Hall of Fame Focus: Catherine Whetstone-Battoni
Oct 01 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Dear 2005 Catherine Whetstone, a freshman swimmer at Rutgers:
Enjoy every second. It goes by quickly. Ignore the doubt. You are more than capable of achieving things you don't think are possible at this time. You're a Jersey Girl, so this should come naturally, but keep going and keep chasing those dreams.
Sincerely,
Catherine Battoni, Rutgers Hall of Fame Class of 2018
They are the dreams of every young swimmer. School records, gold medals, All-America plaques and the invitation to swim for Team USA.
Catherine Whetstone did it all. One of the most decorated swimmers in Rutgers history during her career from 2005-10, Whetstone admits the path to success was a process of self-discovery. Dreaming big wasn't a problem for the Whitehouse Station native. Once she added in belief, a Hall of Fame career took shape.
"I was always an athlete, but I was never focused," Battoni said. "At Rutgers, I learned work ethic and Coach Chuck Warner helped me realize that my talent was capable of achieving great things. The team and staff gave me the training, the drive and the understanding that it could happen to me."
In college swimming, great things come to those whose season-long commitment and consistency results in a ticket to the NCAA Championships. In March of 2007, nationals were held at the University of Minnesota. As the 100-yard butterfly finals commenced, Whetstone dove off the starting block, leaving behind a year of self-discipline, miles of practice and any doubts that once existed.
Fifty-three seconds later, Whetstone resurfaced as a school and BIG EAST record holder, and as an All-American. Whetstone set herself up for the successful run at NCAA's by overcoming a mental hurdle one month earlier at the 2007 BIG EAST Championships. Seeded first with the season's top time in the 100 fly, Whetstone took the foot off the gas in morning qualifying and barely snuck into the finals with an eighth place finish. The break before the championship race required a reset of the brain and a calming of the nerves. Whetstone passed that test before leading wire-to-wire for the BIG EAST gold medal in the evening.
That adversity provided the unteachable experience necessary to become an All-American. Swimming is both a viciously cruel and infinitely rewarding sport, where a year's worth of hard work comes down to 53 seconds.
"The time in the pool is a blur, but what was clear to me was when I realized that I could do this," Battoni recalled. "Becoming an All-American is harder than making the Olympic trials. I was in awe swimming against some of the fastest athletes in the country and the world. Then, I was proud that I was one of those athletes."
Before shining on the national stage, Whetstone made her mark on the Rutgers record board and the BIG EAST podium. Upon graduation in 2010, she held the program standards in the 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay. She claimed 10 medals at the BIG EAST Championships, including gold in the 200 medley relay in 2006, gold in the 100 fly and 400 free relay in 2007, and gold in the 100 backstroke in 2009.
It was no coincidence that the Scarlet Knights emerged as a national championship contender during Whetstone's prime with the program's first Top 25 ranking in nearly 20 years in 2007. During her upperclass years, Whetstone was named a team captain and earned the Meyer Leadership Award as a student-athlete that represented excellence in all areas of the college experience. Whetstone earned two CSCAA Scholar All-America honors and received NJAIAW Sportswoman of the Year acknowledgment in 2008.
Following up her landmark 2007 season, Whetstone set out to realize another dream: swimming for Team USA.
"I decided not to think about the odds for once," Battoni said. "I just stuck to my normal routine, then I saw that my times were really close. I made sure my passport was valid because in two weeks, I would be qualifying for my national team and having one of the greatest experiences of my life."
Whetstone made her international debut that summer swimming for the United States in the Japan International Grand Prix. She also competed in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.
The list of accolades is long. Yet those are not at the top of her resume. What made Whetstone so successful was the grind leading to those honors, the confidence in her talents and the strive to improve. These traits also played very nicely into her professional career following dual degrees in marketing and journalism.
Whetstone-Battoni has worked in sales in the fashion industry for the last seven years, and has most recently risen to the rank of senior account executive at Calvin Klein. As the face of a world-known brand, she benefited from her work in Rutgers' School of Communication and Information. Working in a fast-paced and numbers-driven profession, she relied on her studies in the Rutgers Business School.
Every aspect of her future took shape "On the Banks," even her family life. In 2015, Whetstone married Sean Battoni, a Rutgers men's lacrosse player from 2002-05. The two Scarlet Knight letterwinners have a nine-month-old son, Brady.
When she returned to work following maternity leave, the first day back was a challenging one being away from Brady. A FedEx delivery to her office that same day brightened her spirits at a perfect time. It was a letter from Rutgers congratulating her on a Hall of Fame induction.
"It's not something I even thought was possible," Battoni admits, holding true to her modest mindset from college. "I put the work in and I gave it my all, and it's still crazy that this is happening. All of the trials and tribulations, all of the fun was well worth it. I hope this story helps the current student-athletes to realize that a little belief can lead them to the Hall of Fame in 2028."
