Sprinter Riley Anderson, #14 in Class of 2026, Verbals to Duke

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High school junior Riley Anderson from Colchester, Connecticut, has made a verbal commitment to Duke University for the 2026-27 school year.

“I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic career at Duke University! I want to thank my family, my coaches Rob, Matt, and Kelly, and my friends for all of their support! I especially want to thank Coach Brian and the Duke coaching staff for giving me this amazing opportunity! Go Blue Devils!!😈”

Anderson attends Bacon Academy, which does not have a pool, so she does her high school swimming with the Manchester High School co-op, as her father did some 30 years ago. Riley is a 3rd-generation high-level swimmer, following in the footsteps of her grandfather (Ron Anderson) and her father (Sean Anderson). Ron coached the Manchester recreational swimming team and the Manchester High School boys’ team for over 40 years and was inducted into the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Sean, who still holds the Manchester Co-op High School team’s 50 free record (20.98, set in 1993 when he attended RHAM High School), swam collegiately at Penn State.*

[*Note: as reported by Will Aldam, Staff Writer at CT Insider, on October 3, 2024.  https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/article/riley-anderson-manchester-bacon-swimming-girls-19798047.php]

Riley Anderson is the 2-time defending Connecticut high school state champion in the 50 free, having won the State Open and Class S titles in 2022 and the State Open and Class LL titles in 2023. As a sophomore, in 2023, she also won the 100 free and, with a fully-integrated Bacon Academy in the co-op, Manchester finished 4th at the Connecticut State Open behind Greenwich, Ridgefield, and Cheshire.

Anderson does her club swimming with the West Hartford Aquatic Team. She broke 23 seconds in the 50 free as a high school freshman and has continued to improve since then. At the 2024 Speedo Sectionals in Providence last March, she won the 50 free and was runner-up in the 100 free, and she lowered her PBs in the 50 free (22.49), 100 free (49.12), 50 back (26.07), 100 back (55.18), and 100 fly (54.68). She is now 5th in the class in the 50 free and 3rd in the 100 free, and we ranked her 14th on our Way Too Early List of top recruits from the high school class of 2026.

She had a strong long course season, as well, putting up lifetime bests in the LCM 50 free (26.19), 100 free (57.00), 200 free (2:09.48), 50 back (31.53), 50 fly (27.68), and 100 fly (1:01.28) at the ISCA Summer Senior Blast in July.

Anderson is the first top 20-ranked recruit for the Blue Devils in 4 years. Duke placed 5th at the 2024 ACC Women’s Championships, scoring 779.5 points (the most in program history), only 7 points behind North Carolina.

Best SCY times:

• 50 free – 22.49
• 100 free – 49.12
• 100 fly – 54.68
• 100 back – 55.18

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