Girls Swimming

The Hotchkiss girls swimming & diving team philosophy is one that emphasizes the sports as a collection of small moments throughout the year that every student-athlete commits to: every dive, every flip turn, every streamline, every practice, every day. Hotchkiss swimmers and divers accumulate their investments in themselves and in their team through each small moment of the season to build, stroke by stroke, the personal achievements they aim for in March. Our swimmers and divers understand that victories are not won at the end of the season; they are won day by day, with little glory and spotlight, save for the support and accolades of each swimmer for her teammates.

At Hotchkiss we offer differentiated training programs, allowing a place for every athlete who has some experience with her sport and is looking to bring her training to the next level, while also fostering the continued improvement of swimmers and divers who train year-round and complete on the national level. Our athletes share the pursuit of a common goal: pushing themselves beyond perceived limits to improve themselves as swimmers, athletes, and people.

Hotchkiss swimmers and divers’ commitment to themselves, their team, and their larger school community extends outside Hixon Pool and well beyond their last event or class at Hotchkiss.

-- Michelle Repass, Head Coach, Girls Swimming & Diving

The Hotchkiss girls’ swimming and diving program continues to grow, improve, and capitalize on the momentum its athletes have created. As an increasingly competitive player in the Founders League, Hotchkiss girls swimming and diving has emerged among a league of strong teams in both the dual meet season and at the Founders League Championships, often held in our own Hixon pool. Competing in Division One of the New England Prep School Swimming Championships for its season-culminating meet, the Bearcat swimmers and divers have improved upon their overall team finish every season for the past four years, and they are excited to build upon that recent success.

The program had a breakthrough year in 2017-2018. The team's dual meet record improved from 2-7 in 2016-2017 to 7-4 in 2017-2018. While this tangible indicator of a strengthening team was incredibly exciting, the team’s focus has always been on training hard through all meets of the season in order to swim fast at championships, and the athletes’ performances at their final two championship meets were incredible rewards for all their hard work.

At the Founders League Championships, five Bearcats made it to the top of the podium in four different events (diving, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay). At New Englands, seven athletes went on to place in the top-16 in eight different events. Perhaps most exciting of the season was the seven school records that were broken by the last meet. The powerful momentum of the program’s 2017-2018 season is clear, and the team looks forward to continuing their pursuit of improvement in the years to come.

One of the greatest sources of pride for the program is Hixon Pool, a ten-lane, multi-purpose pool with exceptional deck space and lighting, as well as a large, attractive grandstand for spectators. We play host each year either to the Founders League or New England Division One championships, which the pool and the program handle with ease and with class.

Gigi Campo '06 -- Williams
Charlotte Green '07 -- Bates College
Kat Komninos '07 -- Connecticut College
Charlotte Leib '09 -- Princeton
Claire O'Brien '12 -- Holy Cross
Isabel Weiss ‘14 -- Columbia University
Olivia King '19 -- Wash. U. in St. Louis
Jillian Cudney '20 -- Tufts
Clara Preisig '21 -- Wesleyan