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Emory DeGuenther of Nova of Virginia Aquatics has verbally committed to join the Duke Blue Devils women’s team as a part of the 2026 recruiting class.
As a junior at the Collegiate School in Richmond, Va., DeGuenther took home a pair of individual titles at the Virginia High School State Championships. She touched in 51.32 in the 100 freestyle and 1:48.28 in the 200 free. The year prior, DeGuenther nabbed her first two individual Virginia High School championship titles in the 200 free (1:49.31) and 500 free (4:56.29).
One of her best performances came at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships – East in December of 2023. There, she set a pair of lifetime bests that still stand today; she touched 1:48.06 in the 200 free and 4:49.01 in the 500 free.
She also rewrote her own personal record book at the NCSA Spring championships each of the past two years. In 2024, she swam 25.41 in the 50 butterfly and 1:59.56 in the 200 backstroke, each marking her fastest performances ever. In 2025, she clocked 50.96 in the 100 free to mark a new personal standard.
In March of 2024, DeGuenther set another three current standing best times at the VSI SC Senior Championships, touching 25.85 in the 50 back, 55.43 in the 100 back, and 55.76 in the 100 fly.
Best Times SCY:
- 100 Free: 50.96
- 200 Free: 1:48.06
- 500 Free: 4:49.01
- 100 Back: 55.43
- 200 Back: 1:59.56
- 100 Fly: 55.76
The Blue Devil women finished 11th out of 15 teams at the 2025 ACC Swimming and Diving Championships. Based on DeGuenther’s best times, she would have finished 36th in the 500 free, 38th in the 200 free, and tied for 71st in the 100 free.
DeGuenther is going to be a very key piece in improving the middle-distance freestyle department for Duke. The Blue Devil women did not score a point in the 500 or 200 free at ACCs last season.
DeGuenther has the potential to develop and fill that void that the Blue Devils need to get into the top ten of the ACC.
DeGuenther joins Addison Bitel, Riley Anderson, Gracyn Kehoe, Quinn White, Lily Doyle, and Alexa Simmons in the Blue Devils’ 2026 recruiting class.
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