NORTHAMPTON - The Smith College swimming and diving team is set to open its 2026-27 season at Union on Saturday, October 17. Events are slated to begin at 1:00pm.



Leading the Bears
Smith is led by captains Maddie Milla (Nyack, NY/Nyack), Emma Schultz (Hyattsville, MD/Elizabeth Seton), and Simran Jayasinghe (Valley Center, CA/Homeschool). The trip helped the Bears go 9-3 during dual meets a season ago. In 2026, Smith established 17 new top-five performances. Junior Jessie Wang (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) was named a NEWMAC Athlete to Watch this winter coming off a strong campaign a year ago. 

The Newcomers
The Bears welcome four first years to the roster this season. Siri Anderson (Lafayette, CO/Fairview), Madalyn Baily (Los Alamos, NM/Los Alamos), Phoebe Ballek (Allentown, PA/Salisbury), and Ava Cuellar (Spring, TX/Klein Cain) are set to make their collegiate debuts, brining strong credentials in and out of the pool. 

Coaching Staff
Caleb Potvin enters his second season at the helm of the swim and dive program. He is joined by diving coaches Joel Bierwert and Louie Bierwert and graduate assistants Katt Withers (2nd season) and Elle Immel (1st season). 

A Stellar NEWMAC Championship
The Bears had sensational performances at the 2026 NEWMAC Championships, capping off four days of incredible swimming and diving with their best finish since 2008. Smith posted numerous personal-bests, broke a school record and totaled 492 team points to finish in sixth place. The 400 medley relay squad of Abigail Caputo (Newton, MA/Newton North), Madeleine Lucas (Salem, MA/Salem), Emma Schultz (Hyattsville, MD/Elizabeth Seton), and Jessie Wang (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) set the program record in 4:03.16.

NCAA Experience
Sophomore diver Miranda Strunk (Lowell, MA/Lowell) gained valuable experience competing at the 2026 NCAA Diving Regional a season ago. She's expected to be a top competitor in the NEWMAC this season. 

About Smith Athletics Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information, log on to GoSmithBears.com and follow the Bears on Facebook and Instagram.