This is the moment that a lot have been waiting for as the Jamestown Community College women’s swimming & diving team will be competing at nationals this week in Fort Pierce, Florida.

“After a great regular season, our student-athletes have had a great few weeks of training and preparation,” said head coach Todd Conklin. “I feel that they are ready to have some great drops and fast swims.

The Jayhawks, who are in their first season of competition since 2018, captured the Western New York Athletic Conference championship, going a perfect 4-0 during the regular season. Jamestown CC also came away with the Region 3 championship.

“We have a lot of student-athletes that will push to be in the championship heats,” added Conklin. “Our student-athletes have been in state meets and performed at the biggest stage.”

To lead the pack, sophomore Karianne Yuchnitz (Panama/Panama) will bring her school records in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle to the pool. Yuchnitz is the second seed in the 50-yard freestyle and the sixth seed in the 100-yard freestyle. Yuchnitz has been dominant in these events in the region, being named to the First Team All-Region team in both events.

Yuchnitz also has put herself in a good position in the 50-yard butterfly and 100-yard butterfly, being the fifth and ninth seed, respectively. Yuchnitz was also named to the Second Team All-Region team in the 100-yard butterfly.

Freshman Tia Moppert (Gowanda/Gowanda) will bring her First Team All-Region, and new school-record, time in the 100-yard butterfly to the national meet with the eight seed. Moppert will also be competing in two events where she was a Second Team All-Region selection in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard individual medley with the 13th and sixth seed. Moppert will also be competing in the 200-yard individual medley as the 13th seed.

Sophomore Lillian Baer (Jamestown/Maple Grove) has also had a strong season where she will bring her First Team All-Region times in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke to the pool with the ninth seed for each event. Baer will also compete in the 100-yard individual medley as the ninth seed and 50-yard breaststroke, where she was named Second Team All-Region, as the 10th seed.

Freshman Anna Burt (Jamestown/Jamestown) will be competing in the 50-yard backstroke as the 12th seed, an event where she was named First Team All-Region, and be the 12th seed in the 200-yard backstroke. Burt made Second Team All-Region in the 200-yard backstroke with her times on the year. Burt will also be competing in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley, seeded 13th and 17th, respectively.

Freshman Jade Vidas (Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa/Parktown HS for Girls) will also be bringing her First Team All-Region and school record in the 100-yard individual medley time to the national meet with the seven seed. Vidas, who made the Second Team All-Region in the 200-yard individual medley, will start out with the 12th seed. Vidas will also be competing in the 100-yard butterfly and 50-yard butterfly as the 10th and ninth seed.

Freshman Megan Stang (Perrysburg/Gowanda) will bring her Second Team All-Region times in the 200-yard breaststroke, 1,000-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle to the pool. Stang will be the 10th seed in the 200-yard breaststroke, 12th seed in the 100-yard freestyle and the 11th seed in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Stang will also compete in the 100-yard breaststroke as the 10th seed.

Freshman Alyssa Hanesworth (Randolph/Randolph) rounds out the Jayhawk swimmers that will be competing at nationals. Hanesworth has made significant improvements throughout the season.

“I can’t be more excited for our student-athletes to be going to nationals,” Conklin said. “I believe our team will have a good showing. As a coaching staff, we are excited to see where their hard work will place them. This team have work hard and overcame so much. Our student-athletes have written their own stories and we hope to write a great final chapter.”

Swimming will get started Wednesday at Indian River State College.