RENO, Nev. – Recently hired University of Nevada head swimming & diving coach Brendan Bray has announced the hiring of former Wolf Pack swimmer Mengjiao Mi as an assistant coach. Mi who goes by JoJo, just completed her third season as a volunteer assistant with the Pack and was a member of the staff that led the team to the school’s first Mountain West swimming & diving title this past season.
“I am so excited to be able to have such a famous Wolf Pack record-holder and alum return to the program as our assistant coach,” Bray said. “JoJo has spent the past six years serving the University of Nevada as an undergraduate student, swimmer, masters graduate, and volunteer coach working with three different coaching staffs. She is smart and eager to help our team in any way that she can and also to work with me to create a unified coaching staff. She knows the team and University well and will help provide a seamless transition for our program as we compete for future Mountain West championships. I can’t wait to start working with her.”
Mi received the 2013 Ruth I. Russell Award that recognizes the top Nevada female athlete as selected by the Wolf Pack coaches. Her senior season she won three events at the MW Championships; the 200, 500 and 1,650-yard freestyle events. She set MW Championship records in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle.
Mi won eight Western Athletic Conference titles in three seasons when Nevada competed in the WAC. In 2010 she was selected as the WAC Freshman of the Year.
One of the most successful swimmers in Nevada program history she set four individual program records as a senior. She became the first swimmer since 2008 to compete at the NCAA Championships three consecutive years. Currently she holds Pack records in the 500, 1000 and 1,650-yard free style events. Here time in the 200-yard freestyle ranks second at Nevada and she is tied for the eighth fastest time in the 100-yard freestyle.
Mi also swam on three relays that rank in the top five in school history. The 800-yard relay is the third fastest in Pack history, the 400-yard medley is fourth and the 400-yard freestyle is fifth.
She competed on China’s National team from 2003-09. In 2007, Mi won the 200 freestyle at the China National University Games. Competing in the 2006 Sydney World Youth Championships she placed first in the 400 freestyle. At the ASEM Youth Games held in Bangkok she was triple winner swimming to first places in the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle events. She captured the 400 and 800 freestyle events at the 2004 World Cup Championships hosted by Daejeon, Korea.
In addition serving as a volunteer coach with the Wolf Pack since graduation she has worked with China’s National team and taught private lessons. She volunteered with Special Olympics and the City of Sparks parks and recreation department.
Academically she was an NCAA Scholastic All-America in 2013 and earned MW scholar athlete honors the same season. In 2011 and 2012 she was a WAC scholar athlete.
Mi graduated from the University of Nevada in 2013 with a degree in community health science.
Swimming news courtesy of Nevada Swimming & Diving.