2022-23 Eph Roster
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA - The Williams Women's Swim and Dive team is fired up to return to competition as they kick off the 2022-2023 season with a meet against Springfield College this Friday. The Ephwomen are led by head coach Steve Kuster along with assistant swim coaches Allie Clark and Dan MacQuarrie, both of whom are entering their fifth season with Williams, and dive coach Devon O'Nalty, who has been with the team since 2019. The coaching staff is also bolstered by the addition of volunteer assistant coach Tim Lattimer, a 2015 Williams graduate.
Last season, the Ephwomen extended their NCAA Division III dual meet win streak, which began in 2008, to 117 wins. In the championship season, they put up a valiant fight at the NESCAC Championship, ultimately finishing a close second to Tufts, and roared to a 4th place finish at NCAA Division III Championships. The Ephwomen aim to continue their dual meet win streak and success in the championship season, goals which will require strong team togetherness to achieve. When asked about the upcoming season, Coach Steve Kuster said: "I'm most excited to see everyone step up. We'll need everyone to be better than last year, as well as getting the new team members up to speed quickly. I like what I've seen so far and look forward to getting our meet season underway on Friday."
The Williams Women's Swim and Dive team graduated a fantastic class of six Ephwomen, led by Molly Craig '22, two-time NCAA Division III Champion in the 400 Individual Medley. The presence of Craig and Casey Delano '22 will be missed in relays. However, the Class of 22's legacy of hard work and success lives on in this year's senior cohort, led by captains Maddie Annis '23, Amanda Wager '23.5, and Samantha Kilcoyne '23.5.
Additionally, the Williams Women's Swim and Dive team brings in a strong first year class of seven swimmers with talents across a wide range of disciplines. Three of the first years - Ruby Groves '26, Caterina Li '26, and Gracie O'Connell '26 - form a powerful fly and IM contingent. The team is also strengthened by the additions of distance swimmer Lily Codd '26, sprint freestyle and IMer Irene Yang '26, backstroke and IMer Aly Eward '26, and sprint freestyle and backstroker Maddy Wu '26.
The Williams Women's Swim and Dive team returns all four members of the NESCAC-record setting 400 medley relay: Sophia Verkleeren '25, Wager, Kilcoyne, and Georgia Panitz '22.5. In this relay last year, Verkleeren set a NESCAC record in the 100 backstroke as a first year, and returns as a sophomore to lead the Ephwomen's strong backstroke group with Caitlin Murphy '24. Panitz leads a talented freestyle group, which includes Frances Hayward '24, Bainon Hart '24, and Amy Zhao '25.
Kilcoyne and Wager return for their junior campaigns after earning two individual NESCAC titles last year in the butterfly and breaststroke events respectively. Kilcoyne is backed by a strong butterfly group, including Gabby Lopez-Ona '24, Emma Schulman '24, and Zora Vujovic '25. Wager, the 2022 NESCAC Swimmer of the Meet, is surrounded by a dominant breaststroke group, including Issy Hiller '25, Sarah Johnson '23.5, and Charlotte Wishnack '25. Lopez-Ona, Schulman, and Wishnack had incredible seasons last year, marked by swims at the NCAA Division III Championships, including Wishnack's 6th place finish in the 200 breaststroke.
On the diving side, Adelaide Herman '25 returns from her remarkable first year campaign, including a NCAA Division III Championships berth marked by a 15th place finish on 1m. Herman had a breakout performance at the Regionals qualifying meet to secure her spot at NCAAs as she scored 419.80 points on 3m and earned second overall. Herman is joined by Emma Casey '23, who was unable to compete last season, but is excited to be back on the boards this year. She is an incredible diver, evidenced by her 4th and 5th place finishes on 3m and 1m at the 2020 NESCAC Championships. The duo intends to set the standard high on the boards this year.
The Williams Women's Swim and Dive team takes on Springfield on the road at 6pm on Friday, November 18th. They return to competition with their first home meet of the season on December 3rd at 1pm against Union.
