SAN MATEO — Before the results of the last relay race echoed through the crowd at San Mateo College, Hawks’ coaches Jason Craighead and Kelly Gentry started taking off their layers. First, they removed their coats and extra shirts. Then their shoes and socks.
The reason wasn’t due to excessive warmth — a bitter chill swept through the surrounding area of the pool, causing most to bundle up. The sun that had provided a warm escape was creeping towards the horizon, adding to the cold air.
Rather, they were getting ready for their traditional victory plunge. It is customary for the coaches of the championship-winning school to be tossed into the water by their team.
Both coaches know the drill. This will be the third year in a row they find themselves walking the plank.
Yet both wore an exciting glint on their face. Part of it was once again leading a successful season. More importantly, it was who would be pushing them. The last two years, it’s been the men.
This season, after a six-year drought, the women would do the honors.
“It feels really good for our women’s aquatics program, let alone our women’s teams on our campus in general,” head coach Craighead said. “It’s just really good to have our women’s team’s balance that (success of male teams) out and kind of remind everybody that they’re every bit as strong too.”
The Hawks women’s swim and dive team scored 586 points, seeing them lifting the Coast Conference Championship trophy by the poolside of the College of San Mateo on Saturday, April 20. They scored 34 more points than second-place City College of San Francisco. West Valley rounded up the podium with 540 points.
From 2015 to 2019, the women’s program dominated, winning four conference titles. But since the COVID-plagued 2020 season, they had failed to raise another banner. This year, they reclaimed their spot as the Coast Conference elite.
The difference to years prior lay in key individual performances buoyed by a larger roster able to score consistent points throughout every event.
“We had people willing to go out and swim all sorts of things,” sophomore Makenzie Duffin said. “Whether or not it was something they were comfortable swimming, just get the job done, and it worked. So we have a lot of people to thank for doing a lot of hard things this weekend.”
Five days before the swimmers arrived in San Mateo, they already gained a significant advantage. Their divers showed out.
On April 12, all of the divers from the Coast Conference kicked off the championship at Santa Rosa College. Freshman Ainsley Wade led the way, winning on both the one and three-meter boards. She was named the Women’s Diver of the Year.
Sophomore Sarah Dorn, who won both events in last year’s conference championships, earned second on the one-meter board and third on the three-meter board. Sophomore Annie Holm added a fourth and fifth place while Ashley May finished seventh on the one-meter board.
When it came time for the swimmers, the Hawks were led by Duffin. She won all three of her individual events — 500 yard freestyle, 200 yard freestyle and 1650 yard freestyle. She added a fourth personal milestone with the title of the conference Women’s Co-swimmer of the Year.
Alongside the dominance of Duffin and Wade, Craighead relied on a recent rare privilege — depth. Ten different Hawks finished in the top six of individual events. In all events, both individual and relays, the Hawks women placed in the top six 24 times.
“You win it with the middle, the whole group core,” Craighead said. “It’s the depth and the commitment from that group that won the meet. They helped Makenzie win it — she didn’t carry the team by any means. No one person can in swimming. That’s the exciting part.”
Some top performances included: Caroline Guidi finishing second in the 200-yard fly, fourth in the 200-yard Individual Medley (IM) and fifth in the 400-yard IM. Ashley May earned third in the 100-yard backstroke, Amy Heath with fourth in the 200-yard backstroke, and Camryn Clendenen finished fourth in the 1650-yard freestyle.
The conference title also led to Craighead being named the Women’s Swim and Dive Coach of the Year, completing the Hawks sweep of the women’s conference honors.
Now their eyes are set on the State Championships, which Santa Rosa will host. Four Hawks qualified in individual events, with them competing in nine events. Expectations will be heightened. They hope to reinforce their conference performance.
To place one more stamp on a season that has already returned the program to its former prestigious heights.
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TOP PHOTO: Makenzie Duffin taking the Conference Championship Trophy from head coach Jason Craighead. Duffin led the way for the Hawks, earning the title of conference swimmer of the year after winning all of her individual events. (Photo by Jakob Arnarsson/ The Express)
Jakob Arnarsson is the Managing Editor and Sports Editor of The Express. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @JakobA2004
