Milla Kuurto (2019) - Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame

Milla Kuurto

Induction:
2019
Class:
2006

It didn’t take long for Marshall to find its first women’s swimming star, but the Thundering Herd did have to go a long distance. When Marshall added Women’s Swimming & Diving as a sport for the 2002-03 season, the inaugural recruiting class included Milla Kuurto from Lohja, Finland. It took almost no time for Kuurto to make her stamp on the program. As a freshman, Kuurto received first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors, the first of three straight seasons in which she was to be so recognized. In her sophomore season Kuurto won the MAC championship in the 100-yard freestyle event and also in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly, earning MAC Swimmer of the Year accolades, which she repeated along with her 100- and 200-yard butterfly titles as a junior. When Marshall moved to Conference USA for her senior season, Kuurto added another conference championship to her resume by winning the 200-yard butterfly. At the conclusion of her career she held 14 school records, six conference championships, twice qualified for the NCAA championships and earned the Dot Hicks Award as Marshall’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She also received all-conference academic team recognition all four years of her career. Kuurto was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.