The 2022 Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving team will begin its season on Oct. 8, competing in a tri-meet with Saginaw Valley and Alma. The Hornets will look to climb back into the top half of the conference after their fourth-place finish at the MIAA Championships in 2021-22. The swimmers and divers are currently working through their preseason training.
Schedule Breakdown
- Saginaw Valley will host the season opener, with Alma joining the tri-meet on Oct. 8.
- Kalamazoo will then travel to face Albion in a dual on Oct. 14 before the MIAA Relays take place on Oct. 21 with Calvin hosting.
- On Nov. 4-5, the Hornets will compete at the Davenport Quad invite and then host their first tri-meet of the season on Nov. 11, which includes Calvin and Olivet.
- Finishing up the 2022 portion of the schedule is the three-day Calvin Invitational on Dec. 1-3.
- The first meet back in 2023 is the Michigan-Illinois Quad that will take place on campus in the Natatorium on Jan. 14.
- Two more regular season competitions are scheduled for Jan. 20 with the Hope Tri-Meet, including Olivet, and a dual at Alma on Jan. 28.
- The attention will then turn to the MIAA Championships that Calvin will host on Feb. 15-18.
- If all goes well, Kalamazoo will have some athletes head to Greensboro, N.C., to compete at the NCAA DIII Championships on Mar. 15-18.
Roster Breakdown
- Kalamazoo brings back 19 swimmers and divers from the 2021-22 season and will add three new members for a total of 22 heading into 2022-23.
- The six seniors will lead a team of six juniors, eight sophomores, and two freshmen.
Returning Statistical Leaders
- After studying abroad last year, Sam Ankley returns as the Hornets' top diver. At the 2020-21 MIAA Championships, Ankley finished second in the 3-meter and 1-meter events.
- Luke Middlebrook is also returning to make a good 1-2 diving combo as he finished sixth in the 3-meter and seventh in the 1-meter at the 2021-22 MIAA Championships.
- In his first year at the collegiate level, Ben Pickrel proved to be the top-scoring swimmer after finishing fifth in the 200 backstroke, fifth in the 200 medley relay, eighth in the 400 individual medley, and eighth in the 800 free relay in last season's championships.
- Andre Fouque and Tim Karubas helped the relays score high by taking fourth in the 400 medley relay, fifth in the 400 free relay, and fifth in the 200 medley relay last year.
Head Coach Logan LaBerge
Coach LaBerge enters his first season at the helm for the men's and women's swimming and diving teams here at Kalamazoo. Previously, he was the assistant head coach at Washington and Lee University from 2014-2022. There, the Generals set 76 team records, achieved over 100 NCAA time standards, won two NCAA III individual national championships, and earned a program-record seventh place national finish in 2017. In addition, as recruiting coordinator, Coach LaBerge has led efforts to recruit 126 student-athletes to the program through last season. He also coached at Mount Union from 2012-2014 and Miami (Ohio) from 2010-12.
Quoting Coach LaBerge
"Our men have been pushing themselves hard in training to start the season in and out of the pool. I think they saw what could be possible last year with some hard work, which has fueled them to start the year. It's a long season, but the foundation that is being built now sets us up well for the road ahead!"