Emory, Va - Head Coach Dave Griffore has once again led his swim team to an outstanding season. He continues to take his team to great feats and reach exemplary accolades. Coach Griffore led his team to a 9-1 dual meet record on the year, on his way to being named the ODAC Coach of the Year. This is the first time Emory & Henry swimming has had a coach of the year. "This award goes to the entire staff and more importantly to our swimmers who put in all the hard work, and made the commitment to the E&H Swimming Program," Griffore stated. Overall, the team finished second in the conference once again, while closing the gap between them and Washington and Lee University.
The Wasps won 9 of the 18 races they competed in at the ODAC Championships. Three out of the five relays E&H participated in the Wasps. In all of those accomplishments, they set 8 ODAC records, while also breaking 14 out of 19 school records during the course of the season. These records paved the way for the Wasps placing 10 of their 16 swimmers on All-ODAC teams this year.
Sophomore Jessica Richardson won the Bonnie Kestner Sportsmanship Award for the ODAC this season. Like Griffore, she is the first Wasp to receive the award. Not only is Richardson a great sport, she is a great swimmer as well. Richardson was named to the All-ODAC First Team for the second consecutive year. Michaela Nolte was also one of the best swimmers in the ODAC. Nolte, also a first teamer, won all 3 of her individual races and 3 out of 4 relays, while breaking 5 ODAC records at the ODAC Championships. She also accomplished an amazing feat by winning 24 of 26 individual races on the season. Junior Taylor Guardalabene and sophomore Allison Fowler were also named to the All-ODAC First Team. Guardalabene won the gold at the ODAC Championships in the 1650 yard freestyle, while Fowler won the 200 yard butterfly.
Freshmen Mackenzie Lingle, Holly Roth, Kelsey Jones, and Marina Moore all made All-ODAC teams in their first seasons with the Wasps. Lingle, a second teamer, won seven individual races on the season and help set three ODAC relay records in her first year. Roth and Jones were also named to the All-ODAC Second Team. Moore provided very strong depth and was named to the All-ODAC Third Team. Juniors Payton Shirey and Nicole Powell were named second and third team, respectively.
The Wasps reached a 25 ranking this season and finished ranked 32nd in the nation, but have aspirations to move even higher. The praises are not quite enough for this young team. About the season, Griffore claimed, "The goal has always been to build this program to be a contender for ODAC championships year in and year out, and we will finally have a full roster for the 2015-16 season to make a run at it." Without a senior on the roster, the Wasps are looking to reload and fight for an ODAC Championship during the 2015-16 season.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15