NORTON, Mass. – Elizabeth Bernardy '20 has been named the Head Coach for both the Men's Swimming & Diving and Women's Swimming & diving programs at Wheaton College (Mass.), it was announced today by Gavin Viano, Associate Vice President for Athletics & Strategic Programs.
"We're thrilled to welcome Elizabeth back to Wheaton as our next head coach for men's & women's swimming & diving," said Viano. "Elizabeth understands firsthand the importance of the scholar-athlete experience at the College as a former two-sport varsity athlete herself, in track & field in addition to swimming & diving. Elizabeth played a part in creating the excellent culture which has been built in Balfour Natatorium over the past decade plus as a student-athlete, she has gained valuable coaching experience within the NEWMAC via her time at Smith College, and we are excited to have her lead the program moving forward. It's a great day for Wheaton Athletics!"
Bernardy becomes the fifth Head Coach in program history and returns to Norton, where she witnessed first-hand the ascension of the Wheaton Swimming & Diving team as a four-year standout from 2016 to 2020. The Western Massachusetts native earned All-Conference Second Team honors a combined four times after reaching Second Team status as a part of the 200 and 400-yard medley relays for the Lyons in 2017 as a breaststroker and again in both events as a junior in 2019. Wheaton enjoyed outstanding success during her time with the Lyons, posting a combined four-year dual meet record of 44-13 in addition to placing third at the NEWMAC Championship in her rookie campaign, before placing as the runner-up in the NEWAC title meet in each of her final three seasons. Bernardy was part of a squad that earned three consecutive trips to the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship for the first time in school history.
Upon her graduation from Wheaton in 2020, Bernardy continued her growth in the sport of swimming & diving with a two-year stint as an Assistant Coach for conference foe Smith College. She helped oversee a Pioneer team that qualified for the NCAA Championship in both seasons that she was a part of the coaching staff. Most recently, Bernardy was entrusted with the future of the Smith Swimming & Diving program after being elevated to interim Co-Head Coach in February 2023.
In between her stops at Wheaton and Smith, Bernardy really took pride and time in teaching and developing swimmers at the middle school level at the Bennington Recreation Center in Pownal, Vt. and honed her instructional skills as a coach with Purple Valley Aquatics in Williamstown Mass. She got her first taste of developing competitive workouts, while instituting proper technique during this time, before building on her knowledge and broadening her status as a coach at the collegiate level for Smith.
The former NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honoree will assume the reins of a Wheaton Swimming & Diving program, which has made great strides on both the women's and men's sides of the pool. The Lyons have placed second in the women's NEWMAC Swimming & Diving Championship five straight times, while the Wheaton men increased its previous point total by 183 points from the year before as one of the most improved programs in the NEWMAC. The men supplanted five school records and earned five conference Swimmer or Diver of the Week accolades handed out by the NEWAC during the 2022-23 season.
Bernardy graduated from Wheaton in 2020 with a degree in Early Childhood Education and Psychology, before being awarded a Masters of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Studies from Smith in 2023.
