The Swim and Dive Team has traditionally been one of the smaller programs in Cobb County - but despite it's size, North
Cobb has always been in the hunt among the "big dogs".
The history of the North Cobb High School
swimming and diving program has been filled with ups and down. The program
actually began in 1980, when the team consisted of four girls: Jackie Diederich, Virginia Diederich, Bridget Brennan and Julie
Boatner. Their coach was the legendary coach Emory Sewell (for whom the NCHS
football field is named after). Their entire season consisted two swim meets: the
Metro-Atlanta Championships and the State Championships. Jackie and Virginia
were both state title holders, as well as earning All-American honors. Virginia’s time in the 500 yard freestyle in 1982 set a state
record that lasted 18 years (it was finally broken in 2000).
Since then, the swimming and diving program
has seen a continual sequence of growth and rebuilding. The team was just
beginning to develop a respectable reputation when Harrison
High School opened in 1991, virtually splitting the team in half. The following year, the entire team consisted of 8 swimmers and one diver. From there, the team again rebuilt to a respectable competitor when, in 2000, Kennesaw Mountain High School
was opened - taking several members of the 1999-2000 team as well as a number of upcoming swimmers. By the 2001-2002 season, the team had developed into one of the top 10 programs in the state, when, once
again, a new high school was opened. Kell
High School took a large percentage of the returning team, including a
majority of the state qualifiers from the previous year and a considerable number of the upcoming freshmen who had been destined
for North Cobb. This, combined with the graduation of the strongest senior class
in team history, left North Cobb with its smallest team since the opening of Harrison
High School.
The program has been steadily returning
to it's former strength. Through all the struggles, the swimmers and divers have pushed themselves to maintain high
standards and set high goals for themselves and their team. Over the years, there have been 7 State Championships, numerous
state finalists and runners-up, two two-time county swimmers of the year, 11 All-Americans and numerous swimmers who went
on to compete at the collegiate level (including quite a few on scholarship).
As the program continues
to grow and improve, each year the swimmers and divers strive to continue the tradition of excellence that has been North
Cobb Swimming and Diving.