WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – After more than a year and a half since last competing, the Williams women swimmers and divers are fired up to begin competing again next week. For over half of the team's 29 members, this season will mark their first collegiate competition. Assistant swim coaches
Dan MacQuarrie and
Allie Clark are in their third year with the program under veteran head coach
Steve Kuster. The divers are led by Devon O'Nalty who has been with the program since 2019.
The Ephwomen graduated ten swimmers and one diver since last competing in 2020 when they won their seventh consecutive NESCAC title. These talented women left behind a legacy of success as the cohort included multiple NESCAC and NCAA champions. Dominant among the graduating classes was multiple time individual and relay national champion Laura Westphal '21 whose presence will be missed in freestyle events of all distances. Another national champion and original class of '21 member
Molly Craig returns this year as a co-captain alongside
Abby Matheny '22 and
Georgia Panitz '22.5.
The captains and seniors have already established themselves in the pool and seek to continue the team's long legacy of success. Kuster notes the team's unique position this year: "Since we last competed, we've graduated two outstanding classes and have two new classes who have never donned a Williams cap. There certainly will be some challenges along the way, but I've liked the way the team has shown up for our first couple of weeks."
This year's seniors are joined by butterfly, backstroke, and freestyle sprinter Sam Kilcoyne '23.5 who, in her debut year, earned top five finishes in all her NESCAC events and was an essential part of the team's relay success. Diver
Emma Casey '23 also returns from a strong freshman year where she placed top five in the 1-meter and 3-meter events at NESCACs. She is joined on the boards by first-year
Adelaide Herman. The first-year class also boasts a number of breaststrokers including
Charlotte Wishnack who will aid returner
Amanda Wager '23 and help fill the gap left by the 2020 NESCAC 4-year high point swimmer and breaststroker Caroline White '20. Sprinter
Bainon Hart '25 and distance specialist Lillie Bushway '24 add to the strength of this year's team.
The Ephs finally return to competition this weekend with home meets versus Springfield College and Union College. These meets mark the beginning of a long road of dual meets on which the team seeks to uphold their NCAA DIII dual meet win streak that they have maintained since 2008. With over 100 consecutive meets won, the team's legacy will challenge all its members to come together and take advantage of every opportunity. The Ephs aim to continue their NESCAC and NCAA success during championship season in February and March. Kuster knows what it takes to get there: "We'll need to make progress every week. Success this year will be dependent on a total team effort where everyone contributes, but I believe that is something that we can accomplish."
The kickoff meet of the season will be in the Ephs' Samuelson-Muir pool on Friday, November 19 at 6 PM EST against Springfield College. The following day, Saturday, November 20, the team will face Union College again at home at 1 PM.
