HEAD COACH: MICHAEL W. WESTKOTT
This is Mick's twenty-seventh season as Head Coach of the Men's Team; his twenty-fifth as Head Coach of the Women's Team. Before coming to Rhode Island he coached for eight years on the club and high school levels in Pennsylvania. During his tenure at the University of Rhode Island he has produced more than twenty-five nen and women New England and ECAC Champions, as well as NCAA qualifiers. Three of his student athletes were recognized as the top senior swimmers at New England Championships. In the past two years his Women's Teams have received the Team Academic All American award from the College Swimming Coaches Association in three semesters.
Twice Mick has been recognized by the other coaches in
New England as the Coach of the Year. He has extended
his experience and committment to the sport in a number
of ways. He has served as president of both the Men's
and Women's Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving
Associations. From 1986 to 1988 he served as president
of the Rhode Island Aquatic Hall of Fame, of which he is a
charter member. In 1990 he was inducted into that Hall of
Fame. He has directed nine different New England
Swimming and Diving Championships at URI's fine
three-pool complex.
Coach Westkott has directed and sponsored regional and national swimming clinics at the University. He has further associated himself with the development of younger swimmers by coaching at summer swimming camps, more notably at Brown University and the University of Tennessee. He is a member of the College Swimming Coaches Association, and the American Swimming Coaches Association.
Coach Westkott and his wife Pamela live in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
ASSISTANT DIVING COACH: RICHARD MacDONALD
Rich joins our staff after four very successful years of
intercollegiate competition for the University of Rhode Island. He was a
letterperson all four years of diving for the Rams, captaining the team his
senior year. He will complete his physical education degree in December,
1997. As a competitor Rich was a consistent performer in dual meets on both
boards, and he qualified and scored all four years of competition at the
Atlantic Ten Championships on the 1 meter and 3 meter boards. In both 1996
and 1997 he qualified for the ECAC Championships at LaSalle UNiversity. In
1996 he had one of the best meets of his career when he placed at this
prestigious eastern meet.
MacDonald is beginning his career as a college diving coach but he brings to the profession many successful years in both summer league coaching in Pennsylvania and age group coaching in Rhode Island. He is a certified US Diving Coach. His career goals include a long and successful period of time building both the college and age group diving programs at the University of Rhode Island.
ASSISTANT SWIMMING COACH:CHERYL LEE
After completing four successful years as a member of the University Women's Varsity Swimming Team, Cheryl joins our coaching staff. She was a four year letter winner while serving on the New England, ECAC, and the Atlantic Ten Teams every year.
Cheryl was a member of the class of 1996. During her four years at Kingston, the Team achieved some lofty accomplishments: three times Academic All Americans, fourteen varsity records, six New England Championships, and one ECAC Champion. In Cheryl's freshman year the team was third at New Englands and fifth at the ECAC's; both were our highest finishes. She played a significant role in all of this because she was an athlete who truly knew how to compete -- and did so with enthusiasm and spirit. She brings that same feeling with her as a coach.
ASSISTANT SWIMMING COACH:ROB KRAUSE
Springfield College, MA. Rob is a 1994 graduate of Springfield where he swam
for four years under the coaching of IRI alumnus John Taffe. He was a New
England finalist as both a breaststroker and a butterflier. In 1994 he was
the recipient of the MVP Award for his Team. Two years ago Rob served
on the coaching staff at Villanova University. Rob is married to Melissa
Gibson and he is currently attending Graduate School at the University of Rhode Island in the field of Aquaculture.
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