Athletics > Women's Swimming > Coach
Swimming Prospective Student-Athlete Questionnaire
Meet the Coach
Jean-Paul Gowdy
Head Coach
Jean-Paul Gowdy begins his sixth season at the helm of the men's and women's swimming and diving programs. During his first five years, Gowdy has helped lift Wheaton to new heights.
He pushed the women's team to a school wins record each of the last four seasons, and the squad's third-place showing at the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship last winter was its best in 13 years of league meets. In 2007, the program had an athlete qualify for the NCAA Championship. Later that year, Gowdy earned an American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) Certificate of Excellence.
On the men's side, Gowdy has helped the Lyons finish as high as fourth place during the NEWMAC Championship twice while leading the squad to the school's victories mark on two occasions. In 2005, Wheaton had its first swimmer garner NCAA All-America honors at the national championship.
Gowdy came to Wheaton from Springfield College, where he served as a graduate assistant swim coach. At Springfield, Gowdy was responsible for coaching sprinters, coordinating the recruiting process, teaching undergraduate-level physical education courses and handling home meet management. During his time there, the Pride captured the women's conference championship for the third straight year in 2003.
In his 13 years of coaching competitive swimming, Gowdy has pursued endeavors with camps at national power Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, in the summers of 2000-08, and Stanford University in the summer of 2001. Additionally, he was the assistant coach at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, in 2000-01, age group coach at Green Mountain Aquatics in Middlebury, Vermont, from 1995-99 and swim lesson coordinator and teacher at Middlebury College from 1996-99.
An elite athlete in his own right, Gowdy earned USA Triathlon All-America honors in 2003 and 2005. He also trained with Canada's national swim team at the University of Calgary in 1999-2000 and competed at the Olympic trials, where he qualified for the semifinals in three events. At Middlebury, Gowdy was a national champion in the 400-yard individual medley, a 17-time NCAA All-America athlete and two-time MVP of the New England Conference.
Gowdy is a 1999 graduate of Middlebury, where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics with minors in political science and history. In 2008, Gowdy completed work at Springfield on a master's degree in physical education with a specialization in advanced-level coaching.
The Gowdy File
Men's Team
| Year | Dual | Conf. | Highlight(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | 5-5 | 5th | NCAA Championship - No Team Score |
| 2004-05 | 8-4 | 4th | NCAA Championship - 36th (14.5 points) |
| 2005-06 | 11-3 | 4th | NCAA Championship - T-37th (13 points) |
| 2006-07 | 5-11 | 7th | NCAA Championship - 29th (30 points) |
| 2007-08 | 7-10 | 5th | -- |
| Totals | 36-33 | 5 Seasons |
Women's Team
| Year | Dual | Conf. | Highlight(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | 5-7 | 5th | -- |
| 2004-05 | 10-4 | 4th | -- |
| 2005-06 | 12-4 | 4th | -- |
| 2006-07 | 14-4 | 4th | NCAA Championship - No Team Score |
| 2007-08 | 15-4 | 3rd | -- |
| Totals | 56-23 | 5 Seasons |
Katy Shoemaker
Diving Coach
A former standout diver at Trinity College in Connecticut, Katy Shoemaker provides competitive and coaching experience in her second year with Wheaton.
Shoemaker was a four-year member of the Bantams' swimming and diving team, and she set school records in the one-meter, six-dives category and in the three-meter, 11-dives discipline. During the 2005-06 school year, Shoemaker assisted divers at Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut, and also taught age-group diving at Trinity.
Shoemaker was also a three-year coxswain for the Trinity men's crew team. She earned a bachelor's degree in sociology in May 2006.
This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 11/15/08.
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