Arrigoni Hall of Fame
Laura Koch was one of the most decorated female swimmers in Iona swimming and diving history. At the time of her graduation, she held nine individual school records: 100-, 200-, and 500-freestyle, 100- and 200-breaststroke, 100-, and 200-butterfly, and 200- and 400- individual medley while a member of all five school relay records.
As a versatile swimmer, Koch was the first female to win MAAC Championship gold for Iona, taking the 500-freestyle and 200-breaststroke titles in her freshman year. In her junior season, Koch took gold in the 200-IM and 100-butterfly. She was named Goal Club Athlete of the Week during the 1994 season. Koch also accumulated eight more individual medals during her career in the MAAC Championship. She was a qualifier for the ECAC Championships every season and gained a pair of bronze medals in her senior year in the 100- and 200-butterfly.
Koch was a four-time team MVP and a three-time team captain.
All of Koch’s 1998 team records have been broken over the past 14-years, but each of her times would have reached the championship heats at the most recent MAAC Championship.
Koch was recruited for swimming and academics in 1994, but in 1995 was given an opportunity to play water polo. She was an inaugural member of the women’s water polo program, part of the first ever divisional championship team and gained All-Academic Honors in 1999. She was a four-year starter, two- time captain, played 40 games and completed her career with 56 steals, 25 goals, 36 assists and 61 points.
Since her competition days at Iona College, Koch continues to swim and competes in United States Masters Swimming (USMS). She has been USMS National Champion and named an All-American numerous times over the past seven years, holds South Central Zone records, and has many top ten and FINA World Masters rankings.
