NEW WILMINGTON — They jumped into the pool, smiles beaming, the reality of what they had done yet to set in.

“We just hung out in there for awhile,” said Westminster College assistant swimming coach and Slippery Rock High graduate Kelsey Reott.

The water may have soaked in, but their accomplishments hadn't.

For 12 years, the Grove City College women's swimming and diving team had reigned at PAC champion.

After three grueling days last month, the Titans had finally wrested it away.

“We cheered until we didn't have a voice,” said Moniteau graduate and Westminster freshman Regan Kelly. “I believe the group of girls we had is the best group of girls I've ever swam with. Our mindset from day one was to win PACs.”

Even the next day, Westminster head swimming coach Pat Smith sent Reott a text.

“'So, we won, huh?'” the text read.

“I texted him back, 'Yes, we did,'” Reott said.

Reott came aboard as an assistant coach under Smith this season after enjoying a stellar career in the pool for the Titans.

A 2016 Westminster graduate, Reott earned four All-PAC First Team honors and her name fills the school's record books.

Reott spent a year as a third grade teacher and assistant swim coach in Virginia before moving back to the area at the beginning of this season.

“I'm finding out I just want to coach,” Reott said, chuckling. “I might be broke, but this is what I love to do.”

The PAC championship meant a little more to Reott.

Reott swam the anchor leg of the Titans' 400-yard freestyle relay in 2014 at the PAC championships.

The relay needed to place first to topple Grove City College and end the Wolverines' nearly decade-long reign as conference champs.

“We didn't win,” Reott lamented.

Instead, the Titans lost by 5½ points.

The victory this year was the exorcising of those demons for Reott.

“It was a great moment,” Reott said. “I remembered what it was like being in that pool when we came up just short during my junior year.”

Knoch graduate and Westminster junior Abby Jones also has a connection to that narrow defeat.

Her sister, Katie, was on that team in 2014.

Abby and Katie were teammates for one year with the Titans.

For Jones, the PAC meet this year was a breakthrough. She finished second in the 200-yard individual medley, second in the 100-yard breaststroke and third in the 200-yard breaststroke.

Jones also was part of a second-place 400 medley relay, third-place 800 freestyle relay and fourth-place 400 freestyle relay.

“I've actually struggled at PACs the last two years,” Jones said. “I've been swimming since I was 4 years old and I think I had struggled to keep that mentality. I think I was mentally burned out.

“I was just trying to find what made the 4-year-old me love the sport so much.”

She found it again at the conference championship meet.

“It was incredible,” she said. “It was really a big thing to be a part of history.”

Kelly, who was an independent swimmer in high school, was also thrilled to be a part of history — even though that was in doubt for much of the season.

Kelly was poised to have a big impact as a freshman, but was hit with compartment syndrome in both her legs.

It was caused by the increase in training and she'll have to have surgery.

But Kelly was able to gut it out this season and had a strong showing at the PAC championships, where she scored valuable points for the Titans.

“She was swimming in a lot of pain,” Reott said. “I was really curious to see what would happen, but that girl is strong. Even on her worst days, she fought through it and competed.”

Kelly said at times the pain was excruciating.

“Constant,” she said. “My ankles were swollen and I have extreme pain in both legs. It's definitely been an emotional roller coaster for me.”

Kelly expects to make a full recovery for her sophomore season.

It will be one unlike many others for the Westminster women's swim program.

They will be defending PAC champions.

“There's something to be said for being the underdog,” said Jones, who will be a senior. “But I think it gives us something to shoot for again. Being my senior year, I want to go out on top again.”