Margo Diamond, Class of 1996

A consummate athlete and student leader, Margo Diamond ’96 became a model of concentration and a study in intensity whenever she stepped up to the blocks for a big race. She was “queen of the backstroke” and added her name to the list of elite sprinters when she charted a time of 55:05 to take down the National Independent High School record in the 100-yard back at Easterns (1995) in Philadelphia. Her mark stood for three years, but remained on the record board at Easterns until 2008. Providing depth in the freestyle events from the 100-to-500-yard range, Margo always won on the desire to succeed, not only for herself but for her team.

Margo achieved optimal performance in the backstroke with the now-prohibited “Berkoff Blastoff ” technique of going underwater using only a dolphin kick and surfacing just before the turns and finish. Using the “blastoff” start at Easterns, Margo led off with a strong backstroke leg as the Falcon 200 medley relay team swam the fastest high school time ever by almost 1.5 seconds. Voted MVP at 1995 Easterns, Margo’s spectacular contributions in the backstroke, butterfly and relay events helped Peddie girls garner the runner-up position in Swimming World’s mythical national team standings. Margo earned multiple All-American accolades and Top 16 national age group rankings while assaulting the Peddie record books with new standards in the 100 and 200 fly, 100 and 200 back, and 200 medley relay. Her 100 back Peddie School record still stands- sixteen years later. Outside the lane lines, Margo found time to serve as student body president and in the peer leadership program.

After a four-year career at Peddie, Margo earned a full athletic scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, and became a member of the Golden Bears women’s swimming team. Ranked as one of the team’s top flyers and backstrokers, Margo’s collegiate career was cut short by injury.

A woman with Margo’s talent and credentials can do almost anything. She went on to break four American records in fin swimming in 1997 and still competes in open water swims, including the Trans Tahoe and Maui Channel. In 2006, Margo was a member of the San Francisco Olympic Club medley relay team that broke a FINA Masters World Record. While in graduate school at Columbia, Margo volunteered as an assistant coach on the Columbia women’s swim team under head coach Diana Caskey ’81, a Peddie hall of famer.

It is a privilege to honor Margo today for her historic accomplishments in the pool.