Jennifer Brinegar has spent more than half a century around pool decks; there isn't much that the former U.S. Olympian hasn't seen or experienced.

She has not, though, been immersed in collegiate swimming and diving since she was competing at Indiana University in the 1980s — so taking over the Franklin College program at the end of the summer has brought its share of challenges.

Brinegar has been eager to take those on. She's aware of the Grizzlies' brief but storied history in the water, and her high expectations are right in line with the ones the program has already had. 

The first step during these initial six-plus weeks has been meeting everyone on the men's and women's teams and getting everybody on the same page.

"The most important thing for me has always been the student-athletes," Brinegar said. "Just trying to make sure that I get to know all of them and what they need to be able to do their best, but also succeed in the classroom and in life. So that's been my priority."

There has also been the business of training in preparation for the season — one that officially begins Saturday with the Indiana DIII Championships in Terre Haute — and the first-year coach has a talented squad with plenty of returning standouts.

Celeste Hollis was an NCAA qualifier and the HCAC Athlete of the Year in women's swimming and diving as a junior, winning conference titles in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly. Fellow seniors Petal Sloan (50, 100 and 200 freestyle) and Avery Tomlinson (100 and 200 breaststroke, 200 individual medley) each won three individual conference titles, and junior Alexis Fleming swept the 1- and 3-meter diving crowns. That quartet is backed by a group of eight other swimmers — Macie McQuinn, Bri Gogis, Carly Houchin, Annie Jackson, Amelia Hlebak, Ella Johnson, Harley Morris and Gracie Hammond — who scored at least 25 individual points apiece at the HCAC Championships.

A group of seven freshmen should help further strengthen the squad.

On the men's side, the Griz bring back senior Zachary Jackson-Blaine, who has been the HCAC's premier sprinter for the last three years. The Jamaica native has won conference titles in the 50 and 100 freestyle in each of his collegiate seasons, and he's hoping to cap his career with a trip to the NCAA Championships this winter. He's joined by a couple of other defending league champs in junior Isaac Layton (500 free) and sophomore Keaton Stephenson (200 free), as well as senior Kaden Cummins, who was the HCAC runner-up in the 100 and 200 free and keyed a pair of conference champion relays. Stephenson has some prior experience swimming under Brinegar during their time together at the former Club Olympia Swim Team in nearby Columbus, Indiana.

Fellow returning Grizzlies Sam Hittel, Bryson Howe, Christopher Mains, Will Johnson each scored 33 points or more at the HCAC meet.

Franklin's quest for its first men's championship since 2020 has been held back by a lack of depth in recent years. With six newcomers in the fold after graduating just one senior, the numbers appear to be trending in the Grizzlies' favor.

The Griz men and women will have a few checkpoints through the course of the season to measure progress, most notably the Gail Pebworth Invitational, a traditionally strong midseason meet in Crawfordsville, Indiana. But Brinegar has made it clear that everything is being geared toward preparing for the HCAC Championships in mid-February — and, hopefully, another pretty big meet in March.

"I want them to swim fast (at midseason) because I want them to feel good about themselves, and about the sport and the training," Brinegar said, "but the priority is the end of the season and trying to get kids from conference to nationals. ... We had two going on to NCAAs last year, so we'd like to get guys going to NCAAs, more women, and best-case scenario, taking relays. That would be awesome."

The process of training for those big championship meets is a taxing one, particularly during the dark winter days. But just a few practices into her Franklin tenure, Brinegar is already encouraged by what she's seen.

"They're pushing each other and it's been a really good, positive environment," she said. "I really like the culture on the team."