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Valentino Montegrande of Henderson, Nevada, has announced his commitment to further his education and swimming career at Rollins College. Montegrande is a recent graduate of Bishop Gorman High School, and will arrive in Winter Park this upcoming fall for the 2024-2025 season.
“I am incredibly grateful to announce my commitment to pursue my athletic and academic future at Rollins College! This opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of my parents and Prada and Chanel. I also would like to thank Coach Michael and Coach Bob for always pushing me past my limits. As well as, Coach Walker for making all of this a reality. Above all, I thank God for blessing me with talent, perseverance, and opportunities that have led me to this chapter in my life! Go Tars!!”
Montegrande, a butterfly specialist, trains and competes year-round with the Sandpipers of Nevada under coach Michael Kinross. He’s a Futures qualifier in both the 100 and 200 fly, and currently owns best times of 50.20 and 1:51.40 which he set at Speedo Sectionals this past December.
Last summer Montegrande capped off his long course season at the Western Zone Senior Championships, where he advanced to finals in both fly events. In the 100m, he notched a personal best time of 58.43 en route to a 20th place finish, while in the 200m he stopped the clock at 2:11.87 for 21st overall. He also earned a second swim in the 100m back, where he clocked a personal best of 1:01.98 to take 41st.
More recently, Montegrande represented his high school at the Nevada High School State Championship (5A). He took home the state title in the 100 fly, where he logged a 50.36 to clear the field by nearly two seconds. He was also 4th in the 100 back (52.47) and delivered lead-off splits of 24.17 and 21.92 in the 200 medley & 200 freestyle relays, respectively.
Top SCY Times
- 100 back – 51.92
- 50 free – 21.85
- 100 fly – 50.20
- 200 fly – 1:51.40
Rollins College, currently led by head coach Walker Thaning, is a Division II program in the Sunshine State Conference. Thaning is new to the position, as he recently took over after former head coach Julianne Lehner stepped away mid-season. This season, the men’s team took 4th at the 2024 Sunshine State Conference Championship with a total of 428 points.
Montegrande’s current best time in the 200 fly would have earned him a spot in the B-final at this year’s meet, putting him in position to be an immediate scorer. Rollins’ Luke Dinges took home the title in the 200 fly, as he clocked a 1:44.92 to win the event by over a second.
Montegrande joins Sam Pugh and Corbin Songer in Rollins’ incoming class next fall.
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