Rutgers diving didn’t really shut the door on last season so much as keep one foot in the water.
While the Scarlet Knights were building toward the 2026-27 season, the program stayed active over the summer, highlighted by three Rutgers divers taking part in the USA Diving Summer Nationals. Bailee Sturgill led the way there, finishing third in the Synchronized 3M event and bringing home a bronze medal. Gianna Lawrence and Madilyn Varnum also competed at the meet.
That summer work fits the broader picture around a Rutgers group that has become one of the nation’s strongest diving programs in recent years. Last season, the Scarlet Knights earned a top-10 national ranking from the US PDCA, and the roster entering this year still carries plenty of proven depth.
Rutgers will have five divers on the roster this season: senior Amelia Scott, juniors Katerina Hoffman, Bailee Sturgill and Madilyn Varnum, and sophomore Gianna Lawrence. The one departure is Sephora Ford, who was a Second Team All-American on Platform last season and served as team captain.
Hoffman returns as a captain and arrives this season as a Big Ten Preseason Diver to Watch. She was Rutgers’ Diver of the Year last season and earned Second Team All-American honors on the 3-Meter board at the NCAA Championships, where she placed 14th overall. Hoffman also owns three top-10 marks on Rutgers’ all-time leaderboard.
Sturgill’s resume is just as loaded. She was a First Team Scholar All-American last season after qualifying for NCAAs on 1M, 3M and Platform, and she finished top-four on all three boards at NCAA Zones.
She also placed seventh on 1M at the Big Ten meet and picked up a Big Ten Diver of the Week honor during the year. Like Hoffman, she has three top-10 scores in Rutgers history.
Coach Natasha Chikina said she’s eager to see what this group can become.
"I'm really looking forward to continuing working with this group of divers this season," diving coach Natasha Chikina said. "And I'm excited to see how much they can improve this season and what they can contribute to the team and how much progress they can make this season."
Amelia Scott echoed that sense of excitement, pointing to the day-to-day grind and the way the group pushes each other forward.
"I'm so excited to be able work with some very talented and hard-working divers," Amelia Scott said. "They really work hard and we all put the effort in.
Smiling along with them on the pool deck is one of the best feelings. Seeing them all grow as people as well as divers is something I'm really excited to see."
Rutgers will get back into competition in October, with the first meet set for October 9-10 when the Scarlet Knights host the Rutgers Preseason Invitational.
In Other News...
Rutgers Coaching Rumors Just Made Schianos Situation Feel Much Bigger
Brian Kellys name has started to circulate in the coaching market again, and that alone has turned a tense Rutgers start into something with a little more weight. Kelly, now working as a CBS Sports analyst after head coaching stops at Notre Dame and LSU, is reportedly motivated to get back on the sideline, which is enough to keep him in the conversation as Rutgers tries to steady itself after an 0-3 start.
For Rutgers, the intrigue is not just about whether Schianos seat is warming, but about how complicated any change would be if the school decided to go there. Contractual and financial issues would factor into any move involving Schiano, and those hurdles make the situation feel bigger than a simple hot-seat discussion. For now, the speculation is just that, but it has added another layer to a season already searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Cant Afford More Drama In A Game Fans Expect To Win
Rutgers comes home this week with a matchup that should, on paper, give the Scarlet Knights a chance to reset after an 0-3 start. Howard is the kind of opponent Rutgers is expected to handle, and the setting adds a little extra weight for Greg Schiano, who could collect his 100th win at the school if the game goes the way most people assume it will.
For a program still searching for its first victory of the season, though, the margin for anything messy feels thin. Rutgers does not need a tight finish or a second-guessing kind of afternoon here, just a clean performance that lets the Scarlet Knights move forward and avoid turning a game fans expect to win into another round of frustration. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Finally Has One Encouraging Sign But A Costly Problem Remains
Rutgers finally got the kind of night up front it has been searching for, and it came against a top-12 opponent. The offensive line turned in its best performance of the season against USC, allowing just one sack and one tackle for loss while helping the Scarlet Knights pile up 460 total yards. Antwan Raymond took advantage, finishing with 122 yards and a touchdown and posting season highs in both yards per carry and longest run.
Greg Schiano acknowledged the progress, but he also made clear the larger issue is still hanging over the program. Even with the improved line play, Rutgers has been hurt by turnovers throughout the season, and that remains the costly problem it has to clean up quickly. The Scarlet Knights now turn to a Friday night matchup with Howard, where Schiano said there are key players on the other side worth paying attention to. [Read more 🡒]