GENEVA, N.Y.– Hobart and William Smith Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Brian Miller recently announced that Elizabeth Bernardy will serve as the next head coach of the Hobart and William Smith swimming & diving programs.

"Elizabeth brings a ton of energy and depth of experience to the position," says Miller. "Her work and successes at both Smith and Wheaton speaks for itself."

Bernardy comes to Geneva after one year as the head coach of the men's and women's swimming & diving programs at Wheaton College. In her time with the Lyons, Bernardy led the women's program to a 9-2 dual meet record and a third-place finish at the NEWMAC Championships. Additionally, four Lyons qualified for the NCAA Division III Women's Swimming & Diving Championships. She led the men's program to a 5-5 record and a fifth-place finish at the conference championships.

"Her vision for what HWS swimming & diving can look like aligns perfectly with what the Colleges are imagining," says Miller. "We are happy to have her aboard and I look forward to seeing her develop and lead the program into the future."

Prior to her time at Wheaton, Bernardy was the graduate assistant swimming & diving coach at Smith College for two seasons before being elevated to Interim Co-Head Coach in February of 2023. In her two seasons with the Pioneers, she mentored a swimmer who earned back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances. Bernardy also spent her time as an exercise and sports studies instructor at Smith.

Bernardy graduated from Wheaton in 2020 with a degree in early childhood education and psychology, while also being a four-year member of the swimming and diving team as well as the track and field team. She went on to obtain a master's in exercise and sports studies from Smith in 2023.

In her time at Wheaton, she was named to the All-NEWMAC second team four times. Bernardy and her teammates combined for a four-year dual meet record of 44-13 and finished as the NEWMAC runners-up in three of her four seasons. She was a school record holder in multiple events during her career.

"I'm incredibly honored for the opportunity to lead the swimming and diving programs at HWS," says Bernardy. "I'm looking forward to joining such a talented athletic staff in supporting the mission of the colleges. My biggest priority is fostering an environment of excellence both in and out of the pool while reaching new heights as a program."