Melissa Pish, a 16-year-old junior at Normal Community West High School in Normal, Illinois, has announced her verbal commitment to Duke University for the 2018-19 season. “Overall, Duke felt really comfortable, and a place where I will fit in and excel. The academics are unique, and I like the positive, upbeat atmosphere of the team.”
Pish is a member of Waves Bloomington/Normal Y Swim Team, where she excels in the full range of freestyle events. She competed in the 100, 200, 400, and 800 meter free at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, earning personal bests in the 200 and 400. She represented Team USA in the 200 free at 2015 FINA World Junior Championships in Singapore, finishing 3 spots away from making the final. At 2016 Speedo Summer Juniors this past August, Pish placed fourth in both the 200 and 400 freestyles and seventh in the 100 free, and went a best time in the 50.
Her top times include:
| SCY | LCM | |
| 50 free | 23.80 | 26.48 |
| 100 free | 50.36 | 55.91 |
| 200 free | 1:47.13 | 2:00.58 |
| 500/400 free | 4:45.87 | 4:13.56 |
| 1000/800 free | 9:54.42 | 8:43.22 |
| 1650/1500 free | 16:30.62 | 17:01.62 |
Pish will be a welcome addition to the Blue Devils’ roster when she arrives in 2018. The Duke women have struggled in the bottom half of the ACC, and their main point-winners in the 200-500-1650 free at the 2016 conference meet, Brittany Friese and Verity Abel, and Lexy Aitchison, will either have graduated or, in Aitchison’s case, be a senior. The Blue Devils scored a total of 20 points in those three events with three C finalists and one B finalist last February.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected]
Some swimmers know very early where they want to go. I think it’s great.
Florida had an early commit from Miguel Cancel according to FloridaSwimNetwork.