The Ivy Influence: Dawn (Chuck) Kane

Photo courtesy of Duke Sports Information

DID YOU KNOW? Dawn (Chuck) Kane was a member of Jamaica’s National Swimming Squad for eight years and competed in two Olympic Games, in 2000 (Sydney) and 2004 (Athens).

A competitive swimmer in Jamaica since the age of six, Kane was attending a stroke clinic given by a visiting American coach, arranged by her longtime coach, Jacqueline Walter.

The American coach mentioned he could pass Kane’s name on to college coaches, and soon Brown coach Matt Kredich invited her on a recruiting trip. She decided on Brown, turning aside offers from Villanova University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

She and Brown both made fine selections. Kane won outright or shared in four Ivy League swimming championships during her time at Brown. She captained her team during her senior campaign, was the Ivy League Champion in the 200m free in 2001 and the 100m free in 2002 and participated in the 2002 NCAA Championships. In two events -- the 400 and 800m freestyle medley -- her 2001 teams set Ivy records that still stand.

Kane is a two-time Olympian, swimming for Jamaica in the 2000 and 2004 Games. She also earned medals in the Carifta Games, Caribbean Island Swimming Championships, Centro Americano y del Caribe Nataciones and Caribbean and Central American Games. Kane represented Jamaica at the Pan American Games in 1999 (Winnipeg) and 2003 (Santo Domingo), as well as the Commonwealth Games in 2002 (Manchester) and added even more international experience to her resume when she coached the Jamaican National team at the 2007 World Championship meet in Melbourne, Australia.

After graduating with a bachelor of science degree in psychology in 2002, Kane headed to the University of Florida, where she worked as a swim instructor for Swim America of Gainesville and the Gator Swim Club while earning a Master's degree in sports psychology in 2005. She then became an assistant swim coach at Duke University, a position she still holds.

In 2006, Kane was named one of five recipients of the Smith Trophy, which recognizes contributions to the aquatics program at Brown.

At Duke, Kane has been instrumental in pushing the Blue Devils’ swimming program to new heights. During the 2010-11 season, the team set 39 new records, totaled five ACC champions and had two swimmers and three divers qualify for the NCAA Championships. Both the men's and women's quads placed in the top 20 at the NCAA Championships, with the men breaking into the top five in the ACC.

Kane and her husband, Lee, reside in Durham, N.C.