Pittsford swim coach celebrates significant milestone for top-ranked team

"Someday we'll lose. Nobody wins forever."

Those words came from Pittsford coach Rick Schmitt after his boys swimming and diving team defeated visiting Fairport 107-61 Jan. 16 at Mendon High School. Calvin Braun, Merick Weisman, Neel Stancampiano, Gage Van Quekelberg, Will Straub and Andrew Shen celebrated their senior night. Assistant coach Marty Keating, the longtime girls coach who is in his final season assisting the boys team, was also honored.

Two days prior, Schmitt, the 2024 All-Greater Rochester Coach of the Year, won his 100th dual meet in 10 years at Webster. Schmitt's Panthers would end the season the regular season 10-0. They've won 30 straight dual meets and have lost just once — Canandaigua in 2021 — since 2012. Not to mention, Pittsford is the winner of 22 consecutive Section V championships.

For opposing Section V swim team, it's easy to consider it a loss whenever Pittsford is on their schedule. But Schmitt's Panthers have earned their dominance. His kids never question practicing on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve while others rest, on top of competing outside of the school season.

"They know they have to do their part for me to do my part," Schmitt said. "It's pretty special. Winning and the streak takes care of itself."

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"Rick really preps us. ... He works us as hard as we can. He pushes us even when we think we can't keep going," Van Quekelberg said.

Shaping Pittsford's program

Each of Pittsford's teams are as distinct as snowflakes.

Three seasons ago, 2022 AGR co-Athlete of the Year Daley Fraser became the program's first diving state champion before competing at the University of Pittsburgh. Pittsford hasn't had a diver qualify for sectionals since, but managed to win the 2024 Section V Class A title by sweeping all 11 swim events.

"Each team has its story, but the program is the same story. The kids know their expectation. You shape the program to fit the team."

Schmitt compared his lack of diving depth to facing scarcities any swim event. He has a strong contingent of swimmers again, though 23 of his 32 swimmers are underclassmen. Kosta Oluic, for instance, is an eighth-grader who's qualified for multiple New York state events. He often races against sophomore Billy Sanderson in practices and meets. Each boy can swim any event.

Braun is one of the senior leaders who thrives in the individual medley, breaststroke and sprint freestyles. In 2024, Braun swam through an illness to help Pittsford's 200-yard freestyle relay team break the Section V record, dropping even more times at states to set the mark at 1:24.30 during a second-place finish.

This winter has seen the introduction of the Section V Coaches Poll. Pittsford was No. 1 on both, receiving all 10 first-place votes each time.

With the Section V swim championships coming up this week, is there a local team capable of dethroning Pittsford despite their depth in many events?

"If somebody had all the parts, they'd give us a run," Schmitt said.

— Marquel Slaughter is a journalist for the Democrat and Chronicle, specializing in high school sports. He won numerous Associated Press and NYNPA awards for his work in print and broadcasting throughout his 15-year career as a reporter. Follow him @MarquelSports and X and Instagram. You can email him at [email protected].