By Tyler Sakalys-Moore
The 2020-21 Kalamazoo College women's swimming & diving team is set to begin its season on Saturday, February 6 at Olivet College. The Hornets' schedule is much shorter than usual due to the delayed start, but will still feature multiple meets before their conference championships Feb. 26-27 at Calvin University. The Kalamazoo roster has one senior and brings in six freshmen.
Key Dates
- The Hornets open their season on Saturday, February 6 at Olivet College.
- The Hornets will also participate in a tri-meet on Friday, February 12 hosted by Hope College along with Alma College.
- The MIAA Championship on the women's side will begin Friday, February 26, and conclude on Saturday, February 27 at Calvin University.
Key Returners
- Molly Roberts returns following a junior season in which she finished top-six in each of her three individual events (100 Butterfly, 200 Butterfly, 200 Backstroke) at the MIAA Championships. Roberts returns as the only senior this year and will be looked upon for leadership throughout the season.
- Camille Misra returns following a record-breaking freshman season in which she was a major part of two new school records (100 Back, 400-Freestyle Relay). In addition to this, she finished top-five in each of her individual events (100 Back, 50 Free) at the MIAA Championships.
- Sarah Densham returns following a season in which she finished third in 3M Diving and fourth in 1M Diving at the MIAA Championships. Densham was one of four Hornet women chosen for the 2020 All-MIAA team.
Key Additions
- While each of the six freshmen on campus has the potential to be an immediate impact swimmer, Ryan Drew looks to provide depth in both the breaststroke and the IM events. Drew comes in with the Hornet's fastest 100 (1:13.27) and 200 (2:33.56) breaststroke times among breaststrokers. Along with this, she comes in with one of the top times on the team in both the 200 (2:15.89) and 400 (4:47.68) IM.
Coaches
- Head Coach Jay Daniels returns for his fifth season as head coach of the Hornet swimming and diving teams. He has coached 16 different individuals to All-MIAA recognition and three Hornets have earned All-American honors under Daniels. The women's team has competed to a national finish in three out of the last four seasons, finishing as high as 32nd in 2017-18.
- Brie Powers returns for her fourth season as assistant coach of the Hornet swimming and diving teams. A Kalamazoo native, Powers swam at the University of Texas from 2007-2011 and was a four-time NCAA qualifier as well as a 2008 Olympic Trials qualifier. Powers has done wonders for the sprint group since arriving at Kalamazoo as just last season she helped to coach the women's record-breaking performance in the 400-Freestyle Relay.
- Kyle Oberhill returns for his 12th season as dive coach of the Hornet swimming and diving teams. Oberhill, a former Kalamazoo College diver, was a part of the coaching staff who helped the Hornets to an MIAA Championship back in 2011 as well as in 2012 when they finished 13th overall at the NCAA Championships. Oberhill has coached multiple All-MIAA divers as well as multiple NCAA DIII Championship qualifiers.
Quoting Coach Daniels
"This season looks different for everyone. However, I'm grateful for the opportunity we have to be together as a team. I'm excited to see what we can take away from this abbreviated season. Going on our second season without having a home pool as well as the obvious impacts of COVID-19, we have faced more challenges than usual. Still, our swimmers and divers have faced this adversity head-on with resilience. Regardless of what this season brings, I'm incredibly proud of this team and honored to be their coach." -Jay Daniels