charlie Kulp, who is a 4:30 500 freestyler. Rounding out the class so far are Owen Waibel, a sprinter, and Raphael Wang, a breaststroke/IMer.
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