Pac-12 point-scorer and former Texas high school standout Destiny Nelson will be transferring from the University of Southern California to Yale and the Ivy League after her freshman season.
Nelson told SwimSwam about the move this week:
“I absolutely loved USC and had an amazing year, both in the classroom and the pool, but after experiencing a year of college classes, I wanted to see if I could push myself in the classroom a little bit more,” she said.
“I’m very sad to leave all of my teammates and coaches at SC, but I am very appreciative to be accepted into Yale as a transfer and am thrilled to see what is to come in the next few years.”
Nelson also expressed her excitement to join Yale’s swimming program, which had a breakthrough year in 2016. The Yale women topped Ivy League rivals Princeton and Harvard at the annual HYP (Harvard-Yale-Princeton) triangular for the first time in 19 years.
“I am also very excited to have the chance to work with Head Coach Jim Henry these next three years and to join my new teammates on the east coast,” Nelson said. “He has done an amazing job with this team these past few years and I am hoping to add on to what he has already built while at the same time gaining a world-class education.
The versatile Nelson is a huge get for Yale, coming into the program as a sophomore after scoring in 3 different B finals at the Pac-12 Championships for USC. She placed as high as 11th in the 400 IM and hit new lifetime-bests in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 fly and 1000 free.
Nelson’s Top Times:
- 200 IM: 1:59.41
- 400 IM: 4:13.79
- 100 back: 54.13
- 200 back: 1:56.91
- 200 breast: 2:13.81
All of those times would have put Nelson in the A final at the 2016 Ivy League Championships, where Yale finished 2nd, 78 points behind Harvard.