PASA’s Heidi Katter Commits to Swim for Yale

PALO ALTO, California, August 26. PALO Alto Stanford’s Heidi Katter committed to Yale yesterday, much to the pleasure of head coach Jim Henry.

Katter is the 69th-ranked swimmer overall in the Class of 2015 by CollegeSwimming.com, as well as the 13th ranked in the State of California.  If the former Aquajet had remained in Minnesota, she would have been the fourth-ranked swimmer in that state.

Katter has the potential to impact Yale in a variety of ways.  Her top rated career swim is a 53.93 in the 100-yard fly from Far Westerns this past spring, while she also has a 1:02.39 in the 100-yard breaststroke to her credit from sectionals back in February.  Add in some backstroke pedigree from her time with the Aquajets in Minnesota – who have produced backstrokers like Rachel Bootsma – and Katter had a 56.05 in the 100-yard back from her time as an Aquajet in 2012.

When Katter gets the chance to put everything together at Yale, she has the potential to become a threat in the IM, with the ability to fill in whatever holes Yale has with her versatility.

“My communication with coaches Jim Henry and Danielle Korman throughout this past year has greatly influenced my decision to commit to Yale,” Katter told Swimming World. “From the moment I contacted them, we connected not only on a swimming basis, but also on a personal level – they truly cared about me as a person, and they felt open to share much about their lives.”

“When visiting campus, I was able to learn about both Yale’s swim program and other areas of campus I was interested in as well – specifically, academic areas related to Yale’s Council on Archaeological Studies,” Katter continued. “Through correspondence, I learned more about Jim and Dani’s team goals of striving for excellence while, more importantly, having humility along the way. The relationship I formed with the Yale coaches and team, as well as my passion for learning, has led me to believe that Yale is a place where I can fulfill all of my goals – to grow as a swimmer, student, and person.”

Katter has had an interesting prep career, having moved from one amazing club to another after transitioning from Minnesota and Kate Lundsten’s Aquajets to Tony Batis at Palo Alto Stanford.  Both programs have produced Olympians, and Katter is definitely in a good spot to have soaked up knowledge from both locations. During her time with the Aquajets, she had the chance to be part of several national age group records in relays, while she’s already helped PASA to the Junior National Team title this past summer.

“I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to swim for Yale, and I wish to express gratitude to many people who have had a major impact on my life along the way – particularly, my family, friends, teammates, teachers, and former coaches Eva Kremer and Kate Lundsten,” Katter said. “Tony Batis, my current coach, has been an invaluable teacher in helping me realize my swimming goals, as well as helping me grow as a person.”

PASA’s Tony Batis with future Stanford swimmer Curtis Ogren

Photo Courtesy: Kristin Karkoska

Photo Courtesy: Kristin Karkoska

“Heidi came to our program already accomplished from Kate Lundsten’s program in Minnesota (Aquajets),” Batis told Swimming World. “She is a very hard working, bright and conscientious young lady who will be an asset and great teammate for the Yale program.  I wish her nothing but the best for her future.”

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