Division III William Peace University has announced the addition of both Men’s and Women’s Swimming to its athletic roster for the 2017-18 season.
Jamie Bloom has been hired as the head coach for both the Women’s and Men’s Swim Teams. Bloom is currently coach of the of the Raleigh Gold group for the YMCA of the Triangle Area (YOTA), and previously served as the head swim coach at the YMCA of Greater Westfield in Massachusetts. Prior to that, she served as assistant coach for the women’s swimming and diving team at the University of Tennessee from 2000-2005. Before coaching at Tennessee, Bloom coached at James Buchanan High School and the Mercersburg Area Swim Club in Pennsylvania from 1982 – 2000.
“In our search to hire a coach who has been in the pool and on the recruiting trails, Jamie Bloom stood out to all of our committee members among a large group of eager folks looking to put a stamp on an NCAA program,” said Athletic Director Phil Rowe in an interview with William Peace University. “We are fortunate to have attracted such a wide range of candidates for our position, however, from the beginning of the process, Coach Bloom stood out with her extensive recruiting experience at the University of Tennessee as well as her regional and national commitment to grow the sport of swimming. We are very happy and proud to announce Jamie Bloom as our first head coach.”
In addition, former Auburn University and N.C. State Coach Chad Onken has been hired as the Executive Director of the WPU Swim Programs. Onken has spent the last nine years with YOTA as the Head Coach/Senior Director of Competitive Swimming– at WPU he will collaborate with Rowe and Bloom on the direction and management of the programs.
University President Brian C. Ralph stated that “We are excited to add high quality student-athletes to the WPU community through the addition of women’s and men’s swimming. We are continuing to grow the institution strategically and believe the addition of the sport, through an innovative partnership with the YMCA of the Triangle, will bring a new level of excitement to William Peace University.”