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2018-19 Hope College Women's Swimming & Diving Preview By Alan Babbitt

Flying Dutch At A Glance

Roster Size: 29

Returning Letterwinners: 20

Co-Head Coaches: John Patnott (39th season) and Jake Taber (1st season)

Assistant Coaches: Kyle Garase (first season) and Rebecca Garza (second season)

2017-18 Team Highlights: College Swim Coaches Association of America Scholar All-America team, Four CSCAA Scholar All-Americans, MIAA Team GPA award recipient, 19 members of MIAA Academic Honor Roll, 8 individual and 1 relay MIAA champion, and second-place finish in team standings at MIAA Championships.

Captains: Betsy Craig, Erin Emmert (pictured), Sara Plohetski, Alison Sobkowski

Team Makeup: Six seniors, six juniors, nine sophomores and eight freshmen

2018-19 Roster

Sophomore Meg Peel of Spring Lake, Michigan (Spring Lake HS) returns after finishing 23rd in the nation in the 200-yard backstroke at last season's NCAA Division III Championships and 29th in the nation in the 200 backstroke. She was MIAA champion in the 100 and 200 backstroke as a freshman.

Sophomore Paula Nolte of Elmhurst, Illinois (York Community HS) also claimed two individiual MIAA titles last season: the 100 and 200 breaststroke. She also swam on the MIAA champion 400 medley relay with Meg Peel, the graduated Chloe Palajac, and senior Sydney Asselin of Holland, Michigan (Holland Christian HS).

Junior Erin Emmert of Grand Blanc, Michigan (Flint Powers Catholic HS) captured an MIAA title in the 200 butterfly last season. Sophomore Emma Schaefer of DeWitt, Michigan (St. Johns HS) is the returning MIAA champion in the 400 individual medley.

Sydney Asselin, Meg Peel and Emma Schaefer were part of last season's 200 and 400 medley relays that that finished 26th and 24th, respectively, at the 2018 NCAA Division III Championships.

Paula Nolte by Lynne Powe

Co-Head Coaches

John Patnott, pictured at left, started the Hope College swimming program in 1978 and has coached 120 All-Americans and had national champions 31 times during his Hope career. He has also had 41 Academic All-Americans since 1984. He announced on April 20, 2018, that he will retire following the conclusion of the 2018-19 season.

Jake Taber, pictured at right, returns to his alma mater after successful head coaching stints at Albion College (2012-18) and Olivet College (2007-2012). He swam for John Patnott before graduating in 2004. He also was an assistant coach for Patnott for three seasons at Hope before becoming a head coach.

Diver Sara Plohetski by Lynne Powe

2018-19 Schedule

Emma Schaefer, pictured, and the Flying Dutch's first meet of the 2018-19 season is Friday, October 26 at the MIAA Relays at Holland Community Aquatic Center beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Other home meets include Friday, November 2 against Davenport University at the Kresge Natatorium on campus, Saturday, January 26 against Albion College at Kresge Natatorium; Saturday, February 2 vs. Alma College and Kresge Natatorium; and Saturday, February 9 vs. Calvin College at Holland Community Aquatic Center.

Hope College will host the 2019 MIAA Championships at Holland Community Aquatic Center on Wednesday-Saturday, February 20-23.

Alison Sobkowski by Lynne Powe

Coaches Outlooks

John Patnott - "I think we are better in the freestyle events this year, maybe a little deeper in the stroke events. Calvin dominated the freestyle events last year. We dominated the stroke events. I think it's going to be a close meet at conference."
Jake Taber — "We have a small army of breaststrokers. Part of our challenge as coaches might be picking the hot hand in events. Our depth is a great problem to have."

Photo of Betsy Craig by Lynne Powe

Meg Peel by Lynne Powe

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