• Big Ten Medal of Honor
• NCAA Championships Qualifier (100 & 200 Fly)
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Competed primarily in the butterfly events and 200 IM
• Eclipsed the program record in the 100 fly with a time of 52.66 at the Big Ten Championships as just the second Boilermaker to break 53 seconds in the event
• Also graduated as the program record holder in the 200 fly (1:55.90)
• Honored as the team’s co-MVP
• Season-best time of 1:56.13 in the 200 fly at the Boiler-Make-It meet helped her qualify for NCAAs for the third year in a row
• Posted times of 1:57.46 and 2:00.50 in the 200 fly and 200 IM at Big Tens
• Helped Purdue set team records in both the 200 and 400 medley relay at Big Tens for the second in a row
• Career-best time of 4:17.04 in the 400 IM at the IU Invitational moved her into sixth place in program history
• Also ranked third all-time in the 200 IM (1:59.57) when she graduated
• Represented Purdue in the 200 fly and 800 free relay at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge
• Her five individual event victories were tops among the Purdue swimmers
• Accounted for 42 points at Big Tens, fourth best on the team, by scoring in the A final of the 100 fly and winning the B final of the 200 fly
• Accounted for 120 career points at Big Tens, second most among her Purdue class and tops among swimmers
• Scored a team-high 53.5 points at the IU Invitational, qualifying for A finals of both butterfly events
• Finished fourth in the A final of the 200 fly at the IU Invitational
• Swept the butterfly events and contributed to the victorious 200 medley relay team in the dual at Michigan State
• Won the 200 fly at the Big Ten Triple Duals and Senior Day meet vs. Indiana
• Victorious in the 200 IM at Notre Dame
2017-18 / AS A JUNIOR
• NCAA Championships Qualifier (100 & 200 Fly, 200 IM)
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Competed primarily in the butterfly events and 200 IM
• Eclipsed the program record in the 200 fly at both the Purdue Invitational and Boiler-Make-It NCAA Last Chance meet, setting the new benchmark at 1:55.90
• Posted a career-best time in the 100 fly (52.91) at the Big Ten Championships, moving into second place in program history
• Recorded a career-best time in the 200 IM (1:59.57) at the NCAA Championships, moving into third place in program history
• Career-best time in the 400 IM (4:17.07) at the Purdue Invitational moved her into fifth place in program history
• Co-recipient of the team’s Whatever It Takes Award
• Represented Purdue at the USA Swimming’s Phillips 66 National Championships in July
• Also raced at USA Swimming’s TYR Pro Swim Series event in Indianapolis in May
• Ranked second on the team with 14 individual event victories
• Qualified for the A finals of both butterfly events at Big Tens to account for 46 team points
• Swam the butterfly leg on both record-setting medley relays at Big Tens
• Top finish at NCAAs was 24th in the prelims of the 200 fly
• Swept the butterfly events and also won 200 the IM in dual meets against Miami (Ohio), South Carolina and Iowa
• Accounted for 43 team points at the Purdue Invitational by qualifying for the A finals of the butterfly events and 200 IM, finishing as the runner-up in the 200 fly while eclipsing the program record
• Also would have been an A finalist in the 400 IM at the Purdue Invite but opted to scratch
• Won the 200 fly and 200 IM vs. Notre Dame
• Swept the butterfly events vs. Michigan State
• Victorious in the 200 fly at Indiana
• Part of relay winners in dual meet vs. Miami (Ohio), Notre Dame and Michigan State
• Won the 200 IM and finished as the runner-up in both butterfly events at the Big Ten Triple Duals in Minneapolis
2016-17 / AS A SOPHOMORE
• NCAA Championships Qualifier (100 & 200 Fly, 200 IM)
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Competed primarily in the butterfly events and 200 IM
• Qualified for the NCAA Championships via a career-best time of 1:56.54 in the 200 fly at the Boiler-Make-It NCAA Last Chance meet, moving into second place in program history
• Posted a career-best time of 53.59 in the 100 fly in the prelims at NCAAs, moving up to fourth in program history
• Co-recipient of the team's Cathy Wright-Eger Continuing Women of Educational Excellence award.
