Duke Adds Two Swimmers, Two Divers For 2008-09

DURHAM, N.C. - Head coach Dan Colella and diving coach Drew Johansen announced the addition of two swimmers and two divers for the 2008-09 season on Monday, as Stephanie Niessl and Meghan Dwyer will join the Blue Devils in the pool and Abby Johnston and Jessica Lyden will join the ranks of the Blue Devil divers.

Niessl will be added to Duke's sprint freestyle, butterfly and backstroke ranks, as she holds personal bests of 23.83 (50 free), 55.87 (100 fly), 57.41 (100 back) and 2:03.23 (200 back). A native of Brewster, N.Y., Niessl swam at Brewster High School as well as for the BGNW Marlins club team for coach Dave Ellinghaus.

Dwyer hails from Mission Viejo, Calif., and will look to compete in backstroke and distance freestyle events for the Blue Devils. Under the direction of coach Bill Rose, Dwyer swam for the Mission Viejo Nadadores club team, as well as for Mission Viejo High School, establishing personal bests of 56.00 (100 back), 2:00.83 (200 back) and 4:56.85 (500 free).

“I am thrilled to have Meghan Dwyer and Stephanie Niessl joining the Blue Devils next season,” said Colella. “The addition of these two swimmers will only enhance our ability to climb the ACC ladder as well as help our efforts to contend on the national scene.

“Meghan brings an abundance of national championship experience and will be an immediate impact at both the ACC and NCAA level in the backstroke and mid-distance events.

Stephanie is a versatile swimmer who has tremendous speed and will contribute to our efforts in the freestyle sprints, fly and back. Both of them should be great additions to a number of our relays as well.

It's been a great season thus far and the idea of these swimmers along with the two divers joining us next season is really exciting.”

Johnston, who will graduate from Upper Arlington High School, brings wealth of national experience to the springboards at Duke, as she has been on the U.S. National Team for the past three years. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Johnston was a Junior National Champion and Senior National Champion in 2006 and was a member of the 2006 Junior World Team and the Junior Pan Am Team in 2005 and 2007. Johnston won a bronze and silver medal in the 2005 Pan Am Games and another bronze in 2007.

Lyden has been in the top five in the Junior Nationals since she was 13 years old. The Lexington, Ky., native won the Junior Nationals in 2005 and went on the win the gold in the Junior Pan Am Games on the 1-meter board. Lyden, who will graduate from Lexington Catholic High School, was a finalist in the 2007 Senior National Championships.

“I consider Jessica and Abby the top recruiting class in the country this year,” said Johansen. “Jessica has had a distinguished junior career and has moved onto the senior level in the last two years. She will make an instant impact at ACC's as a triple threat and will be in the hunt for the top spots on all three diving events as a freshman. She will also be challenging for the top spots at NCAA's.

Abby is an established national level diver. She performs the hardest dives being done by any women in the world. Abby has a chance to win any diving meet she enters, and she will be going after the top spots in the ACC's and NCAA's walking in the door.

Together Jessica and Abby will help Duke swimming and diving take the next step in the team standings at ACC's and will give Duke a presence at NCAA's. They will be a force to reckon with at any meet for the next four years.”

Duke returns to the pool for the second half of the 2007-08 campaign on Jan. 12, as the Blue Devils travel to Davidson, N.C., to take on the Wildcats and South Carolina at 1 p.m.

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Duke Adds Two Swimmers, Two Divers For 2008-09

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