Seeing Double: Meyers-Labenz Twins Find Swimming Success at Duke

Seeing Double: Meyers-Labenz Twins Find Swimming Success at Duke

11/14/2025 2:53:00 PM | Swimming & Diving

By: By: Jaclyn Narleski

Kate and Alex Meyers-Labenz are truly two peas in a pod. The sophomore siblings have taken the Duke swimming and diving program by storm, competing in the 2024-25 ACC Championships and earning ACC Academic Honor Roll and All-ACC Academic Team honors during their debut season last year. Yet beyond their individual achievements, what sets the Meyers-Labenz twins apart is their tightly knit brother-sister bond. As teammates, best friends and siblings, the twins have set their sights on elevating their performance in the pool this 2025-26 season and growing their Meyers-Labenz legacy.

The Jacksonville, Florida, natives grew up competing in both soccer and swimming, their close relationship often fostering friendly competition between each other.

“I feel like it was easier for us growing up on the competitive side just because he’s a guy and I’m a girl,” Kate reflected. “I would definitely say we’re pretty competitive with each other — we always have been, and we still are now. But it didn’t cause too much drama, so I thought it was pretty fun and easy growing up doing the same sports.”

By middle school, the Meyers-Labenz twins had committed entirely to swimming, choosing to attend The Bolles School, a private school in Jacksonville well-known for its athletic programs, especially swimming. There, the twins’ dream of competing at the Division I level began to take shape.

“The Bolles School created a culture of very high performance, and almost everyone kind of had the same goal,” Alex said. “When I really started getting good in my sophomore or junior year, I started figuring out, ‘Hey, you know, I could probably do this at the next level.’”

Not only did the siblings have high expectations for their athletic careers, but they also shared strong academic ambitions. Academic values played a key role in shaping the twins’ decision about where they could see themselves spending their collegiate years.

“Our family really values education, so they really wanted us to go to a good academic school,” said Kate. “I could have gone to faster schools, but I really value the education aspect of it.”

Kate focused her recruiting process on Ivy League schools, leading to her verbal commitment to Brown University during her junior year. Her brother, meanwhile, found himself on a different path.

“We’ve been together all our lives and so going into college, I was a little sad that I was going to be going somewhere different,” Alex explained.

“We kind of had it in our minds that we weren’t going to go to the same school,” added Kate.

While Alex had focused his search on Division III schools with strong academic and athletic programs – like Johns Hopkins or Emory University – he still felt passionate about competing at the Division I level.

“I wanted to see if I could push my swimming a little more and get that Division I experience where it’s a major part of your life,” Alex said.

Alex’s athletic breakthrough came early in his senior year, opening the door for a connection with the Duke swimming and diving program. Just a week later, he was on campus for an official visit, and soon after, he gave his verbal commitment.

“It was kind of a shotgun marriage for me,” joked Alex. “But when I came here, I loved the school, I loved the team and I thought it would be a great fit for me.”

When Duke reached out to Alex, it sparked the possibility of Kate joining him and continuing their journey together. Duke checked every box – athletically, academically and personally – and with the chance to share the collegiate experience with her twin, Kate began to rethink her path and felt an undeniable pull toward becoming a Blue Devil.

Following her instincts, Kate chose to withdraw her early decision application to Brown and submit one to Duke that fall of her senior year. And with that, the Meyers-Labenz twins were granted another four years of doing what they do best – competing together.

“Until about three weeks before the early decision deadline, we had fully booked that they would be going to different schools,” said Michael Meyers, one of the twins’ dads. “When it came together at the last minute for them to both swim at Duke, we were beyond happy! Getting to swim at a strong Division I program and attend a great university together – what more could a parent wish for?”

Now at Duke, the Meyers-Labenz twins have found opportunities to thrive both together and apart.

“I think at Duke, we’ve been branching out a little bit more and finding different friends and different people,” said Alex.

With an interest in engineering, Alex has enjoyed the hands-on projects he gets to work on at the Pratt School of Engineering. Kate has loved the Blue Devil school spirit, especially around Duke basketball.

“I think Duke has everything,” said Kate. “It has the athletics, the academics, and the social aspect of it. You can’t go wrong.”

The Blue Devil siblings are excited to see how far their team can go this season, building off last year’s success. So far, the men’s team has defeated four of the six teams it has faced, while the women’s team has notched five victories out of six meets. A highlight for Duke swimming and diving this season was the women’s team’s win over No. 14 North Carolina, 158-142.

Kate hopes to help her team place high at the ACC Championships by clinching as many points as she can for her events. She believes the upperclassmen leadership on the women’s team will be instrumental in their performance this season.

“We have our team captains, but I feel like every senior is kind of like a captain in a way because they each have something different to give to the team,” said Kate. “I think that’s super cool.”

On the men’s side, Alex has enjoyed the new energy the freshman class has brought to the team. He’s eager to help his team break program records in the relays this season.

“I think we have a culture of uplifting each other and really trying to achieve more than we think we’re capable of,” Alex said.

The Duke swimming and diving coaching staff has also been a key part of the twins’ support system, guiding them as athletes and as people.

“I think the coaches have taught me not to look at a body of work day by day, but as a whole — to try and be a little bit above equilibrium each day,” Alex said.

“I feel like I have a lot of nerves when I compete, but when my team is behind me and I’m doing it for them, it makes it a lot easier to go faster,” Kate added. “That’s probably what I’m learning the most.”

Head coach Brian Barnes said the twins’ impact goes beyond the pool.

“They’re just kind, loving, caring and thoughtful young adults,” Barnes said.

Throughout their Duke experience, the twins have continued to lean on each other’s support – something they’ve done their entire lives.

“I didn’t realize how valuable Kate would be coming to Duke,” Alex said. “For a lot of people, college can be hard — finding friends, fitting in and figuring yourself out. Having her here, someone who understands me completely, has meant everything.”

“We want each other to succeed in every way we can,” Kate said.

The Meyers-Labenz twins have learned how to balance their natural competitiveness with constant encouragement. They ground each other, push each other and remind one another of just how special it is to live out their dream side by side.

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