By Wyatt Cory

A new school year means new students, new classes, new friends and even new athletic teams. Chatham University athletics has added multiple new sports teams this year, including a men’s swimming and diving program.

With the season only a few weeks away, everyone involved is excited to see this new team in action.

“I’m excited to see everything I pictured last year come together,” said head coach Rebecca Yost. “When you’re leading up to it, you have this great picture of what you have in mind for the team and the goals you set out. I’m really excited to see those come to life and to see the guys put in the work and get this program up and running.”

The team so far only has three swimmers.

“I think this means that the three of us play a really important role and we need to make the most of it,” said Nate Kerchensky ’23, a member of the team. “I want to see us get better and improve as the season goes on.”

There is a common mindset in and around the team; they need to focus on building a strong core and baseline for the new swimmers. The biggest goal for the team is to create strong chemistry between not only the swimmers but also the coaches.

“I try to take steps as a coach to do things as a team,” Yost said. So far, the team has had team dinners and ice cream outings as a way to help build these relationships between athletes and coaches.

“It’s important to create those bonds but also create memories that happen outside of the pool,” Yost added.

This is not the first time Coach Yost has been a part of an up-and-coming team. In the past she helped start up the Frostburg State University men’s swim team as an assistant and is now able to bring that experience to Chatham.

“I was able to get three years of hands-on experience of what it’s like to grow a team and bring it from a sixth in the conference to third in the conference,” she said.

Yost plans on bringing that same success to Chatham’s programs, as well.

The season begins for the Cougars on Oct. 19 when they swim against Bethany College in their first PAC meet at the Sigo Falk Natatorium.