A combined 21 incoming freshmen – 10 men and 11 women – will be added to the MIT men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams this fall, as announced by Mary Frances Wagley ’47 Head Coach Dani Korman.
“I am extremely excited to welcome the Class of 2021 to our swimming and diving family. This class is incredibly talented and I am privileged to have the opportunity to work with them each day and help them grow over the next four years. I cannot wait to see their contributions to the 2017-18 season and beyond. Our entire staff is proud to call them Engineers!”
Both teams capped their respective seasons by winning the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Swimming and Diving Championship, along with finishing in the top-10 at the NCAA Division III Championship. The women registered their best finish in program history at nationals as they took fifth place scoring 165 points, while the men claimed eighth place with 189 points – their ninth straight top-10 finish at nationals.
| Scott Bowman | Pepper Pike, Ohio – University School |
| Top Times: 100-Back – 51.84 100-Fly – 51.59 |
“MIT stuck out to me as a place containing faculty and students with an unparalleled passion for innovative thinking. Not only is it clear to me that every person at MIT has a strong interest in some technical field, but also that they pursue this strong interest without reserve. When I was on campus for both my recruiting trip and CPW, I felt a unique excitement in the possibility of being a part of this incredible MIT community that works as a collective to break down some of the most challenging problems that college students will ever face. As someone who naturally observes the world from a mathematical perspective, I felt completely at home amongst all of this activity and knew that the MIT community would be a perfect fit for me.” |
| Kevin Fang | Austin, Texas – Westlake High School |
| Top Times: 100-Free – 45.73 200-Free – 1:39.58 100-Fly – 49.49 |
“MIT has one of the strongest academic programs in the world and combined with such a competitive and motivated swimming program made me set on applying. Also, because I kind of want to see some snow.” |
| Grant Fuhr | Johnston, Iowa – Johnston High School |
| Top Times: 50-Free – 20.73 100-Free – 45.44 100-Fly – 51.70 |
“When I started looking at colleges, MIT was the closest thing I had to a dream school. After visiting campus I felt like I fit in perfectly with the campus culture, and decided that this was the place.” |
| Maxwell Halkenhauser | Denville, N.J. – Academy for Math, Science and Engineering |
| Top Score: 1-Meter – 206.12 |
“As a child, I heard of MIT designing the most cutting edge technologies. Ever since I have wanted to be a part of those discoveries with others who think the same way.” |
| Henry Hu | Southbury, Conn. – Pomperaug High School |
| Top Times: 100-Back – 51.29 200-Back – 1:54.03 100-Fly – 51.37 |
“I chose MIT because as soon as I visited and met the “natives” I knew it was the best place for me. The school’s architecture, much like its student body, is permeated by innovation and initiative, and a visitor feels it in his bones. Throughout my encounters with MIT students, unlike at most other schools, I discovered persistent optimism, work ethic, and curiosity. MIT has a unique vision—to build a better world—with a most well-articulated strategy—”mind and hand”—and I want to be a part of it.” |
| Christian Hwa | Hong Kong – The Lawrenceville School |
| Top Times: 200-IM – 1:55.50 500-Free – 4:41.28 |
“MIT has a great balance between academics and athletics. It has a great environment that allows me to pursue my interest while having fun doing so.” |
| Justin Liu | Linwood, N.J. – Mainland Regional High School |
| Top Times: 50-Free – 20.65 100-Free – 45.16 200-Free – 1:41.85 |
“MIT was my dream school for a long time. However, I never knew if I would fit in, or be able to get in at all. After my recruiting trip in the Fall of 2016, I fell in love with the school and its atmosphere. I loved the environment in Baker Hall and the comradery the teammates showed to each other, and I knew that with the level of academics available this place would be perfect for me, should I be fortunate enough to be accepted. To my excitement, I was, and I’m so happy to be able to call MIT my home for the next four years” |
| Jacob Phillips | Raleigh, N.C. – Leesville Road High School |
| Top Times: 100-Free – 46.75 200-Free – 1:41.14 500-Free – 4:38.39 |
“MIT is the perfect place for me to balance my love of swimming and competition with my curiosity and interest in several academic fields. MIT is uniquely situated at the top of every field that I’m interested in, ranging from Aerospace to Computer Science, while at the same time fielding a strong swim team where I can grow and compete.” |
| Connor Sweeney | Wilmington, Del. – Charter School of Wilmington |
| Top Times: 100-Fly – 50.27 200-Fly – 1:50.35 100-Back – 51.95 |
“MIT is the best undergraduate school in the world for both economics and engineering, my two majors. Its unrivaled academic opportunities and entrepreneurial spirit, paired with a rising swim program, make MIT the obvious choice for me.” |
| Jason Tang | Potomac, Md. – Landon School |
| Top Times: 200-Free – 1:42.32 500-Free – 4:38.07 1650-Free – 15:50.44 |
