1/4

Girls Swim and Dive Win State Championship

2/23/2016

For the fifth straight year!

BY ASHLEY JONES

Congratulations to Collegiate’s girls’ varsity swim and dive team for winning the VISAA State Championship for the fifth consecutive year. This feat matches the Girls’ Tennis Team string of State Championships from 2002-2006.

The team, which competed in Christiansburg over the weekend, finished the dual meet season undefeated, 21-0.

Head Coach Mike Stott is proud of the team’s victory.

“The Collegiate win was a result of total team effort - swimmers and divers, boys and girls - pulling together as one united team to produce a winning effort, said Coach Stott. “To show you how important diving continues to be, if you subtract the 37 points the girl divers scored Friday from our team total, we [would have lost] to St. Catherine’s by one point.”

Coach Stott praised team captains Emily Erard ‘16, Katie Lee ‘16, Leilani Porter ‘16 and Katie Ryan ’17 for their great leadership that carried their fellow swimmers and divers through the season.

He also applauded his team coaches for their work with the athletes, saluting the efforts of first time coaches, dive coach Diane Maiese, dive assistant Stefanie Lapp, and swim coaches Austin Highfill and Ben Cherry, as well as returning coaches, Mike Peters and Laure Ray.

Coach Maiese was also recognized as the State Dive Coach of The Year.

“[Coach Maiese] came in and followed a coach of 16 years and maintained [the team’s] winning tradition…and did it seamlessly. The kids enjoyed learning from her. I think she produced results along with the best we have had in the past.”

Four of Collegiate’s athletes were named All-State this year, including: sophomores Andrew Scott, Caroline Hall, Junior Jasmine Harper, and senior Sam Cuthbert.

In addition to the awards, Hall, Harper and Cuthbert placed first in Collegiate’s top 10 aquatic lists: Hall in the 1-meter diving for six dives and 11 dives; Harper in the 100-yard breaststroke, and Cuthbert in the 100-yard backstroke.

Cuthbert was also named All-American and will swim for Princeton University in the fall. Captain Emily Erard-Stone will continue her swim career at Bates College next year as well.

Other awards earned by Collegiate athletes included:

All-LIS

Emily Erard ‘16, Caroline Hall , Jasmine Harper, Katie Ryan ‘17, Cristina Muncy ‘17, Sydney Lenz ‘17

All-Prep

Andrew Scott ‘18

Girls Swimming

MVP– Caroline Baber ‘18, Jasmine Harper

Most Improved– Annie Mahoney ‘19

Coaches Award – Sydney Lenz ‘17

Boys Swimming

MVP – Sam Cuthbert

Most Improved – Mercer Reed ‘19