EMORY, Va. - The Emory & Henry College Women's Swimming Team will start the season with a new coach at the helm. Cody Skinner is in his first season as the coach for the Wasps who have been highly-regarded conference-wide and nationally. He takes over a team which returns six All-ODAC honorees and the ODAC Women's Swimmer of the Year, Michaela Nolte (Hillsborough, N.C.).
Nolte had a historic season for E&H in 2015-16 earning vast and numerous accolades. In addition to being named the league's swimmer of the year, she also became Emory & Henry's first qualifier for the NCAA Division III Swimming Championship. At the ODAC meet, Nolte broke school and conference records in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke. Her time of 1:03.97 in the 100-breast was the 16th-fastest in the country in addition to record times of :23.90 in the 50-free and 2:20.07 in the 200-breast.
Senior Jessica Richardson (Vero Beach, Fla.) has been selected to the All-ODAC First Team in each of her previous three seasons. She posted runner-up finishes in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke at the ODAC Championships last season. This year, both Richardson and Nolte have been selected as team captains. Jordan Greenburg (Cordova, Tenn.) was named to the All-ODAC Third Team for the second time in her career last season. Greenburg finished sixth in the 200-yard backstroke at the ODAC Championships. Kia Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.) and Lauren Blakey (Davidson, N.C.) add senior leadership and depth in their events as well.
The junior class has two All-ODAC returners in Brianna Chessock (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Holly Roth (Albuquerque, N.M.), each of whom were third-team selections. Chessock finished sixth in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke at the ODAC Championships. Roth finished fifth in the 200-yard freestyle. Kelsey Jones (Roanoke, Va.) is a breaststroker who is looking to return to her All-ODAC form from her first year as a Wasp.
The Wasps have no sophomores on the team, but they bring in three talented freshmen to the roster. Olivia Anson (Apex, N.C.) will swim butterfly for the Wasps in her first year. Savannah Scarbrough (Crozet, Va.) and Taylor Simmons (Fincastle, Va.) will add depth as sprinters for the Wasps.
In addition to coaching the women's team, Coach Skinner has been charged with starting Emory & Henry's first-ever men's swimming team. The Wasps will start the season on Saturday, October 15 at the ODAC Relays in Lexington, Virginia, hosted by Washington and Lee University.
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