BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's and women's swimming and diving teams, led by veteran head coach Laura Demaline, are gearing up for a strong season as they aim for the Ohio Athletic Conference Championship in 2024-25. With a focus on both talent development, the squads are determined to make a significant impact this year.

On the men's side, Coach Demaline, who is in her 14th season at the helm, returns 15 letterwinners from last year's squad, which finished fourth at the 2024 OAC Championships. Among the returning student-athletes are one OAC Champion, three All-Ohio Athletic Conference performers, and four Academic All-OAC honorees.   

All-OAC Men Returners

• Senior diver Jason Heisler (Saline, Mich.) won 12 diving events during the 2023-24 season and was the runner-up in three. Heisler earned two All-OAC honors as he was the runner-up in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events.  He was an NCAA Division III Regional Diving Championships qualifier and the OAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month for January. Heisler set a career-best mark in the 3-meter and 11-dive event with 484.30 points.  For his career, Heisler is a four-time All-OAC diver.  Out of the pool, he is a two-time Academic All-OAC honoree, two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Division III Academic All-District selection, Dean's List student and Jacket Scholar.
• Senior Austin Kingsley (Northport, N.Y.) won 14 individual events in the 2023-24 campaign and was the runner-up in five.  Kingsley earned his first two a career All-OAC honors a season ago as he finished third in the 200-yard backstroke in a school-record time of 1:53.19 and the 200-yard freestyle in a school-record time of 1:42.96.  He also is the school-record holder in the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 4:46.06.  Kingsley is a member of the school-record setting 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay teams. 
• Senior stroker Tommie McQueary (Batavia/Bethel Park) won 15 individual events during 2023-24 season and was the runner-up in two.  McQueary earned two All-OAC honors and was the back-to-back OAC Champion in the 200-yard butterfly in a school-record time of 1:50.25.  He also set the school-record in the 100-yard butterfly when he placed second at the OAC Championships in a time of 50.51.  McQueary is also a member of the school-record setting 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay teams.  For his career, McQueary is a three-time All-OAC performer and a two-time OAC Champion.  Out of the pool, he is a two-time Academic All-OAC honoree, two-time CSC Division III Academic All-District selection, Dean's List student and Jacket Scholar.

Veteran Men Returners

• Seniors Jack Kielmeyer (Westerville/South), Luke Minick (Stow/Archbishop Hoban), Davis Pickett (Akron/Firestone), Jason Tafoya (El Paso, Texas) and Erik Tagg (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley)
• Juniors Kevin Meyer (Mentor), Nolan Szuch (Springboro) and Tyler Warner (Mexico, N.Y./Mexico Academy)
• Sophomores Alex Cooper (Columbus/Thomas Worthington), Michael Gruber (Sagamore Hills/Nordonia), Ian Hochstetler (Doylestown/Wadsworth) and Owen Rogonjic (Mentor)

Coach Demaline's women's squad welcomes back 15 letterwinners from last year's squad that finished third at the 2024 OAC Championships.  Among the returning student-athletes are two OAC Champions, four All-OAC performers and four Academic All-OAC honorees.

All-OAC Women Returners

• Senior Mallory Dondorfer (Mentor) won 18 individual events during the 2023-24 campaign and was the runner-up in five.  Dondorfer earned All-OAC honors in four events.  She was the OAC Champion in the 200-yard butterfly and the OAC Runner-up in both the 200-yard individual medley and 400-yard individual medley.   Dondorfer was the lead swimmer on the OAC Runner-up 400-yard medley relay team.  She set career bests in the 50-yard backstroke with a time 28.47, 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.32, 100-yard freestyle with a time of 55.06, 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:11.24, 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:10.83 and the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:40.31.  For her career, Dondorfer is an eight-time individual All-OAC performer, three-time All-OAC champion and a three-time All-OAC relay performer.   Out of the pool, she is a two-time Academic All-OAC honoree, two-time CSC Division III Academic All-District selection, Dean's List student and Jacket Scholar.
• Sophomore diver Isabel Hershkovitz (Strongsville) won five diving events during the 2023-24 season and was the runner-up in 10.  Hershkovitz earned two All-OAC honors as she was the runner-up in the 3-meter with a career-best 335.85 points and was third in the 1-meter with a career-best 338.40 points.
• Sophomore diver Ella Steen (Madison/Painesville Riverside) won 12 diving events during the 2023-24 campaign and was the runner-up in four. Steen earned two All-OAC honors as she was the champion in the 1-meter with a career-best 373.20 points and took third in the 3-meter with a career-best time of 1:01.63.
• Sophomore freestyler Melina Roberts (Westlake), who transferred to BW in the second semester and only swam in two meets posted one runner-up and third place finish. Roberts earned two OAC honors as she placed third in the 200-yard butterfly in a career-best time of 2:16.52 and was a member of the second place 400-yard medley relay team.

Veteran Women Returners

• Senior Brooklyn Duguay (Aurora)
• Juniors Ellen Fox (Willard), Morgan Ingalls (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek), Emily Kusar (Perry), Ariel Lisy (Strongsville) and Khloe Willard (Springfield)
• Sophomores Kaela Gallion (Valley Cit/Buckeye), Zoey Hicks (Perry), Abby Marquardt (Pickerington/Central), Lainey McDaniels (Cuyahoga Falls) and Ashley Slife (Westfield Center/Cloverleaf)

The Yellow Jackets open their season on Saturday, October 19 when they travel to Wilmington for an OAC dual meet with Wilmington College in the Wilmington Natatorium at 11 a.m.  The first home meet is on Saturday, November 2 when the teams host a non-conference dual meet against Ohio Wesleyan University in the BW Natatorium inside the Lou Higgins Center at 1 p.m.