North Branford High School senior Peyton Joiner recently signed her National Letter of Intent to compete as a diver for the women’s swimming and diving team on a scholarship at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

Joiner, who has an extensive competitive gymnastics background, represented the Thunderbirds as a team-of-one while training with the swim team at Branford throughout her high school career. Although she didn’t begin diving until last August, Joiner qualified for both the Southern Connecticut Conference Diving Championship, as well as the Class S State Diving Championship in senior season last fall, placing 13th and 11th, respectively, at those meets. She was also an Academic All-American.

Joiner will be the first female diver to compete for Duquesne since 2001. She was also one of 35 students among more than 700 applicants who was offered a seat in the accelerated physician assistant program at Duquesne. On top of that, Joiner accepted a seat in the school’s Honors College.

In addition to her diving achievements at North Branford, Joiner also competed in gymnastics for four years and was a captain to go along with her position as a co-captain for the Ultimate Frisbee club. Joiner is also a member of the

National Honor Society, has won the Barnard College Science Book Award, won the National Choir Award and was a regional choir qualifier, and also won a physical education medal. Additionally, Joiner is one of the Names Can Hurt Us facilitators for the Anti-Defamation League at the high school, the Student Council Treasurer, and has volunteered at the North Branford Potato and Corn Festival volunteer for the past eight years.

Information courtesy of

Ashley Joiner