WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – At the time, there was nothing significant about Jan. 19, 2008.
It was an ordinary day for the Williams College women's swimming & diving team when it competed against and defeated NESCAC-rivals Wesleyan, 212-88, and Tufts, 210-90, in Middletown, Connecticut.
Little did the Ephs know, after securing those two victories, they would not lose another Division III dual meet until Jan. 17, 2025. Williams emerged victorious in 144 straight dual meets during that time period, as the remarkable streak fell two days short of a full 17 years.
"When I think about the streak, I largely think about the program, its storied history since the beginning and all that has been accomplished," said 26-year head coach
Steve Kuster. "The passage of time is not lost on me either, 17 years is a long time and during that time there has been about 175 Eph women, all of whom have contributed to the streak. While the streak is an amazing accomplishment, it was never something we spent much time discussing. We are certainly bummed to see it end, but are all aware that when one door closes another one opens. As proud as I am about all we have accomplished in the past, I am equally excited about what this and future teams will accomplish moving forward."
Seven-year assistant coach
Allie Clark, who served as the acting head coach of the program during the 2024 fall semester when Kuster was on sabbatical, had a front-row seat to a good portion of this tremendous feat.
"For me, the Eph women's dual-meet win streak has always been about more than a win-loss record, although it is monumental to have 15 perfect dual meet seasons in a row," said Clark. "The dual meet dominance is an awesome statement about the tradition of Eph women being prepared to compete against any team no matter the time or place within a season. It is nothing short of incredible that it took 145 meets for another team to best our group. This was not the Eph women's first 100-plus, dual meet win streak and I am certain it will not be the last knowing the competitive spirit within this team and the Eph women that will join us in the future."
Senior captain
Sophia Verkleeren, a four-time NCAA Champion and 2023 NCAA Swimmer of the Year, has been a crucial force behind this streak for the last four years.
"It is incredible to think about how many Eph women swimmers and divers have contributed to the streak over the last 17 years," said Verkleeren. "Our whole team is honored be part of a legacy that includes many inspiring women student-athletes. The win streak is reflective of our team's effort in practices, determination to compete and commitment to each other. Although the streak came to an end, these larger qualities of our team are not going anywhere."
Another student-athlete who contributed immensely to the streak was Amanda Bergold (Nicholson) '09, a six-time NESCAC Champion and 400 IM NCAA Champion in 2008.
"The Williams swim & dive team is my fondest memory of my time at Williams," said Bergold. "It was such a source of teamwork and support during the first time I was on my own. I actually had the opportunity to teach at Williams for a year and acted as a volunteer assistant coach. I got to work with student-athletes and teach some of them in the classroom and that was a special experience to work with many swimmers. I am still close friends with a lot of my Williams' teammates."
Maddie Downs '18, a three-time NESCAC Champion, did it all for the Ephs from 2015-18 on the individual and team level contributing to four consecutive NESCAC team titles, along with two third-place and one second-place team finish at the NCAA Championship.
"It is a little bit hard to wrap my head around the streak lasting from 2008-25," said Downs. "This streak started when I was 12 years old. The current first years on the team were only a year old. To be so dominant over such a long period of time is incredible and speaks to all of the hard work that the coaches and the student-athletes put in day in and day out. One of the most special things about being an Eph woman is that it spans across more than just four years at Williams."
Downs continued, "Most of the credit goes to Kuster and his dedication to and belief in his student-athletes, as well as the assistant coaches that have supported coach and the student-athletes along the way. Without Steve, I am not sure this program would have come even close to 144. He coaches in a way that not only prepares student-athletes physically, but also inspires them to believe in themselves in a way that I have yet to see replicated outside of my time at Williams."
The Ephs' streak came to an end with losses to No. 3 NYU and No. 4 MIT on Jan. 17, but the program is already looking to the future as the Ephs are currently on a three-meet winning streak, with victories over Connecticut College, No. 25 Middlebury and Hamilton. The No. 7-ranked Ephs are preparing for the NESCAC Championship on Feb. 13-16 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and then the NCAA Championship on March 19-22 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
"While it was a bummer to take a loss, I am proud of how the team was fired up to start our brand-new streak against Connecticut College," said Verkleeren. "Going forward, we are feeling more excited to win than scared to lose. We are continuing to show up for each other at practices and at meets, and I cannot wait to see us take on the challenge of championship season together."
