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Katie Chignell from Raleigh, North Carolina has made a verbal commitment to the University of Richmond class of 2026.
“I am so excited to finally announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Richmond! I’d like to thank my family, friends and coaches for helping me get to this point. Richmond offers the perfect combination of academics and athletics with a great team culture. I look forward to joining such a successful and supportive group in 2022! Go Spiders!!”
Chignell is a junior at Enloe High School. As a sophomore at the 2020 North Carolina High School 4A State Championships, she placed 4th in the 200 free (1:52.22) and 16th in the 200 IM (2:11.55). At the 2021 state meet, she came in 10th in the 200 free (1:53.66).
Chignell has been a member of the TAC Titans since the team was formed in 2012 and she currently swims for head coach Bruce Marchionda. She is a Futures qualifier in the 200 free, 500 free, 100 fly and 200 IM. In the past year, she has updated her lifetime bests in all her top events. At Tar Heel States, hosted by TAC in March, she came in 5th in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly, 6th in the 200 IM, and 9th in the 100 back and 100 breast. Her times in the 100 back, breast, and fly were all PBs. In January, she added a best time in the 200 back at TAC’s Polar Plunge, and in December, she put up PBs in the 50 and 100 free at TAC’s Blizzard Blitz. Last spring, she had an outstanding showing at Cary Sectionals, updating her PBs in the SCY 200/500/1000 free and 200 IM, and the LCM 100/200/400 free.
Best SCY times:
- 50 free – 24.16
- 100 free – 52.33
- 200 free – 1:50.86
- 500 free – 5:01.39
- 1000 free – 10:38.47
- 100 fly – 56.80
- 200 IM – 2:07.70
- 100 back – 59.40
- 200 back – 2:08.98
Richmond women’s swimming and diving team won the Atlantic-10 Conference Championships for the 16th time this year. Chignell’s best times would have added to the Spiders’ tally with B-final appearances in the 100 free, 200 free, and 100 fly. She would have been just out of the top-16 (the A-10 only scores two finals) in the 200 IM. She will join the Richmond class of 2026 with Caitlyn Hughes and Julia Krichev.
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