Head coach and former Hawkeye swimmer Liz VandeWege hopes an experienced senior class can lead Hamilton to another top-10 finish at the state finals

For head coach Liz VandeWege, leading the Hamilton girls swim and dive program means carrying forward a standard she experienced firsthand as a Hawkeye.

VandeWege swam for longtime Hamilton coach and current athletic director Eric Talsma from 2008 through 2011. She credits Talsma with establishing the expectations that continue to define Hamilton swimming today.

“He set the standard of what Hamilton swimming is,” VandeWege said. “He made it what it is. Matt Oonk followed in his footsteps and continued on with the legacy, so I’m trying to continue the legacy that I learned from both of them.”

That standard includes competing among Michigan’s best, improving throughout the season and discovering what can be accomplished through hard work.

“The girls have to work extremely hard—harder than they ever thought they physically or mentally could—so that we can get to the places that we want to go,” VandeWege said.

Hamilton enters the 2026 season with 20 student-athletes, including 15 swimmers and five divers. Seven seniors will provide experience and leadership for the Hawkeyes.

VandeWege calls that group the team’s “core seven” and expects its members to play an important role in dual meets and at the state finals.

“They’re going to be the ones scoring at the state meet and getting us a lot of our points in dual meets,” she said. “I’m hoping for a top-10 finish at state with a lot of our senior girls and some of our underclassmen as well.”

Reaching that goal will require the Hawkeyes to navigate a demanding schedule. Hamilton competes in one of Michigan’s strongest swimming and diving conferences in the OK Lakeshore, with several teams regularly finishing near the top of the state standings.

VandeWege knows every conference meet will provide a difficult test, but she believes those challenges will help prepare the Hawkeyes for the postseason.

“As long as we can compete, I’m going to be excited with what we can do,” she said.

Hamilton’s returning swimmers and divers already understand the program’s expectations. VandeWege hopes they will set the tone while helping the team’s younger members adjust and grow.

“Our returners know what to expect and know what to do,” VandeWege said. “I’m hoping they’ll guide our younger underclassmen to continue with the fire and build on what this program is—and what I hope it can be for the future.”

With an experienced senior class, talented underclassmen and a commitment to the tradition established by those who came before them, the Hawkeyes are ready to continue the Hamilton standard in 2026.