Hope College's Jake Taber Titled 2024 MIAA Women's Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year

Hope College's Jake Taber Titled 2024 MIAA Women's Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year

HUDSONVILLE, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) proudly announces Hope College's Jake Taber as the 2024 Women's Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year.

This prestigious accolade is a coaches vote based on the achievements of their colleagues both during regular- and post-season competition.

Taber was selected as the 2024 Women's Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year after leading the Flying Dutch to their fourth-straight MIAA Championship title.  With Taber at the helm of the program, Hope is currently ranked twelfth in the nation.

"This is a really humbling award but one that should recognize our entire staff," commented Taber.  "Coach Garza's divers performed at a very high level and created great opportunities for team success throughout the season; especially at the MIAA Championships.  Coach Jolly and Coach Whitman have been essential in the development and preparedness for the student athletes in this program.  I think it's also important to recognize the team and its leadership.  This is a talented and hard working group that put a lot of trust in the process - to see the conference championships come together the way that it did was very rewarding for everyone involved in the program.  I'm proud of this group and proud to be at Hope College."

Under the leadership of Taber, ten swimmers and two divers were selected to the 2024 All-MIAA First Team including 2024 MIAA Most Valuable Swimmer Greta Gidley, 2024 MIAA Most Valuable Diver Abby Koops, three-time All-MIAA honorees Sara Kraus and Grace Wesley, and two-time All-MIAA selections Katie Hermann, Lauren Ryle, Ashlea Swingewood, and Laurel Wasiniak.

The Hope women's swimming and diving program will be represented by eight swimmers at the NCAA Championships which are scheduled for March 20-23 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Since taking over the program in 2018, the Hope alum (2004) has led the Flying Dutch to five MIAA Championship titles and three NCAA Championship appearances.