Mallory Dietrich
Class: 2022 | Category: Athlete | Alma Mater: Oakland Catholic, 2006 | Sport: Swimming & Diving

The 2006 Oakland Catholic graduate and Aspinwall native’s remarkable swimming career took her from team captain at Oakland Catholic to becoming a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. Along the way she won more than two dozen WPIAL and PIAA titles in high school, set school and conference records at the U.S. Naval Academy, and later served her country in Afghanistan. Mallory won 14 WPIAL and 12 PIAA titles in her four high school years. As a freshman, she won four events at both the WPIAL and PIAA meets, the 100 breaststroke, 200 individual medley, 400 free relay and 200 medley relay. She was named the 2003 PIAA Co-Swimmer of the Meet, and also earned Swimmer of the Year honors from the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association. She won eight gold medals as a sophomore, sweeping the 100 butterfly, 200 IM, 200 free relay and 400 free relay titles at the WPIAL and PIAA meets. She added six gold medals (three WPIAL, three PIAA) as a junior, and four more golds as a senior (three WPIAL, one PIAA). Mallory set WPIAL and PIAA championship records in the 100 breaststroke, and a WPIAL record in the 200 IM. In her four years, Oakland Catholic won three WPIAL team titles and two PIAA team titles. She earned All-American honors all four years. Her success carried over to the United States Naval Academy starting in 2006, when she earned NCAA swimmer of the week. She then won three events at the conference championships and was named 2007 Patriot League Rookie of the Meet. Mallory earned first-team All-Patriot League honors in 2007 and 2009, along with breaking seven school records. Mallory competed in the 2008 Olympic Swimming Trials. After graduation in 2010, her military career took her to The Basic School for new Marine Corps officers. In 2011, then Second Lieutenant Dietrich deployed to Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. After deployment, she earned her Parachutist Badge (Jump Wings) and became a Company Commander at Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) within their Support Company in 2014. Next, Captain Dietrich returned to her alma mater in 2015 as a Company Officer and then went onto Camp Pendleton, Calif., to serve as a Company Commander for 1^st Transportation Support Battalion in 2018. In 2020, she assumed her new position as the Deputy Director of Protocol for the Superintendent of the Naval Academy.