Enjoy every second. It goes by quickly. Ignore the doubt. You are more than capable of achieving things you don't think are possible at this time. You're a Jersey Girl, so this should come naturally, but keep going and keep chasing those dreams.
Sincerely,
Catherine Battoni, Rutgers Hall of Fame Class of 2018
They are the dreams of every young swimmer. School records, gold medals, All-America plaques and the invitation to swim for Team USA.
Catherine Whetstone did it all. One of the most decorated swimmers in Rutgers history during her career from 2005-10, Whetstone admits the path to success was a process of self-discovery. Dreaming big wasn't a problem for the Whitehouse Station native. Once she added in belief, a Hall of Fame career took shape.
"I was always an athlete, but I was never focused," Battoni said. "At Rutgers, I learned work ethic and Coach Chuck Warner helped me realize that my talent was capable of achieving great things. The team and staff gave me the training, the drive and the understanding that it could happen to me."
In college swimming, great things come to those whose season-long commitment and consistency results in a ticket to the NCAA Championships. In March of 2007, nationals were held at the University of Minnesota. As the 100-yard butterfly finals commenced, Whetstone dove off the starting block, leaving behind a year of self-discipline, miles of practice and any doubts that once existed.
Fifty-three seconds later, Whetstone resurfaced as a school and BIG EAST record holder, and as an All-American. Whetstone set herself up for the successful run at NCAA's by overcoming a mental hurdle one month earlier at the 2007 BIG EAST Championships. Seeded first with the season's top time in the 100 fly, Whetstone took the foot off the gas in morning qualifying and barely snuck into the finals with an eighth place finish. The break before the championship race required a reset of the brain and a calming of the nerves. Whetstone passed that test before leading wire-to-wire for the BIG EAST gold medal in the evening.
That adversity provided the unteachable experience necessary to become an All-American. Swimming is both a viciously cruel and infinitely rewarding sport, where a year's worth of hard work comes down to 53 seconds.
"The time in the pool is a blur, but what was clear to me was when I realized that I could do this," Battoni recalled. "Becoming an All-American is harder than making the Olympic trials. I was in awe swimming against some of the fastest athletes in the country and the world. Then, I was proud that I was one of those athletes."
Before shining on the national stage, Whetstone made her mark on the Rutgers record board and the BIG EAST podium. Upon graduation in 2010, she held the program standards in the 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay. She claimed 10 medals at the BIG EAST Championships, including gold in the 200 medley relay in 2006, gold in the 100 fly and 400 free relay in 2007, and gold in the 100 backstroke in 2009.
It was no coincidence that the Scarlet Knights emerged as a national championship contender during Whetstone's prime with the program's first Top 25 ranking in nearly 20 years in 2007. During her upperclass years, Whetstone was named a team captain and earned the Meyer Leadership Award as a student-athlete that represented excellence in all areas of the college experience. Whetstone earned two CSCAA Scholar All-America honors and received NJAIAW Sportswoman of the Year acknowledgment in 2008.
Following up her landmark 2007 season, Whetstone set out to realize another dream: swimming for Team USA.
"I decided not to think about the odds for once," Battoni said. "I just stuck to my normal routine, then I saw that my times were really close. I made sure my passport was valid because in two weeks, I would be qualifying for my national team and having one of the greatest experiences of my life."
Whetstone made her international debut that summer swimming for the United States in the Japan International Grand Prix. She also competed in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.
The list of accolades is long. Yet those are not at the top of her resume. What made Whetstone so successful was the grind leading to those honors, the confidence in her talents and the strive to improve. These traits also played very nicely into her professional career following dual degrees in marketing and journalism.
Whetstone-Battoni has worked in sales in the fashion industry for the last seven years, and has most recently risen to the rank of senior account executive at Calvin Klein. As the face of a world-known brand, she benefited from her work in Rutgers' School of Communication and Information. Working in a fast-paced and numbers-driven profession, she relied on her studies in the Rutgers Business School.
Every aspect of her future took shape "On the Banks," even her family life. In 2015, Whetstone married Sean Battoni, a Rutgers men's lacrosse player from 2002-05. The two Scarlet Knight letterwinners have a nine-month-old son, Brady.
When she returned to work following maternity leave, the first day back was a challenging one being away from Brady. A FedEx delivery to her office that same day brightened her spirits at a perfect time. It was a letter from Rutgers congratulating her on a Hall of Fame induction.
"It's not something I even thought was possible," Battoni admits, holding true to her modest mindset from college. "I put the work in and I gave it my all, and it's still crazy that this is happening. All of the trials and tribulations, all of the fun was well worth it. I hope this story helps the current student-athletes to realize that a little belief can lead them to the Hall of Fame in 2028."
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