SWIMMING & DIVING SEASON PREVIEW
The Catamounts open the 2018-19 season at Niagara on Sunday (Sept. 30). The meet is set to begin at 9 a.m. at Oxy Aquatic Center and is the first matchup between the two teams since 2011.

RELATED LINKS
2018-19 Roster
2018-19 Schedule
 
LAST SPLASH
UVM earned its sixth consecutive third-place finish in the team standings with 652 points at the 2018 America East Championships. New Hampshire won the conference title with 794 points, less than five points ahead of defending team champion UMBC (789.5 points). Vermont closed the four-day competition with 11 All-Conference performances and broke three school records. 
 
SMART CATS
Catamount swimmers and divers combined for a 3.47 team GPA last year, marking their best performance in the classroom on record. Last season, Stefi Geiger '18 and Alexy Novelli '18 were awarded America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete honors. Geiger, Kelly Lennon '18, and Kira Hancock '18 earned a spot on the 2018 America East Swimming & Diving All-Academic Team.
 
UVM NEWCOMERS
The Catamounts welcomed eight newcomers to the program this year - Amelia Baxley, Brenna Cetrone, Madelyn Hawker, Peyton Lienhart, Kira Parker, Ashley Shepard, Kendall Ware and Willow Woods.
 
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Seniors Julia DeGregorio, Sara Meyer will be joined by junior Sophia Smith as tri-captains for the Cats this season. DeGregorio finished eighth in the 200 fly at the 2018 AE Championships and set a personal record in the 100 fly to finish ninth. A two-time America East Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient, Meyer posted a perfect 4.0 GPA last year and notched a pair of top-20 finishes in both breaststroke events at the conference championships. Smith was a member of Vermont's third-place 800 freestyle relay at the conference meet and recorded nine top-5 finishes throughout her sophomore season.
 
COACHING CONNECTIONS
Former UVM men's recruiting coordinator Ben Nigro enters his 13th year at the helm of Niagara Swimming & Diving. During his two seasons with Vermont (2001-03), Nigro helped lay the foundation for the program's sustained success in recent years.
 
SCOUTING THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara concluded the 2017-18 campaign with a record of 3-5 and finished sixth overall at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Three program records fell at their championship meet, including one from current junior Hannah Charlton in the 200 IM. Eleven Purple Eagles were named to the MAAC All-Academic team last season for their efforts in the classroom.
 
Speeder & Earl's Coffee is the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 women's swimming & diving season