Nikki Kett recently finished her second season as assistant coach of both the men's and women's swimming programs.
Kett oversaw record-setting seasons on both the men's and women's
sides in the 2016-17 campaign. The men's team captured its best
all-time finish since 1971 at the Ivy League Championships in February,
placing second overall with a team total of 1,335 points - the
fourth-straight season the program has eclipsed the 1,000 point mark.
Andrew's
record-setting year did not stop there, however, as the sophomore
qualified for the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis in the 400 IM for
the second-straight season. Andrew went on to break his own all-time
program record, and the Ivy League all-time record, in the preliminaries
of the NCAA's, ultimately finishing 15th overall and becoming Penn swimming's fifth
All-American in the last six years.
On
the women's side, Kett helped lead the Quakers to their third consecutive
fourth-place finish at the Ivy Championships, while totaling the
second-most points in program history in the last nine seasons (962).
Virginia Burns led the way during the Ivies, becoming the fifth-ever,
three-time champion with her third win in as many years in the 500
freestyle. Burns picked up her second win of the championships the very
next night in the 200 freestyle, while also setting the poo record at
Brown's Katharine Moran Aquatics Center. The Quakers were also led by
senior Ellie Grimes, who broke three program records at the Ivy
Championships. Burns earned first-team All-Ivy, as freshman Grace Ferry
was awarded second-team honors. It was a banner debut year for Kett in 2015-16, as both programs continued their rise to the upper echelon of the Ivy League. On the women's side, the Quakers broke seven school records at the Ivy League Championships on the way to a fourth-place finish. Additionally, Virginia Burnswon her second-straight conference title in the 500 free and Head Coach Mike Schnur was named the Ivy League Women's Coach of the Year. It was more of the same on the men's side, as the Quakers tallied the most points (1213.5) in school history at the Ivy Championships. In addition, Chris Swanson was named both the Phil Moriarty High Point Swimmer of the Meet (96 points), as well as the Harold Ulen Career High Point Swimmer (371 points). The senior swept the distance events for the second-straight season, finishing his career with nine conference titles. Swanson didn't stop there, however. Just one month later, he became Penn swimming's first-ever NCAA National Champion (1,650). In one of the tightest NCAA finishes ever, Swanson closed his final 50 yards in just 24.38 to defeat South Carolina’s Akaram Mahmoud by .12 of a second. He became the Ivy League's first NCAA Champion since 1990. Previously to working at Penn, Kett spent three years at Johns Hopkins University in the same role. She helped the Blue Jays to a combined six top-eight NCAA Championship finishes, including a program-best third-place showing by the women in 2014. Johns Hopkins swept all five relay events and won a total of seven national championships that year. In all, 59 Blue Jays student-athletes achieved All-America status during Kett’s tenure, and two broke NCAA records. In addition to the team success, Kett was honored with the Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year award by College Swimming and Diving in 2013. Kett also enjoyed great success as an undergraduate swimmer at Kenyon College. A 2012 graduate, the Connecticut native was an 11-time All-America in her four seasons and served as team captain during her senior year. Over her distinguished career, Kett achieved All-America status in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 breast and the 200 breast. She helped lead the Lords to their 23rd NCAA championship as a freshman. Kett graduated from Kenyon in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. She also earned a Master of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise & Sports Psychology from A.T. Still University of Health Sciences in May of 2015. | 