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Barnes Announces 2025-26 Captains
8/19/2025 5:00:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke swimming and diving head coach Brian Barnes has announced the four Blue Devils who will serve as captains for the 2025-26 season.Â
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The women's captains are Audrey Portello and Tatum Wall, while the men's captains are Evan Brown and Austin Simpson.Â
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Portello, a native of Davis, Calif., is heading into her senior year after a breakout junior season. She was a 2024-25 College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Second Team Scholar All-America honoree last year. Throughout the 2024-25 season, Portello claimed five first-place finishes in various events, including the 400 IM and the 1000 Freestyle. Â Her performance at the 2025 ACC Championships landed her in the program's record book, as she sits at fifth in the 400 IM (4:11.06), ninth in the 500 Freestyle (4:48.32), fourth in the 1000 Freestyle (9:55.43) and fourth in the 1650 Freestyle (16:28.02).Â
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A product of Ashburn, Va., Wall is entering her senior campaign after a trip to the NCAA Women's Championship a year ago. Throughout her junior season, Wall clinched 10 first-place finishes, competing in the 50 and 100 Freestyles. In Duke's record book, Wall is the holder of the 100 Freestyle, logging a time of 47.65 against Georgia Tech, and she also sits at second place in the 50 Freestyle, swimming a time of 21.79 at the Wolfpack Elite Invitational. Wall was also tabbed a 2024-25 CSCAA Scholar All-America.Â
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Brown, a second-team 2024-25 CSCAA Scholar All-America selection, is coming off a successful junior campaign. A product of Arlington, Va., Brown made an appearance at the NCAA Zone B Championships, where he posted a score of 253.15 in the 1-meter dive and a score of 264.90 in the 3-meter dive. He recorded his best meet of the season against South Carolina, scoring a season-best of 327.45 in the 3-meter for a third-place finish and clinching a season-high fifth-place finish in the 1-meter dive with a 267.60 score.
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Simpson, a native of New York City, N.Y., wrapped up the 2024-25 season with eight top-five finishes. In the Blue Devils' program records, he sits at seventh in the 1000 Freestyle with a time of 9:23.90 and ninth in the 500 Freestyle with a time of 4:25.84. He opened last season with a first-place finish in the 500 Freestyle, swimming a time of 4:45.64, and a second-place finish in the 1000 Freestyle, touching a time of 9:53.61 against Marymount.Â
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The Blue Devils will kick off their season by hosting Marymount, East Carolina and Boston College September 26, inside the Taishoff Aquatic Center, with diving slotted to start at 4 p.m., and swimming to follow at 5 p.m.Â
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For more information on Duke swimming and diving, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeSwimDive".
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#GoDuke
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The women's captains are Audrey Portello and Tatum Wall, while the men's captains are Evan Brown and Austin Simpson.Â
Â
Portello, a native of Davis, Calif., is heading into her senior year after a breakout junior season. She was a 2024-25 College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Second Team Scholar All-America honoree last year. Throughout the 2024-25 season, Portello claimed five first-place finishes in various events, including the 400 IM and the 1000 Freestyle. Â Her performance at the 2025 ACC Championships landed her in the program's record book, as she sits at fifth in the 400 IM (4:11.06), ninth in the 500 Freestyle (4:48.32), fourth in the 1000 Freestyle (9:55.43) and fourth in the 1650 Freestyle (16:28.02).Â
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A product of Ashburn, Va., Wall is entering her senior campaign after a trip to the NCAA Women's Championship a year ago. Throughout her junior season, Wall clinched 10 first-place finishes, competing in the 50 and 100 Freestyles. In Duke's record book, Wall is the holder of the 100 Freestyle, logging a time of 47.65 against Georgia Tech, and she also sits at second place in the 50 Freestyle, swimming a time of 21.79 at the Wolfpack Elite Invitational. Wall was also tabbed a 2024-25 CSCAA Scholar All-America.Â
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Brown, a second-team 2024-25 CSCAA Scholar All-America selection, is coming off a successful junior campaign. A product of Arlington, Va., Brown made an appearance at the NCAA Zone B Championships, where he posted a score of 253.15 in the 1-meter dive and a score of 264.90 in the 3-meter dive. He recorded his best meet of the season against South Carolina, scoring a season-best of 327.45 in the 3-meter for a third-place finish and clinching a season-high fifth-place finish in the 1-meter dive with a 267.60 score.
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Simpson, a native of New York City, N.Y., wrapped up the 2024-25 season with eight top-five finishes. In the Blue Devils' program records, he sits at seventh in the 1000 Freestyle with a time of 9:23.90 and ninth in the 500 Freestyle with a time of 4:25.84. He opened last season with a first-place finish in the 500 Freestyle, swimming a time of 4:45.64, and a second-place finish in the 1000 Freestyle, touching a time of 9:53.61 against Marymount.Â
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The Blue Devils will kick off their season by hosting Marymount, East Carolina and Boston College September 26, inside the Taishoff Aquatic Center, with diving slotted to start at 4 p.m., and swimming to follow at 5 p.m.Â
Â
For more information on Duke swimming and diving, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "DukeSwimDive".
Â
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
Diving
/ Swimming & Diving
IM/Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Mid-Free
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IM/Free
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