2024-25 / AS A GRADUATE STUDENT
• Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship Recipient
• CSCAA Scholar All-America (Second Team)
• Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Competed primarily in the individual medley events and 200 backstroke
• At the Purdue Invitational in November, posted a time of 4:10.61 in the 400 IM to eclipse the Purdue record that had stood since the 2016 Big Ten Championships
• Also moved into fourth place in team history in the 200 IM (1:59.44) and 12th place in the 200 back (1:58.21)
• Scored in the B final of the 400 IM at the Big Ten Championships, surpassing 200 career team points at the meet during her time at Michigan and Purdue; was also the Boilermakers’ top finisher in the 200 IM at Big Tens
• Accounted for 49 team points to help the Boilermakers win the Purdue Invite, finishing top five in all three of her individual events
• Swept the 200 and 400 IM at the Big Ten Triple Duals hosted by Minnesota, posting her season best in the 200
• Victorious in the 400 IM at the Purdue Invite and the dual meet at Rutgers
• Won the 200 IM in the Boilermakers’ dual meet victory at Missouri
• Also helped the Boilermakers win the 800 free relay at the Purdue Invite
• Season best in the 200 back was also at Big Ten Triple Duals
• Contributed to Purdue’s victorious 200 free relay team at the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate
BEFORE PURDUE
• Four-year letterwinner at the University of Michigan
• Four-year NCAA Championships qualifier in the 400 IM
• Helped the Wolverines with 800 freestyle relay medals in 2021 (gold) and 2022 (bronze)
• All-American and championship finalist in the 400 IM as a freshman, finishing seventh at NCAAs
• Four-year scorer at Big Tens scored in all three of her individual events every year
• Four career fourth places finishes in A finals at Big Tens -- three in the 400 IM and one in the 500 free
• Accounted for 191.5 team points in her career at Big Tens
• Three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree earned her degree in biomedical engineering
HIGH SCHOOL
• Lettered for coach Doug Thorne at Grand Haven High School along the Lake Michigan shore
• Also swam for Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics
• Five-time MHSAA D-I state champion
• Set an MHSAA D-I record in the 200-yard IM
• 12-time All-State selection
• Three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American
• Named 2020 Michigan Female High School Athlete of the Year by the Detroit Athletic Club
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke and 200m IM
• Chosen to represent the U.S. at the 2019 Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet
PERSONAL
• Major: Biomedical Engineering Master's Program (Device Development)
• Full name is Kathryn Elaine Ackerman
• Born in Grand Haven, Michigan
• Parents are John & Amy Ackerman
• Family also includes sisters Anna & Grace
• Sister Grace also swims at Purdue, both sisters joining the team together in the fall of 2024
• Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship Recipient
• CSCAA Scholar All-America (Second Team)
• Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Competed primarily in the individual medley events and 200 backstroke
• At the Purdue Invitational in November, posted a time of 4:10.61 in the 400 IM to eclipse the Purdue record that had stood since the 2016 Big Ten Championships
• Also moved into fourth place in team history in the 200 IM (1:59.44) and 12th place in the 200 back (1:58.21)
• Scored in the B final of the 400 IM at the Big Ten Championships, surpassing 200 career team points at the meet during her time at Michigan and Purdue; was also the Boilermakers’ top finisher in the 200 IM at Big Tens
• Accounted for 49 team points to help the Boilermakers win the Purdue Invite, finishing top five in all three of her individual events
• Swept the 200 and 400 IM at the Big Ten Triple Duals hosted by Minnesota, posting her season best in the 200
• Victorious in the 400 IM at the Purdue Invite and the dual meet at Rutgers
• Won the 200 IM in the Boilermakers’ dual meet victory at Missouri
• Also helped the Boilermakers win the 800 free relay at the Purdue Invite
• Season best in the 200 back was also at Big Ten Triple Duals
• Contributed to Purdue’s victorious 200 free relay team at the Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiate
BEFORE PURDUE
• Four-year letterwinner at the University of Michigan
• Four-year NCAA Championships qualifier in the 400 IM
• Helped the Wolverines with 800 freestyle relay medals in 2021 (gold) and 2022 (bronze)
• All-American and championship finalist in the 400 IM as a freshman, finishing seventh at NCAAs
• Four-year scorer at Big Tens scored in all three of her individual events every year
• Four career fourth places finishes in A finals at Big Tens -- three in the 400 IM and one in the 500 free
• Accounted for 191.5 team points in her career at Big Tens
• Three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree earned her degree in biomedical engineering
HIGH SCHOOL
• Lettered for coach Doug Thorne at Grand Haven High School along the Lake Michigan shore
• Also swam for Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics
• Five-time MHSAA D-I state champion
• Set an MHSAA D-I record in the 200-yard IM
• 12-time All-State selection
• Three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American
• Named 2020 Michigan Female High School Athlete of the Year by the Detroit Athletic Club
• 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke and 200m IM
• Chosen to represent the U.S. at the 2019 Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet
PERSONAL
• Major: Biomedical Engineering Master's Program (Device Development)
• Full name is Kathryn Elaine Ackerman
• Born in Grand Haven, Michigan
• Parents are John & Amy Ackerman
• Family also includes sisters Anna & Grace
• Sister Grace also swims at Purdue, both sisters joining the team together in the fall of 2024