By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam
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USA Swimming Scholastic All-American Elise Gratton, from Lafayette, California, has verbally committed to the admission process* at Yale University for 2026-27.
She told SwimSwam that she chose Yale because of the: “Tremendous opportunity to pursue both my athletic and academic careers at the highest level. When I visited campus on my recruiting trip, I was immediately impressed with the passion and success of everyone, and I knew I wanted to surround myself with these high character teammates during my college experience.”
A rising senior at Campolindo High School in Moraga, she was runner-up in the 100 breast (1:02.57) and placed 11th in prelims of the 100 free (51.71) at CIF-North Coast Section Championships in May. She went on to the California State Meet and came in 13th in the 100 breast (1:03.66) and was 19th in prelims of the 100 free (51.48).
Gratton does her year-round swimming with Orinda Aquatics under coach Ronnie Heidary. She is a Winter Juniors Qualifier and a Canadian Olympic Trials Qualifier.
At Novato Sectionals this summer, she placed 6th in the 100 breast (1:14.08) and 18th in the 200 IM (2:26.75), earning PBs in both events; she was also 29th in prelims of the 200 breast (2:49.81). In short course season, she clocked lifetime bests in the 50 free, 100/200 breast, 100 fly, and 200 IM.
Yale finished 3rd in the standings at the 2025 Ivy League Women’s Championships. It took 1:02.26/2:15.46 in the breaststroke events, 49.99 in the 100 free, and 53.49 in the 100 fly to score in the top 8. Gratton’s best times would have made the ‘B’ final of the 100 breast and the ‘C’ finals of the 100 free and 200 breast.
Best SCY times:
- 100 breast – 1:02.57
- 200 breast – 2:20.14
- 100 free – 51.13
- 100 fly – 56.71
- 50 free – 24.20
- 200 IM – 2:06.99
“I am thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to the admissions process and further my academic and athletic career at Yale University. Thank you to my family, teammates, and coaches for their support along the way. I am very grateful to the Yale swim coaches for this incredible opportunity! Go Bulldogs! #boolaboola”
*Note: A verbal commitment between an Ivy League coach and a prospective student-athlete is not an offer of admission, as only the Admission Office has that authority. The coach can only commit his or her support in the admission process. Ivy League Admission Offices do not issue “Likely Letters” before October 1 of the prospective student-athlete’s senior year of high school. The Likely Letter, while issued after an initial read of the student’s application, is not an offer of admission to the university.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.
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Read the full story on SwimSwam: Winter Juniors Qualifier Elise Gratton Verbally Commits to Yale for 2026-27