• Scored in all three of her individual events at the Big Ten Championships, accounting for 29 team points and qualifying for the A final of the 200 fly
• Season best in the 200 IM (2:00.03) was at Big Tens, putting her fifth in program history
• Swam on the 400 medley relay at Big Tens that posted the second-fastest time in team history
• Finished 24th in the prelims of the 200 fly for her top showing at NCAAs
• Represented Purdue at the USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships in June and the U.S. Open Championships in August
• Enjoyed a breakout meet at Virginia Tech's H2Okie Fall Invitational, accounting for 49 points to rank third on the team
• Finished as the runner-up in the A final of both butterfly events and helped Purdue win the 400 medley relay
• Victorious in the 200 fly in dual meet wins vs. Michigan State and Miami (Ohio)
2015-16 / AS A FRESHMAN
• Competed primarily in the butterfly events and 200 IM
• Posted season-best times in the 100 (54.51) and 200 fly (2:00.17) as well as the 200 IM (2:01.44) at the Big Ten Championships
• Ranked fourth on the team in all three events in 2015-16
• In program history, moved into seventh in the 200 IM, ninth in the 100 fly and 10th in the 200 fly
• Qualified for the C final of both butterfly events at the Big Ten Championships to account for three team points
• Won the B final of the 200 IM at the Purdue Invitational
• Also qualified for the A final of the 200 fly and finished as the runner-up in the B final of the 100 fly to account for 28 team points
• Won the 200 fly and 200 IM in the dual meet victory at Miami (Ohio)
HIGH SCHOOL
• Four-year varsity letterwinner for coach Eric Meyer at Zionsville Community High School in suburban Indianapolis
• Four-year Indiana state meet qualifier, finishing among the top seven in an individual event every year
• Helped Zionsville finish as the state runner-up as a freshman, the first of four straight top five finishes
• Top individual finish at state was third in the 200 IM as a senior
• Part of 400 free relay teams that finished as the runner-up at state as freshman and senior
• Was also on a third-place relay teams at state as a sophomore and junior
• Four-year conference and sectional champion in the 100 fly, 200 IM, 200 medley relay and 400 free relay
• Helped ZHS win four straight sectional titles and a conference crown as a freshman
• Two-time workhorse award winner and later team MVP as a senior
• Four-year scholar-athlete honoree
• Won the 200 back state title on the club circuit in 2015
• Four-year Junior Nationals qualifier
PERSONAL
• Major: Pharmacy
• Full name is Taite Elizabeth Kitchel
• Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Parents are Tom and Kendra Kitchel, both Purdue alumni
• Family also includes younger siblings Isaac and Devon
• Mother swam at Purdue and father played baseball
• Aunt Tia Hensler is also an alumnus
Purdue Personal Preferences
Favorite Pro Team: Chicago Cubs
Favorite Athlete: Dana Vollmer
Favorite Aquatic Center (Other Than Purdue): San Antonio Natatorium
Swimmer She'd Like to Race Against: Maya Dirado
Favorite Marquee Event: Olympics
Most Exciting Event to Watch at a College Meet: Relays
Would Like to Have Dinner With: Emma Stone
Unique Skill/Hidden Talent: Can Do A Back Bend
In Her MP3 Player: Fall Out Boy
Last Concert She Attended: One Republic
Band/Musician She'd Love to See Play Purdue: Fall Out Boy
Favorite Social Media Platform: Instagram
Favorite Multimedia App: Spotify
Favorite Author: J.K. Rowling
Last Book She Read: Still Life - Murder Mystery
Favorite Actor & Actress: Christian Bale & Emma Stone
Favorite Movie to Watch on Team Bus: She's the Man
Favorite Sci-Fi Series: Marvel
Favorite Super-Hero: Batman
Favorite TV Show: How I Met Your Mother
Favorite Month: June
Favorite Holiday: Christmas
Favorite Meal: Chicken Tenders, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli, Sprite
Favorite Dessert: Sugar Cookies, Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Favorite Purdue Landmark: Bell Tower
Favorite Big City: Chicago
Unique Travel Locale: New Orleans
Country She'd Like to Visit: France
Favorite Outdoor Activity: Tubing
Favorite Purdue Building: The Union
Favorite Purdue Athletic Venue (Besides Aquatic Center): Mackey Arena
Another Sport She Enjoys Playing: Tennis
Favorite Thing About the Boilermaker Aquatic Center: Hot Tub
Most Memorable Moment at Purdue: 2017 Big Ten Championships at Purdue
Enjoyed this Professor's Class: Larry De Boer, Agriculture
Animal Friend: Tucker, Turtle