Duarte named head swim coach

MARS HILL, N.C. – Sara Duarte has been named the new head men's and women's swim coach, as announced by Director of Athletics Rick Baker.

"I am very thankful for the opportunity to be part of the Mars Hill family and very excited to be able to lead the men's and women's swim teams," Duarte said.

Duarte comes to Mars Hill after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Carson-Newman University. Prior to joining Carson-Newman, she served as the assistant coach at Emmanuel College during the 2019-20 season.  With both programs, she oversaw IM, Sprint, Stroke, and Distance groups.

"We are excited to have Coach Duarte join the Mars Hill Athletic Family," Baker stated. "She will do a great job leading our men's and women's swimming teams. The experience she has gained coaching within the South Atlantic Conference will benefit her significantly."

She earned her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing at Carson-Newman this past spring.

Duarte attended Emmanuel from 2016-19, graduating with a bachelor's degree in communication and a minor in graphic design. She was named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Swimmer of the Week numerous times throughout her career and was named to the Dean's List several times.

Internationally, Duarte was a member of the Colombian Swim Team in 2015 and was an Intercollegiate Centro American and Caribbean Games finalist. From 2011-2017, she was a member of the Bogota Swim Team, placing top-three at nationals six years in a row and being named an age group national champion.

Duarte added, "Swimming is a sport that requires discipline, hard work, and passion. I believe my previous athletic and coaching careers will allow me to provide positive leadership for our swim teams. I can't wait to start leading these two programs and continue building a culture of pride and values. I want to set goals that contribute to a path of growth inside and outside the pool for our Mars Hill swimmers."