Lindsay Payne gets a hug from Lauren Edmondson as Laura McCarthy and Robin Kim celebrate their upset win in the 400 free relay – photo by Eric Stieger, Carleton College

Williams College has long been known as one of the best academic institutions in the country.  The swimming and diving programs at Williams have been one of the country’s NCAA Division III powerhouses for the last several decades.  Simply put, Williams offers one of the best combinations of athletics and academics in the country (any Division) and will continue to strive for greatness in the future.

Head coach Steve Kuster has been at the helm since the 1999-2000 season.  In eight seasons guiding the Ephwomen, his teams have compiled a 51-5 dual meet record (50-3 vs. Division III opponents).  The Ephs have won an impressive 20 consecutive conference championships. Kuster was named NESCAC Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2004 and 2007.  

On the national, level the Ephs have been one of the strongest teams in Division III since the introduction of women’s swimming in the early 1980s, winning the first two NCAA Division III championship meets (1982 & 1983).

The Williams women have been in the top four seven of the last eight years.  The Ephs have had countless All-Americans and several national champions. Most recently Lindsay Payne '06 won the NCAA Division III 100 breaststroke four times and also won three additional events in 2006 with three national records. The 2006 Ephs also won the 400 Free Relay and 400 Medley Relay and in 2005 captured both the 200 and 400 Medley Relays. Payne was named the Swimmer of the Meet at the NCAA Division III Championships in 2006. Coach Kuster was named National Coach of the Year in 2003 after the Ephs finished 2nd.

Academically, the Ephwomen are equally as strong.  The women’s team consistently carries one of the highest grade point averages in Division III, most recently with a team GPA of just above 3.3.

The Ephs train and compete at the Muir/Samuelson pool.  The 8-lane 50-meter pool has two bulkheads, which divide it into two 8-lane 25-yard pools. There are also two 1-meter diving boards and two 3-meter diving boards.  The pool was opened in 1989 and frequently hosts the NESCAC Championships and has hosted the NCAA Championships.

The Williams program allows athletes to compete and succeed at all levels of competition, including the highest levels in our sport and Lindsay Payne is the perfect example.  She started at Williams as a 1:07 100 breaststroker and finished her career as the national record holder at 1:00.54 and is now training for the 2008 Olympic Trials.  She recently finished 9th at the 2007 US Long Course National Championships and will represent Team USA in a meet in Chiba, Japan.  

An important ideal of Williams Swimming is not just the improvement of the student as an athlete, but also the growth and development of the student as a person.