Upcoming Event: Swimming & Diving versus Boston College on September 26, 2025 at 4 p.m. Diving / 5 p.m. Swimming
/
4 p.m. Diving / 5 p.m. Swimming
Swimming & Diving
vs Boston College
2022-23 Swimming & Diving Roster
Purnell, Catherine
Catherine Purnell
- Position:
- IM/Fly/Free
- Height:
- 5-7
- Class:
- Junior
- High School:
- Stonewall Jackson
- Hometown:
- Manassas, Va.
Bio
Personal Bests and Event Progression
Academic Accolades
2023-24 (Senior)
2022-23 (Junior)
2021-22 (Sophomore)
2020-21 (Freshman)
Prior to Duke: Three-time All-America selection …Won the 500 freestyle and placed second in the 200 individual medley at the 6A Virginia State meets as a senior … Runner up in the 500 freestyle and 200 individual medley as a junior … Placed third in the 500 freestyle as a sophomore … Three-time Scholastic All-American … US Open finalist in the 400 individual medley, 400 freestyle and 200 butterfly … NCSA Jr. Nationals finalist in two events as a junior … Vice president of the Stonewall Jackson High School National Honor Society her senior year … Member of the Science National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society her junior and senior years.
Academic Accolades
- All-ACC Academic Team (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23)
- ACC Academic Honor Roll (2020-21, 2021-22)
- CSCAA Scholar All-American (2020-21, 2023-24)
2023-24 (Senior)
- Clocked a season-best time in the 500 freestyle at ACC Championships, touching with a time of 4:47.31
- Earned a NCAA B-Cut in the 200 butterfly at the Cavalier Invitational (2/9-11), clocking a time of 1:56.68
- Tallied a third-place finish in the 200 butterfly, clocking in with a time of 2:00.72, and touching in second in the 200 IM (2:02.59) against Texas (1/27)
- Posted a fifth-place finish in the 500 freestyle, touching with a time of 5:02.10 against South Carolina (1/20)
2022-23 (Junior)
- Began her junior campaign with a second-place finish in the 500 Freestyle (4:58.51) against Virginia Tech
- Tallied a second-place finish in the 200 Butterfly with a time of 1:59.36 against UNCW
- Collected two person bests in the 500 Freestyle (4:45.65) and the 400 IM (4:13.65) at the NC State GAC Invitational
- Against North Carolina, placed second in the 200 Freestyle with a personal best of 1:47.66 and a second place
- Finished first at the ACC Championships in the 200 Butterfly Timed Trials while posting a personal best in the 400 IM, clocking a time of 4:12.08
2021-22 (Sophomore)
- Represented Duke at the NCAA Championship, competing in the 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley
- Scored in two events at the ACC Championship
- Placed 11th in the 500 freestyle and 13th in the 400 individual medley
- Also a member of the fifth-place 800 freestyle relay team that swam a school record 7:05.32
- Recorded a career-best 1:55.61 in the 200 butterfly, the second-fastest time in program history, at the 2022 Tar Heel Last Chance Meet
- Placed second in the 1,000 freestyle against North Carolina (1/28) with the ninth-fastest time in program history (10:02.79)
- Collected a pair of second-place finishes in the 200 butterfly and 1,000 freestyle against Queens and Tennessee (1/8)
- Reached three finals at the NC State GAC Invitational in November, placing fifth in the 200 butterfly, sixth in the 400 individual medley and 11th in the 500 freestyle
- Recorded a career-best 4:46.55 in the 500 freestyle to place seventh all-time at Duke
- Won the 200 butterfly and finished second in the 500 freestyle versus Georgia Tech (11/6)
2020-21 (Freshman)
- Concluded her first season in Durham at the 2021 NCAA Championship, competing in two events
- Placed 26th in the 400 individual medley with a career-best time of 4:13.00 to rank fourth in program history
- Her time ranked 10th in the ACC in the 2020-21 season
- Also finished 30th in the 200 butterfly
- Reached three finals at the 2021 ACC Championships, including an 'A' Finals appearance in the 400 individual medley (eighth place)
- Touched 15th in the 200 butterfly and 24th in the 500 freestyle at the conference meet
- Recorded a personal-best time of 1:56.75 (third all-time at Duke) in the 200 freestyle at the UNC Last Chance Meet (2/28)
- Swam a 10:03.49 in the 1,000 freestyle against North Carolina (1/29), the 10th-fastest time in program history
- Placed first in the 200 butterfly against NC State (1/16)
- Finished fourth in both the 200 butterfly and the 400 individual medley at the 2020 Janice Hape Dowd Invitational
- Also placed eighth in the 500 freestyle at the meet
- Earned First Team CSCAA Scholar All-American honors and was named to the All-ACC Academic Team for her efforts in the classroom
Prior to Duke: Three-time All-America selection …Won the 500 freestyle and placed second in the 200 individual medley at the 6A Virginia State meets as a senior … Runner up in the 500 freestyle and 200 individual medley as a junior … Placed third in the 500 freestyle as a sophomore … Three-time Scholastic All-American … US Open finalist in the 400 individual medley, 400 freestyle and 200 butterfly … NCSA Jr. Nationals finalist in two events as a junior … Vice president of the Stonewall Jackson High School National Honor Society her senior year … Member of the Science National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society her junior and senior years.
Duke Athletics: A Tour of Campus
Saturday, October 19
A Century of Blue Devil Brilliance
Saturday, October 19
Senior Social Kick: Kevin Explains Cubed Food Theory
Friday, March 10
Senior Social Kick: Brad Solves a Rubik's Cube
Friday, March 10
