SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- Mount Holyoke swimming and diving celebrated Senior Day on Saturday with an enjoyable 147-119 dual-meet victory over visiting Simmons University.
The Lyons will host the Sisters Invitational next Saturday and Sunday, but honored their senior team members Saturday in their final home dual meet: Hannah Heierhoff (Wiesbaden, Germany), Annabeth Loftman (Menlo Park, Calif.), Madison Newsham (Wilmette, Ill.), Megan Schneider (Newton, Mass.), Noa Sharabi (Richmond, Calif.), Emily Tarinelli (Groton, Conn.) and Kamlyn Yosick (Portland, Ore.).
Top event performances and highlights by Mount Holyoke included:
- First-year Katherine Upton (Cambridge, Mass.) placed first in the 1 meter and 3 meter diving events.
- Tarinelli placed second in the 100 yard butterfly.
- Yosick was a key participant in both the 200 yard freestyle and medley relay.
- Loftman placed fourth in both the 50 and 100 yard breaststroke events.
- Heierhoff placed second in the 200 yard freestyle and third in the 50 yard freestyle.
- Sharabi placed third in the 50 and 100 yard breaststroke and second in the 1 meter diving event.
- Schneider placed first in both the 50 and 100 yard breaststroke.
The Lyons are on the road for their next meet against Vassar College and Trinity College, hosted by Vassar on January 13th.
Senior Recogntion
Hannah Heierhoff
Hannah is a double major in Mathematics and French. She has been swimming since she was five years old and her main events are distance freestyle and fly. Hannah has loved being a part of the swim team, and especially the friends she has made here. She will cherish the memories that were made with the team long past graduation: including training trips to Florida, team breakfasts, Mountain Days and late night bus rides. She would like to thank this team for being such a welcoming environment and a home away from home. She would especially like to shout out the distance squad who have made even the hardest practices seem easy. She would also like to thank Bill for his sense of humour and all the laughs. Thank you to Kevin for pool-side interviews and cheering the team through practice and, last but not least, thank you to Dave for his unwavering support and acceptance throughout her time at Mount Holyoke – in and out of the pool. None of these experiences would have been possible without Hannah's Mum and Dad, Emma or Molly whose love and support have always made her feel like she belonged. After graduating, Hannah is excited to attend law school and maybe try out a new water sport.
Annabeth Loftman
Annabeth is a Neuroscience & Behavior major with a Chemistry minor on the pre-medicine track. She began swimming competitively her sophomore year of high school and never thought that she would swim in college, but thanks to the amazing team culture she has felt inspired to continue her swimming career. She would like to thank Dave for making such a team possible through all he does, as well as Bill and more recently Kevin for all of their help and support. Annabeth is grateful for the fun times and healthy challenges that the swim team provides. Beyond MHC, Annabeth is excited to work in a research lab before continuing on to attend medical school. Eventually, her goal is to work in clinical research.
Madison Newsham
Madison is a Sociology major with an Art History minor. She began swimming her sophomore year of high school and immediately fell in love with the sport. When starting at Mount Holyoke, she didn't think she would be able to swim in college, but thanks to Dave's encouragement and a welcoming team, she was able to continue her swimming career. She would like to thank her coaches for creating an environment that is fun while pushing her to grow both inside the pool and out. Bill for his positivity, thoughtfulness, and constant support. Kevin for all of his help and kindness. And to Dave, for always being there and helping to make four wobbly seasons the best they could be so she could stay a part of the team. Lastly, Madison would like to thank her parents for their love and support, and for all they've done to help her through her time at Mount Holyoke. After graduation, Madison will move back home and work in a museum or gallery space before moving to New Zealand.
Megan Schneider
Megan is a Data Science major and Chinese minor and swims sprint freestyle and breaststroke on the team. Following graduation, she hopes to find a job in data science or analytics. Megan has made the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference Team for the past two years, and in her sophomore year, she was nominated for the All-Lyons Team. She also anchored the 200 medley relay that broke the school record. Megan is grateful to have been able to grow over the past four years with a supportive and hardworking team. She would like to thank her coaches and teammates for making her time at Mount Holyoke so special and memorable and for always pushing her to improve. She gives special thanks to her former roommate and teammate, Adji, for all of her support and for coming to the meet today.
Noa Sharabi
Noa is a Biology major with a minor in German Studies and a Five College Certificate in Culture, Health, and Science. She has been swimming competitively since the age of 7 and began diving during her time at Mount Holyoke. Her athletic journey has not been simple, particularly due to injury, but she is deeply grateful for the support of those who have helped her continue swimming and try something new with diving. At MHC her teammates have become her closest friends, and she's appreciated all the laughs and lasting memories. She would like to thank her parents for their unwavering support and for encouraging her to pursue collegiate swimming. She would also like to thank her MHC coaches: to Bill for the meaningful conversations and technique work, to Kevin for his humor and hard work, and to Maddy for her leadership as both a teammate and coach. Special thanks go to Dave for creating a welcoming space on the team and offering guidance both on deck and in life. Through her experience with MHC Swim and Dive, Noa has learned that one failure does not define a person. Looking ahead, she plans to pursue a Master's degree before ultimately attending medical school.
Emily Tarinelli
Emily Tarinelli is majoring in English with a minor in Gender Studies and a Nexus in Journalism, Media and Public Discourse. This season, she is a co-captain of the swimming and diving team. Throughout her time on the team, she received the NEWMAC Sportsmanship Award and academic all-conference honors. Her favorite team memories are all the little things, like team dinners, movie nights, and anything that meant spending time with her teammates. Outside of swimming, she is the Managing Editor of Content at Mount Holyoke News, MHC's independent student newspaper. After graduating from Mount Holyoke, she intends to pursue a career in journalism. She is endlessly grateful for her Mom and her Dad, for their constant love and unwavering support of her no matter what; Coaches Dave, Bill, and Kevin for pushing her to be the best she can be; and her teammates, for nerding out with her and making swimming her favorite part of Mount Holyoke.
Kamlyn Yosick
Kamlyn is majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Anthropology and a Five College Certificate in Cognitive Neuroscience. She swims sprint freestyle, and has done so ever since joining her local summer swim league at the age of 7. Her Mount Holyoke Swive teammates have become her closest friends, and she loves every moment with the team, from the big ones–like the training trip and NEWMACs–to the little ones–like post-lift team breakfasts and weekend hang-outs. Kamlyn would like to thank her mom, for first encouraging her to learn the important survival skill of swimming, as well as Dave and Kevin for their coaching and support. She would also like to shout out Bill for his continuous generosity and encouragement over the past few years, both in the water and in the lab, and the athletic trainers for their guidance and patience over various injuries. After college, Kamlyn plans to work as a science tech for a few years before attending graduate school.