“I chose MIT for the best academic/athletic combo I could imagine for myself. I wanted a thriving, tight-knit athletic community where I could continue swimming, a sport I’ve done through childhood, but in addition, I also wanted my athletic commitments to not interfere with a solid education that will lead me into my future life. I think MIT gave me the best possible option I could imagine.” |
| Kailey Allen | Tacoma, Wash. – Stadium High School |
| Top Times: 100-Fly – 57.67 200-Fly – 2:05.57 400-IM – 4:39.03 |
“I was initially interested in MIT because of its world class academic opportunities. However, I decided to attend mainly because of the awesome people I met on my recruiting trip and at CPW. I love how close the team is and how collaboration is strongly emphasized in and out of the pool.” |
| Danielle Fang | Hawthorn Woods, Ill. – Adlai E. Stevenson High School |
| Top Times: 100-Breast – 1:05.75 200-Breast – 2:29.50 200-IM – 2:14.03 |
“I chose to go to MIT because it is one of the best schools in the nation!” |
| Audrey Gaither | Ross, Calif. – Redwood High School |
| Top Times: 100-Fly – 1:01.44 100-Free – 57.12 200-Free – 2:03.56 |
“I chose MIT because I think MIT will challenge me more than any other school. I’m excited to see what I can do.” |
| Caroline Kenton | West Chester, Pa. – Unionville High School |
| Top Times: 100-Back – 59.10 200-Back – 2:04.63 200-Free – 1:56.79 |
“I chose MIT because of the research opportunities and the inviting atmosphere. I can’t wait to be a part of the team, too!” |
| Nina Levine | Bedford, N.H. – Bedford High School |
| Top Times: 100-Fly – 58.36 200-Fly – 2:07.76 400-IM – 4:36.93 |
“I chose MIT because it is a place where I can be both a strong student and athlete on a top competitive DIII swim program. Above all, I want an academic environment that will challenge me in new ways and push me to find my niche–the quality or talent that will distinguish me among a population of the world’s most talented students. At a place where, quite frankly, everyone is smart, I will need to find new ways to stand out as an individual, and I believe this, more than anything, will challenge me to grow as a person.” |
| Hannah Mahaffey | Lawrenceville, Ga. – Archer High School |
| Top Times: 100-Fly – 56.67 200-Fly – 2:04.09 200-Back – 2:04.72 |
“MIT is the top engineering school in the county, plus I fell in love with the school on my recruiting trip and genuinely saw myself fitting in on the swim team.” |
| Bethany Moore | Eden Prairie, Minn. – Eden Prairie High School |
| Top Score: 1-Meter – 306.15 |
“I chose MIT because it has the intensive academics I was looking for, but it also has a really unique culture. Everyone here wants to be innovative and creative, and there are many opportunities for me to pursue my own unique interests. Plus, everyone I have talked to is extraordinarily friendly” |
| Sara Nicholas | Wilmette, Ill. – New Trier |
| Top Times: 50-Free – 25.01 100-Breast – 1:04.17 200-Breast – 2:19.69 |
“I initially began looking at MIT because I am extremely interested in computer science and engineering, and the academic, research, and internship opportunities at MIT in those fields are unparalleled. However, what really made me choose MIT was meeting members of the team as well as current students and discovering how curious, kind, innovative, and passionate the students at MIT are about what they are doing. Being surrounded by such an amazing student body was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.” |
| Ashley Pearson | Stafford, Va. – Mountain View High School |
| Top Times: 100-Back – 57.86 200-Free – 1:53.15 400-IM – 4:31.53 |
“MIT stands as the pinnacle engineering school, but I thought I wouldn’t have a chance to be accepted, so I put it out of my mind for a while. Once I reached out to the swim team, I was excited to learn I would have a chance to swim for the Engineers. As the recruiting process developed, I was happy to find that maybe, my dream of going to MIT could become a reality. I love the UROP program as well as the variety of majors; I am currently looking at biological engineering, which only certain schools have. Overall, I am eager to join the culture of excellence fostered at MIT.” |
| Agnes Villanyi | Framingham, Mass. – Advanced Math and Science Academy |
| Top Times: 200-Back – 2:12.81 100-Free – 55.08 100-Breast – 1:10.58 |
“When I visited MIT during CPW, I felt like I had arrived home. This is partly because a decade of competing and training in the MIT pool has made it a place with sentimental value, but mostly, it is because of the people I met. I was immediately attracted to the inspiring energy of everyone at MIT and their commitment to whatever their interests were, whether in the pool, on the dance floor, at a computer or in the lab (or all of these!). The wonderful people paired with the endless opportunities to learn beyond the classroom through clubs, travel, or research, was what truly sold me. I really feel that I can become my best self at MIT, while having a lot of fun!” |
| Deborah Wen | Honolulu, Hawaii – Punahou High School |
| Top Scores: 1-Meter – 419.15 3-Meter – 400.10 |
“Since childhood, I’ve always wanted to become a doctor, and I also know that I’ve always loved science. I love the ability to ask a question, develop and test an experiment, and ultimately answer the question! I’ll probably study Course 7 and I know MIT has an excellent pre-med track and also because of the GIRs and electives I will be able to explore other interesting parts of science, like computer science, mathematics, chemical engineering, and more.”
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Press Release courtesy of MIT Athletics.
