College

NCAA Recruiting Periods for Swimmers: What Are Dead Periods and Recruiting Shutdowns? College recruiting is in full swing, with the class of 2028 now able to speak in person with NCAA coaches, schedule visits, and receive offers. As high school juniors and seniors approach the first recruiting shutd...

Indiana Returning to Collegiate Water Polo Association Indiana University and the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) have announced that IU will return to the conference for the 2028 season. Indiana's women's water polo program has been competing in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF...

The Race That Didn't Go Your Way: How to Respond to Adversity There are few feelings in swimming that sting quite like missing a cut by one hundredth of a second.  You touch the wall, look up at the scoreboard, and immediately begin doing the math. One more dolphin kick off the wall. One cleaner bre...

CSCAA Announces Full Advocacy Council; Group Charged with Advancing Future of College Swimming The College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) officially named the full membership of its Advocacy Council, bringing together distinguished leaders to strengthen and advance the futu...

NCAA Announces New Guidelines for Backstroke Ledges The NCAA has announced a handful of changes that will take effect during the 2026-27 season, including mandatory adjustability of the backstroke ledge in Division I, Division II and Division III competition. The backstroke ledge must be adjustable ...

Nick Rounds Breaking Out For South Dakota, a Program on the Rise California. Florida. Texas. Indiana. They are states known for routinely producing some of the top swimmers in the United States, including a hefty percentage of Olympians. South Dakota? It will never be known as a regular hotbed of ta...

Olympian Jordan Wilimovsky Inducted to Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame Olympic swimmer Jordan Wilimovsky was announced last week as a member of the 2026 Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame Class. The class will be inducted on Oct. 23, with an on-field recognition during the Oct. 24 football game...

Texas Inducts Amy Shaw, Garrett Weber-Gale to Hall of Honor Swimmers Garrett Weber-Gale and Amy Shaw were announced this week in the Hall of Honor 2026 Class by the University of Texas. Members of the Hall will get a special salute during the Longhorn’s Sept. 19 football game against UTSA. Weber-Gal...

Federal Injunction Could Allow Just-Graduated NCAA Athletes to Return for Fifth Year Beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, the NCAA will roll out a new eligibility model giving athletes five years following their high school graduation or 19th birthday, whichever comes sooner, to compete for the...

Peter Vanderkaay to be Inducted Into Michigan Sports Hall of Fame The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2026 and three-time Olympian Peter Vanderkaay is one of the honorees. Vanderkaay attended Rochester Adams High School, where he won three state championships. He then compete...

Princeton Hires Lara Mitchell as Assistant Coach Princeton University on Monday hired Lara Mitchell as an assistant coach to its women’s swimming and diving program. Mitchell joins the staff of head coach Abby Brethauer after two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Ithaca College from 2024-26. ...

Josh Huger Departing Cal to Take Coaching Reins of Bucknell University Programs Josh Huger, who most recently served as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Cal Berkeley, has been tabbed as the next head coach of the Bucknell men's and women's swimming and diving programs. Huger j....

Penn State Hires Samantha Pickens as Head Diving Coach Penn State on Thursday announced the hiring of Samantha Pickens as the school’s head diving coach. She joins the staff of Hollie Bonewit-Cron after two seasons as the head diving coach at Liberty. Pickens was named the Atlantic Sun Women’s Divin...

Colorado State Adds Brynn Sproul as Assistant Coach Colorado State on Thursday announced the hiring of Brynn Sproul to its women’s swimming and diving coaching staff. Sproul joins the staff of head coach Christopher Woodard after the Las Vegas native spent two seasons at UNLV. She was a director of ...

Alec Kandt Takes Over as Head Coach of St. Bonaventure Alec Kandt was announced on Friday as the new head coach at St. Bonaventure. Kandt replaces Mike Smiechowski, who departed last month to take an associate head coaching position at Penn State. Kandt is new to Olean, having served as an assistant...

Arizona Hires Caitlin DeNise as Assistant Coach The University of Arizona on Thursday announced the hiring of Caitlin DeNise as an assistant coach on the staff of Ben Loorz. DeNise spent five seasons at Lewis & Clark College, the first two as an assistant coach, then one as the interim head coach be...

Penn Hires Megan Shaffer as Assistant Coach The University of Pennsylvania last week hired Megan Shaffer as an assistant coach. She joins the staff of head coach Mike Schnur after two seasons as an assistant at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Shaffer helped the Black Knights win th...

Washington State Hires Parker Hughes as Assistant Coach Washington State on Wednesday announced the hiring of Parker Hughes as an assistant coach for its women’s swimming and diving team. Hughes joins the staff of head coach of Russell Whitaker. Hughes swam for two seasons at the University of Michi...

Maggie Wanezek Makes Massive Leap in 200 Backstroke Rankings Only a few months ago, Maggie Wanezek ranked 170th all-time in the 200-meter backstroke. Among Americans, she sat just inside the top-50, a time of 2:09.75 her best mark. Then Wanezek competed at the Indianapolis stop of the TYR Pro Series...

Audrey Derivaux Heading to Texas This Fall, Reclassifies into 2026 Class One of the top-ranked high school swimmers in the country will begin her college career one year earlier than expected. Audrey Derivaux, who won four gold medals at last year's World Junior Championships, will join the Texas Lo...