Bridget Hilferty enters her tenth season as Assistant Coach with the Bloomsburg University Women’s Swim Team in the fall of 2022. Hilferty oversees the distance program while handling academic strategies, counseling for student-athletes, coordinating community service initiatives and fundraising. She also assists the Athletic Department with Title IX Compliance initiatives.
Hilferty has been instrumental in guiding the Huskies distance program to prominence over the past eight seasons. This in 2022, she guided sophomore Madison Osanitsch to 11 lifetime best performances, with sophomore Jada Stambaugh grabbing six and freshman Catie Strayer adding four more. In 2021, Hilferty coached Chelsea Ackerson to her first two PSAC championships and in 2020 guided Becca Cubbler to her first individual PSAC championship in 200 free. Several of her swimmers have been invited to the NCAA Championships, including Cubbler (2017, 2019, 2020), Brooke Gilson (2014, 2017), Carolyn Hodgins (2015) and Karly Hursey (2017). Gilson (2014), Hodgins (2015) and Cubbler (2019, 2020) were all named NCAA All-American.
As a four-year performer for the Huskies, Hilferty was a dominate force in the distance freestyle events, earning NCAA All American honors in the 1000 free and 1650 free in 2012. She was a perennial top eight finalist at the conference championships and was a key performer during dual meet competitions. Hilferty is ranked in BU’s all-time top ten in the 1650 free (fifth), 500 free (fifth), 200 free (sixth) and 1000 free (sixth). She was twice named the BU Swimmer of the Year (2011, 2012) and was a two-time team captain (2012, 2013).
As a high school swimmer at Perkiomen Valley, Hilferty qualified for the PIAA State Championships in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. She was also a three-year YMCA National Championship qualifier for the Boyertown YMCA and she is a certified member of the American Swimming Coaches Association.
Hilferty lives in Bloomsburg and received her Masters degree in 2022.
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
The 2021-22 season saw Hilferty's swimmers gain 13 spots in the finals at the PSAC Championships. The high point scorer in the group was sophomore Madison Osanitsch with 86 as she gained two Top 8 finishes and two Top 16 finishes, while adding to the fifth place 800 free relay. Sophomore Jada Stambaugh gained three finals and freshman Catie Strayer swam her way into four finals.
The stressful season that was 2020-2021 saw many of Hilferty’s distance swimmers excel at the PSAC Championships. Senior Chelsea Ackerson won both the 1000 and 1650 freestyle, and added second place finish in the 500 freestyle. Four other women accounted for nine Top 16 performances at the meet. Hilferty’s “D-Crew” was instrumental in helping the Huskies finish second as a team for the fifth time in the past seven years
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The 2019-2020 season saw Hilferty guide Becca Cubbler to the PSAC Championship in the 200 free, along with runner-up finishes in the 500, 1000 and 1650 free. She coached Cubbler to her fourth NCAA Championship where she was earned three more All American awards, finishing in the top 16 in the 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle. Hilferty was instrumental in guiding Chelsea Ackerson to a lifetime best performance in the 500 free and went on to post top ten finishes in the 500 free, 1000 free and 1650 at the PSAC Championships. She also coached Kelley McHugh to two A Finals at the PSAC Championships in the 500 free and 400 IM.
During the 2018-2019 campaign, Hilferty coached junior Becca Cubbler to her best season as a Husky. Cubbler set team records in the 200, 500 and 1000 free and qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle. She dropped the 200 free from the four-day program and went on to gain All-American honors in the 500, 1000 and 1650. Additionally, Hilferty helped sophomore Kelly McHugh break her own team record in the 400 IM and an NCAA qualifying standard.
In the 2017-18 season, her girls had tremendous results at the PSAC Championships where they finished fourth, fifth, eighth and tenth in the 1000 free. They also finshed sixth, seventh and tenth in the 500 free, along with fourth, seventh and tenth in the 1650 free. Additionally, freshman Kelley McHugh broke the team’s 20 year-old record in the 400 IM with NCAA provisional qualifying time. Two weeks later, sophomore Becca Cubbler went onto swim at the NCAA championships where she qualified in the 200, 500, 1000 and 1650.
During the 2015-16 and 2014-15 seasons, Hilferty was the driving force behind Caroline Hodgins’s successful two-year career at BU after transferring in 2014. Hodgins broke two of the oldest records in program history, taking down the 200 and 1000 freestyle marks that stood for 29 years. She became a two-time PSAC champion and went on to the 2015 NCAA championships where she became a two-time All American in the 500 and 1000 freestyle.
In 2013-14, Hilferty guided Brooke Gilson to her first of two NCAA championship appearances where she swam the 500, 1000 and 1650. Her 16th place finish in the 1650 earned her All-American status.
