Under head coach Kurt Kirner, the Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving program has been on a steady rise for the last several seasons, culminating this past winter in the program's first conference championship in its 40-year history.
It took several strong recruiting classes in a row to bring home that crown, finished off by a gifted 2019-20 freshman class that put three swimmers on the Great Midwest Athletic Conference first team, including G-MAC Freshman of the Year Leah Tunney.
Now in the position of defending their title, the Chargers are looking to another decorated freshman group coming in for the 2020-21 season to provide the additional firepower necessary to keep Hillsdale on top.
The Chargers' seven-member class of Avery Buchanan (Fort Worth, TX/Trinity Valley), Cecilia Guadalupi (Augusta, ME/Cony), Phoebe Hoffman (Richmond, VA/Homeschool), Caroline Holmes (Nashport, OH/Tri-Valley), Amy Mills (Conroe, TX/iSchool High of the Woodlands), Sarah Pataniczek (Grand Rapids, MI/Northview) and Libby Stacey (Lake Orion, MI/Notre Dame Prep) represent an exciting and talented group ready to hit the pool for the Chargers this winter.
Avery Buchanan comes to Hillsdale from the Trinity Valley School near Fort Worth in Texas, where she earned All-state honors in the 100 backstroke for her high school team. She also swam successfully for the Sigma Swimming Club team based out of the Dallas-Fort Worth Area, entering college with personal bests of 59.97 in the 100 backstroke, 25.47 in the 50 freestyle, and 57.45 in the 100 freestyle.
On top of her success in the pool, Buchanan also comes to Hillsdale as a standout in the classroom, earning Headmaster's List honors for every semester of high school, and giving back to her community by volunteering with the Trojan Outdoor Experience and Leadership Program.
Cecilia Guadalupi, meanwhile, leaves Cony High School in Augusta, Maine as one of the most decorated high school swimmers in Maine history, having won 16 Class A state titles over her four-year career and never losing a race at the state meet.
A versatile swimmer who excelled in all four strokes in high school, Guadalupi was back-to-back Maine Class A State Swimmer of the Year in 2019 and 2020, and also won Swimmer of the Meet at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Championships in 2020. She enters college with personal bests of 1:04.53 in the 100 breaststroke, 2:19.51 in the 200 breast, and 2:05.45 in the 200 individual medley.
Outside of the high school season, Guadalupi swam with the Kennebec Valley YMCA Stingrays, and also excelled in the classroom, serving as the vice president of the National Honor Society, earning KVAC All-Academic team recognition, and graduating in the top 10 in her class.
Phoebe Johnston excelled at the club swimming level in Richmond, Virginia, serving as co-captain of the Hanover Aquatics team as a senior and also swimming with the Sandston Stingrays and the Poseidon Hanover team growing up, while also starring as a club soccer player with the Spirit Warhawks in the offseason.
She comes to Hillsdale with personal bests of 59.77 in the 100 butterfly, 2:15 in the 200 butterfly, 2:18 in the 200 IM and 4:53 in the 400 IM, and excelled in the classroom, graduating with honors, earning membership in the National Society of High School Scholars, and earning a medal for her achievements on the National Latin Exam.
Caroline Holmes comes from Tri-Valley High School in Dresden, Ohio, east of Columbus, where she was a two-time State Meet qualifier and All-State swimmer for the Scotties, finishing fifth in Division II in the 100 backstroke at the 2020 final. She also made the OHSSCA All-Ohio team twice and set the school record in every swimming event but the 50 freestyle.
Outside of the high school season, Holmes swam with the Pau Hana Swim Team, and comes to Hillsdale with personal bests of 57.70 in the 100 back, 2:08.42 in the 200 back, 53.46 in the 100 free and 1:52.92 in the 200 free.
In the classroom, Holmes was a member of the National Honor Society and won the 2020 MVESC Outstanding Senior Award, as well as the 2020 OHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award and the 2020 OHSSCA Academic All-Ohio Award for her athletic and academic excellence.
Amy Mills joins Buchanan to give Hillsdale College two recruits from Texas in the 2020-21 class, coming from Conroe and the iSchool High of the Woodlands. She was a standout for the Conroe Area Team Swimmers, focusing exclusively on club swimming, and comes to Hillsdale with personal bests of 2:12.84 in the 200 IM and 4:36.77 in the 400 IM.
An excellent student, Mills was a member of the National Honor Society at her school, and took advantage of the Woodlands' dual-enrollment program to earn an Associate's Degree from Lone Star Community College in 2019, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She also served as a delegate to the Republican Senatorial District Convention this March and will be traveling to the Texas State Convention in Houston in July to serve as a delegate.
Sarah Pataniczek is one of two swimmers in the class hailing from Michigan, and was an All-State athlete and a record-setter at Grand Rapids Northview in the western part of the state. She finished in the top eight in three events at the MHSAA Division 2 state final as both a sophomore and a junior, and earned multiple Ottawa-Kent White Conference honors throughout her career.
Outside of the high school season, Pataniczek swam with the Rapid Area YMCA, and comes to Hillsdale with personal bests of 1:54.22 in the 200 freestyle, 52.74 in the 100 free, 24.44 in the 50 free, and 58.1 in the 100 butterfly. In the classroom, Pataniczek also excelled, graduating Summa Cum Laude and serving as a member of the national honor society. In her spare time, she also served as a volunteer swim coach.
Libby Stacey joins the Charger swim team from Lake Orion, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep High School. A four-year varsity swimmer for the Fighting Irish, Stacey earned All-State honors all four years and swam on three relays that earned top eight finishes at the MHSAA Division 3 state finals in 2018 and 2019.
She also served as team captain for Notre Dame Prep and won the Fighting Irish Award for team spirit and leadership during her high school career. Outside of the high school season, Stacey swam for the Liquid Lightning swim club, and comes to Hillsdale with personal bests of 25.65 in the 50 freestyle and 55.02 in the 100 free.
An excellent student, Stacey graduated with highest honors and was a member of the National Honor Society board at Notre Dame Prep. In her spare time, she also volunteered as a Sunday School teacher at St. Joseph's Catholic Church.