We are thrilled to welcome back our head coach, Kathy Kirk, for the Summer 2025 season. Kathy grew up in the Washington, DC, area and dove for Tallyho Pool in Potomac. She also dove with Montgomery Dive Club (MDC) for six years, competing on the Junior Olympic circuit. She then attended and dove for Princeton University, returning in the summers to continue coaching for Tallyho. She went on to attend Cornell Medical School and is now a practicing gastroenterologist in Chevy Chase. Kathy has been Merrimack’s head dive coach since 2013, since which time she has grown the team significantly and led it to Division I championships multiple times. She has also served as a mentor to many of Merrimack’s divers, both on and off the boards.

Isabella is a 2024 graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry/Pre-Medicine while also competing as a member of the Wildcats Swim and Dive Team. Prior to attending Davidson, Isabella attended Brookwood School in Thomasville, Georgia and was a member of Moss Farms Diving in Moultrie, Georgia. Isabella spent the last year in the DC area working under the guidance of a local physician while preparing to start medical school this fall. This is her second year at Merrimack, and she’s excited to help both new and returning divers hone their skills and have a great summer on the boards!

James started diving at Merrimack at age 11 and has represented the pool at both MCDL Divisional and All-Star meets several times. After two summers, he began diving year-round and now competes in USA Diving Junior Olympic and other national-level meets. James was also a member of the Walt Whitman Swim and Dive Team all four years of high school, serving as captain and placing 1st at the state championship his senior year. In the Fall, he’s headed to Brown University in Rhode Island to both study and continue his diving career. (Go Bruno!) From a young age, James found a lot of passion in diving and for the past three years has been doing his best to spread his love of the sport to young divers at Merrimack and in Montgomery County.

Sophie has been diving since 2015 and over the years has represented Merrimack Dive Team at MCDL Divisional meets several times. She is a 2025 graduate of Jackson Reed High School in Washington, D.C., where she was also a member of the lacrosse team. She is headed to Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in the Fall to study and continue her lacrosse career. (Go Raptors!) This is Sophie's third year coaching at Merrimack, and she’s looking forward to helping both returning and new divers build their skills, make new friends, and have a great summer at the pool!