Laitala Makes History with 11th GNAC Diver of the Week Title; Lewis Shines on Honor Roll!

WINTHROP, Mass. – Exceptional achievements persist for the Norwich University women’s swimming & diving squad, as Reilly Laitala (Sterling, Mass.) secured her 11th-ever Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women’s Diver of the Week accolade while Brandy Lewis (Strafford, Vt.) earned a spot on the Honor Roll, as declared by the conference office on Monday afternoon.

 The Cadet women triumphed with first-place results in 13 of 16 events, dominating Plymouth State with a score of 204-69, at the PSU Natatorium on Saturday afternoon.

Laitala was again unbeatable in the diving segment, leading the field in two events at Plymouth State during the weekend. She initially achieved a score of 221.70 in 1-meter diving, surpassing the second-place score by over 20 points. She then proceeded to 3-meter diving, where she attained a final score of 221.92.

Lewis served as the driving force of Norwich’s triumph, amassing the highest individual victories with three. She first completed the 200-yard IM in 2:28.41, followed by a 5:46.73 in the 500-yard freestyle. She claimed her third personal victory by touching the wall in 1:09.50 in the 100-yard IM. She capped her day with a relay victory, swimming the first leg in the 200-yard freestyle relay, with the team finishing in 1:49.61.

Laitala’s Diver of the Week honor marks her sixth for the 2024-25 season and the 11th throughout her career. Lewis earned her place on the GNAC Honor Roll after being recognized on the weekly list the previous week.

Laitala, Lewis, and the Cadets wrapped up head-to-head competition with a record of 5-1 following Saturday’s meet at Plymouth State. A select group of swimmers will compete in the two-day Middlebury Invitational in Middlebury, Vt., on Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1. Norwich, aspiring to defend its back-to-back conference championships, will then shift its focus to the three-day Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championships, hosted by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) from Feb. 7 to Feb. 9.