HCAC Women's Champion 2025, 2026
HCAC Women's Coach of the Year 2025, 2026
Zach Rayce, a 2020 Franklin College graduate, joined the Grizzlies' swimming staff in the spring of 2022 and assumed the duties of head swimming and diving coach ahead of the 2024-25 season.
In his first season leading the Grizzlies, Franklin's women repeated as HCAC champion on the women's side and Rayce was named Coach of the Year as a result. Franklin swept through the individual honors for the women at the meet, with Kamryn Elder being named Diver of the Meet and Kat Lundy and Celeste Hollis being named Co-Swimmers of the Meet.
The 2026 season saw similar successes, with Rayce repeating as Coach of the Year after leading the women to a ninth consecutive HCAC title. Lundy was again named HCAC Swimmer of the Meet at the conference championships, with Alexis Fleming earning Diver of the Meet honors. Hollis was honored as the conference's swimmer of the year after she and Lundy both qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in Indianapolis, the first national qualifiers of the Rayce era.
For two years prior to taking over as head coach, Rayce served as associate head coach from 2022-24 and was part of helping Franklin's women claim HCAC glory in both seasons.
Rayce came back to Franklin after a short stint at Centre College. Before heading to Centre, Rayce was coaching at South Putnam High School for three years. While coaching at South Putnam, Rayce helped coach his swimmers to 14 school records, along with multiple conference championships.
While a student-athlete at Franklin, Rayce was a four-time individual and team conference champion.
"I am very excited to be back here at Franklin," Rayce said upon his return. "My wife and I both swam here, and I hope to continue the success that brought us both to this wonderful college."
