Northwestern Rounds Out Swimming Coaching Staff With Milana Socha Hiring

Northwestern swimming & diving has added a second individual to its program from the now-eliminated Dartmouth swimming & diving program, but this time, it’s a coach.

Milana Socha, who spent the last 3 seasons as an assistant at Dartmouth, has been hired as the latest addition to the new-look staff at Northwestern. She will be joined next season by Connor LaMastra, Dartmouth’s top swimmer and the defending Ivy League runner-up in the 500 free.

“The swimmers & divers of Dartmouth hold a special place in my heart,” Socha said in a Facebook post announcing the position. “There will always be a little bit of granite in my veins because of them – I’m grateful for all they’ve taught me and for helping me grow as a coach and person.”

LaMastra announced his intent to transfer last week after Dartmouth discontinued sponsorship of their varsity men’s and women’s swimming & diving program in early July.

Prior to arriving at Dartmouth, Socha spent a season as an assistant coach at the University of Toledo, where she took on many administrative duties as recruiting coordinator, social media coordinator, dryland coordinator, and fundraising coordinator in addition to her on deck coaching duties. While at Toledo, she also coached a local boys’ high school team.

Other stops on her resume include as head assistant swim coach and interim strength and conditioning coach at Smith College, and as a summer camp counselor at Stanford’s International Summer Swim Camps.

Dartmouth’s Finishes during Socha’s 3 seasons in Hanover:

• 2018: women 8th, men 7th (out of 7)
• 2019 – women 6th, men 8th (out of 8)
• 2020 – women 7th, men 8th (out of 8)

Socha is the 4th full-time swimming assistant announced by newly-promoted Northwestern head coach Katie Robinson, which should complete the swimming coaching staff. Socha joins associate head coach Andrew Hodgson, assistant head coach Jake Tapp, and assistant coach Ignacio Gayo.

Robinson was promoted to her position after the last head coach, Jeremy Kipp, took the job as head coach at USC. Hodgson and Tapp are holdovers from the former staff, while Gayo joins the team from Florida International, where he was the associate head coach.

Northwestern’s women finished 4th at last year’s Big Ten Championship meet, which included the Wildcats’ first Big Ten Champion swimmer since 2008 Calypso Sheridan, who won the 400 IM and 200 breast. That was the women’s best result since they were 4th in 2002.

The Northwestern men finished 5th at Big Tens, which was their highest finish since 2007.

As an athlete, Socha swam at Division III Carleton College, where as a senior in 2013-2014 she was named a captain and earned NCAA Division III All-America honorable mention honors.