ECU Opens Season At UNC Asheville Friday

September 29, 2022 | Women's Swimming and Diving

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina women's swimming and diving team is set to open the 2022-23 campaign on Friday, Sept. 30 when it travels to UNC Asheville for a weekend meet. Diving action will get underway at 4 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center on Friday, while the swimming competition will take place Saturday, Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.

This year's roster consists of 10 returners in Meghan Armstrong, Alayna Carlson, Meghan French, Rachel Gibson, Ava Iannetta, Anna Otto, Randi Palandro, Flanary Patterson, Caitlin Reynera and Polina Rukosuev. Last year, the senior duo of Reynera and Rukosuev continued the program's success in the pool during The American Championships as both earned all-conference accolades after claiming bronze in two of their events.

Jabs and his staff, which includes Riley Hilbrandt (assistant coach), Ryan McIntire (diving coach) and Mia Cote (student assistant), also welcome in 16 student-athletes in transfers Laura Kellberg, Lizzy Linartas, Morgan Reilly, and Brynna Wolfe, along with freshmen Kendall Bensen, Rachael Brown, Heidi Bruining, Emily Campbell, Sadie Covington, Emilee Hamblin, Sara Kalawska, Averi McQuitty, Claire Mowery, Caitlin Irvine Smith, Abigail Tomlinson and Morgan Yuengling.

Jabs served as the head women's swimming and diving coach for four seasons (2017-20, 2021), following 17 years as an assistant coach to ECU Hall of Fame coach Rick Kobe.

Under his guidance, ECU's dual meet record was a combined 37-26 (M 16-9, W 21-17). In that time, the Pirates set 66 school records, (38 varsity/28 freshman) won 26 American Athletic Conference championship events, with 52 all-conference athletes accumulating 79 all-conference performances. He led ECU to the 2020 American Athletic Conference Men's Swimming & Diving championship and earned the league's Coach-of-the-Year award.