Saratoga Swim and Dive Team Wins First Sectional Title in 23 Years

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In the career of an athlete or coach, moments of pure ecstasy can be few and far between, if indeed they happen at all. Perhaps someone who has devoted much of their life to baseball will experience the otherworldly sensation of a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth of a championship game. Maybe a football star will feel the thrill of catching a game-winning Hail Mary pass in the endzone as the final seconds of the fourth quarter tick off the clock. For many, these are just dreams. But for the Saratoga Springs girls swim and dive team, the fantasies have been fulfilled. 

“There were points where we questioned whether we’d ever be able to bring home a championship for Saratoga,” said the team’s Head Coach Joshua Muldner. “Many of us were pretty teary after that… It was really, really emotional.”

The seemingly impossible moment arrived last weekend, when the swim and dive squad won its first Section 2 championship in 23 years after an undefeated regular season. The Blue Streaks defeated Niskayuna with a total score of 434, 70 points better than the runners-up. After securing the title, Muldner and his staff of volunteer coaches lept into the pool to join their victorious athletes. 

It was the culmination of a season that opened with back-to-back victories against Niskayuna and Shenendehowa, two schools that historically have been tough challengers for Saratoga. Throughout the year, records were shattered and names were added to the history books, with eight athletes making the list of all-time top times.

“This was a magical team season,” Muldner said in a statement. “Although there are a lot of individual and relay highlights, I really believe the biggest accomplishment was getting contributions from every team member. We don’t beat Shen or Nisky in dual meets or at sectionals without extraordinary contributions from each member of the team. We did not focus on going undefeated or winning a sectional title. In fact, we never spoke about these things as a group. Instead, these athletes zeroed in on what they could control. They trusted the process, focusing on the little things, and the results followed.”

At sectionals, the Blue Streaks earned state-qualifying times in the 200-yard medley relay, the 100 backstroke, the 100 breaststroke, and diving. Victoria Lill will head to states after finishing second in the backstroke with a time of 58.95 seconds. Saturn Cogan will also make the trip to the state championship thanks to her 100-breaststroke time of 1:08.51. The medley relay team of Lill, Cogan, Cadhla Weil, and Catherine Kim also qualified. These four athletes joined divers Gianna DiMaggio and Amelia Covey in qualifying for the New York State Championship meet scheduled to take place on Nov. 21 and 22. (The last time Saratoga sent two divers to states was in 2019.)

Also at the sectional meet, senior DiMaggio scored a 531.70 at the 11-dive, which was more than 45 points higher than the diver who finished second. Covey scored an impressive 465.25, earning fifth place. 

During the regular season, DiMaggio broke school records at both Schenectady (6-dive meet) and Bethlehem (11-dive meet). This is in addition to her shattering her own Saratoga Springs High School record. DiMaggio is now ranked 4th in the state for 6-dives and tied for 7th in New York for 11-dives. She has been recruited by the University of Richmond, where she will continue her diving career next fall as part of a Division 1 NCAA program.

“It’s funny, there weren’t as many nerves as I thought there would be with a brand new group of girls,” Muldner said. “They really stepped up. I think they were excited. I think they trusted each other.”

Trust is a crucial part of Muldner’s program, and his mantra is “trust the process.” He credited this “positive and team-oriented mindset” with helping the Blue Streaks acquire both their undefeated season and a sectional title.

“Throughout this season, the coaching staff was continually impressed by our team’s exceptional work ethic, their ability to listen and learn, and their willingness to trust the process,” Muldner said. “This was one of the most fun and rewarding teams [the coaches] ever had the privilege to coach.”

Muldner added: “The 2025 season will be remembered by coaches, athletes, and families as one of the most extraordinary in Saratoga Springs swim and dive history. A dynamic blend of experienced, high-performing veterans and a talented group of new athletes came together to form a unified, driven, and record-breaking team—one that truly embodies the best of what high school student athletics can be.”

Highlights from the 2025 swim and dive season included:

5 new freshman records

200 Medley Relay: 10/11/25 at Albany – Time: 1:59.64

Victoria Lill: 29.19

Skylar Panetta: 34.93

Catherine Kim: 28.87

Maeve Moynahan: 26.65

200 Free Relay – 09/30/25 at Skidmore – Time 1:48.16

Victoria Lill – 26.41

Maeve Moynahan – 27.38

Skylar Panetta – 28.01

Catherin Kim – 26.36

400 Medley Relay – 10/8/2025 at Schenectady – Time: 3:57.31

Skylar Panetta – 1:00.27

Victoria Lill – 59.32

Catherine Kim – 59.39

Maeve Moynahan – 58.33

100 Backstroke – 11/8/25 at Shen – Time: 58.95

200 IM – Skylar Panetta – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 2:15.29

All-time, top-10 changes in program history

6 Dive Changes: #1) Gianna DiMaggio – 10/28/25 at Skidmore – Score: 310.25

11 Dive changes: #1) Gianna DiMaggio – 11/6/25 at Shen – Score: 531.70 & # 9) Amelia Covey – 11/6/25 at Shen – Score 465.25

100 Backstroke: #2) Victoria Lill – 11/8/25 at Shen – Time: 58.95 & #4) Cadhla Weil – 11/8/25 at Shen – Time 1:00.43

200 IM: #10) Skylar Panetta – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 2:15.29 

50 Free: #9) Cadhla Weil – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 25.30

100 Fly: #7) Ella Nacheman – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 1:01.12

500 Free: #5) Maeve Moynahan – 11/8/25 at Shen – Time: 5:17.00

100 Breast: #6) Saturn Cogan – 11/7/25 at Shen – Time: 1:08.51