The Allegheny Women’s swim and dive team is underway with another season of Presidents’ Athletic Conference action. The Gators opened their strokes in the water versus Franciscan and, despite winning seven out of 11 races, fell by a score of 107-81.
The roster carries small for Allegheny, but one cannot underestimate the quality on board. At the top of the talent pool on the team and in all of the conference and region is Olivia Kraus, ’24. A PAC Champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle, Kraus broke the school record in both departments last season.
Kraus looks to add to her resume this season. While what she accomplished in her last campaign caught the eyes of many, she is looking to take her talents to a bigger stage this year.
“One of my biggest goals is to make it to the Division III National Championships,” Kraus said. “That was a big goal last year that I didn’t quite reach. I want to get faster in my main events, and do what I can to support the team in any way that I can.”
Kraus put a lot of time into training in the offseason, but in a different lane than swimming. She spent time in the weight room and on the road running; building her stature into a stronger, more efficient machine to operate in the blue this year.
There are only six members representing the women’s side this year. Although this may seem like a disadvantage for the team events, it has other benefits including improvement on an individual level. The team gets more attentiveness and a chance to gain quality reps in the water.
Attention to detail is everything when perfecting a stroke. With the goal being to replicate each stroke the exact same for an entire race, Head Coach Jerry Diamond spends extensive time with each player to perfect their craft. When asked what he’s most excited about this season, Diamond cites the athletes themselves.
“Figuring out what these athletes here are willing to do to improve their strokes,” Diamond said. “My favorite part of coaching is helping someone improve some aspect of their technique. I love the mechanics of swimming. I love the mechanics of the human body, and trying to apply that to swimming in the best way possible.”
Also working on her game is Josephine Reiter, ’26. A First Team All-PAC and 100 breaststroke Champion, the local product from Pittsburgh is hoping to shorten her times and be one of the best yet again.
Reiter came in last year unsure of how it would pan out. After chronic back pain during her senior year of high school, she was not sure if collegiate play was in the cards. Eventually making the decision to give it a whirl, Reiter said it was the right one and that she is happy to be on the team.
“I was really scared going into college,” Reiter said. “It’s a new experience and new environment. I had come up for a visit in April of 2022 where I had met the wider team. My thought process was, ‘Even if I suck, at least I will have that group of friends coming in.’ I’ve been swimming for my whole life and decided I didn’t want to change everything at once.”
She still has to be cautious of the way she trains and moves in the water. Just because Reiter has been one of the conference’s best, does not mean that her pain magically went away. She is constantly in the trainer’s room, taking care of her body. Electro stimulation therapy has been a big component of her rehab, as it is a way to ease tension of the applied muscle to release any pressure confined within.
After the college and former Head Coach Max Niggel decided to part ways, Diamond was called upon in July to take over operations. Division III is familiar territory for Diamond, as a coach and former student-athlete.
Diamond was a standout swimmer back in his undergraduate days at Ithaca College, where he earned multiple All-State performances in relay events and the 200-yard individual medley.
Previously coming from Sweet Briar College, a women’s college in Virginia, Diamond was at the helm of the Vixens for five years and reinvigorated their program, leading the 2021-22 team to an 8-4 record.
Before his tutelage with Sweet Briar, Diamond spent a combined handful of years at SUNY Oswego and Hartwick College in New York. Now, he has a place to call home in Meadville.
“I’m feeling good about the transition to Allegheny College,” Diamond said. “I think it’s a really good institution and I think it’s a really good core group of team.”
The team’s next meet is against Washington and Jefferson College, taking place today, Oct. 20. Another key date to look out for is their home meet on Nov. 4, as the athletic department is setting up the material to conduct the first ever swim and dive broadcast to be released on the PAC Digital Network.
