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The Duke men have locked in a pair of key additions for next season, with Milo Shue and Jacob Hills committing to join the Blue Devils for the 2023-24 campaign.
Shue is a native of Idaho, while Hills hails from South Carolina.
MILO SHUE
Shue is a senior at Boise High School in Idaho and competes for Boise YMCA in club swimming. He told SwimSwam:
“I am honored to announce my commitment to swim and study at Duke University. I would like to thank my friends, family, and the coaches at both Boise Y and Duke for helping me fulfill this childhood dream. Looking forward to the next 4. 🔵😈”
At the 2023 YMCA National Short Course Championships in April, he swam the 50, 100, 200 freestyles as well as the 100 fly. His best placing was in the 50, finishing 33rd (21.09). In the long course pool, he has a Summer Juniors Cut in the 50 from the 23.92 he swam last summer.
At the Idaho High School State Activities Association 5A (largest schools) State Championship in November, he won the 50 free (20.96) and the 100 free (46.41). He also swam on all three first-place relays, with teammate Tyler Quarterman, a 2024 Texas commit. The Boise High boys’ team finished in 1st with 375 points.
He set his personal best times in the 50 free and 200 free in January (see below), and in the 100 free, clocked a PB of 45.85 at Winter Juniors – West this past December.
Best SCY Times
- 50 Free – 20.58
- 100 Free – 45.85
- 200 Free – 1:42.53
JACOB HILLS
Hills is a senior at Wando High School in South Carolina and swims year-round for the South Carolina Swim Club.
In speaking about why he committed to Duke, he said, “Everything just felt right, from the team to the campus.”
Primarily a backstroker, Hills also brings in some interesting breaststroke times. He holds 2023 Futures (LCM) in both the breaststroke distances as well as in the 200 IM. He also has Summer Juniors cuts in the 100m back (58.06) and 200-yard back (1:45.88).
Hills showed off this versatility at the 2022 South Carolina High School League 5A (largest schools) Championships, placing third in the 100 back (51.25) and fourth in the 100 breast (59.57). He also swam the breaststroke leg of the winning 200 medley relay, splitting 27.03.
Best SCY Times
- 100 Back – 49.69
- 200 Back – 1:45.88
- 100 Breast – 57.07
- 200 Breast – 2:03.03
- 200 I.M. – 1:52.34
DUKE BLUE DEVILS
At last year’s ACC Championships, the Duke men finished 10th out of 12 teams. Both Shue and Hills’ best events are a little away from making it back for finals. It took a 19.94 to make it back in the 50 free, Shue’s best sitting a little over half a second away at 20.58. Hills would be closest in the 200 back where his best time, 1:45.88 is just off the 1:45.03 it took to make finals.
This will be the first season for new head coach, Brian Barnes. He takes over from Dan Colella, who died this past December.
Shue and Hills join fellow recruits Kalen Anbar, a breaststroker, and Andrew Li, a breaststroke/IMer. While a small class, it is relatively geographically diverse. Li, like Hills, is from the Carolinas but he is staying in-state. Anbar swims for the New Canaan YMCA Caimans in Connecticut, and with Shue from the Pacific Northwest, the class is just missing someone from the Midwest.
With both Anbar and Li’s breaststroke times being faster (55.95/1:57.04 and 55.90/2:00.07 respectively), Hills will more likely swim backstroke, especially with Duke’s best 200 backstroker, Dave Hallaron being listed as a graduate student for the 2023-24 season. Shue also only has one year of overlap with Duke’s best sprinters. Brad Sanford and Coleman Kredich, who finished 21st (19.95) and 22nd (19.96) in the 50 are also both listed as grad students.
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