While many schools are cutting their swimming programs, the University of the Virgin Islands has added Varsity Men’s and Women’s Swimming and recently finished their first season. The school is looking for more swimmers for the upcoming academic year. 

UVI Athletic Director Peter Sauer announced the formation of a swim team as part of the university athletic program as of January 1, 2007.  The team competes in the LAI University League ( LAI consist of 19 Puerto Rican Universities –including 4 NCAA members and UVI) UVI is a provisional NCAA member institution. 
 

The team is coached by Kevin Tyrrell, who is also currently Head Coach of the St. Croix Dolphins  and National Team Coach for the Virgin Islands.
 

The UVI team trains on St. Croix at the Dolphins Pool at Country Day School. “The Dolphins Pool is a 6 lane 50-meter Olympic size pool which will greatly aids in the swimmers training”  said Coach Tyrrell.  “We are fortunate to be able to train in a pool that will help get us moving forward quickly.”
 

Coach Tyrrell is looking forward to getting the program off the ground.  He has experience at the upper levels of college swimming as he served for 4 years as Volunteer

Assistant Coach for the Harvard University Mens Team from 2000-2004.  Harvard is consistently a top 25 team at NCAA Division 1 Championships and has numerous world-class athletes each season. 
 

“I was fortunate to be able to learn from one of the best college coaches in the nation in Harvard Men’s Swimming Head Coach Tim Murphy.  He and Assistant Coach Sean Schimmel were great role models and I learned a great deal from them” said Kevin.  “I look forward to applying that knowledge.”
 

Before coming to St. Croix, Coach Tyrrell was the Head Coach of the North Shore YMCA Sharks in Massachusetts, a 500-swimmer team that helped over 90 swimmers become YMCA All-Americans and go on to Division 1 college swim programs. He swam for NCAA Division 1 Lafayette College for 4 years where he was 2-time Captain.
 

Two swimmers from the University of the Virgin Islands Swim Team qualified for and competed in the LAI League Championships April 17-19.   Both placed in the Top 12 in their events.
 

UVI Coach Kevin Tyrrell is impressed by the level of swimming in the LAI University League ( LAI consist of 19 Puerto Rican Universities –including 4 NCAA members and UVI).  “It is remarkable to see the number of swimmers that have or will participate in the Olympics that were at the championships.  International level swimmers from Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezula, Argentina and other nations choose to attend school in Puerto Rico, in part, so they can swim in the league. The competition was excellent and it helped our swimmers swim faster because they were swimming next to such great athletes.

Any swimmers or coaches interested in the University of the Virgin Islands and their swim team should contact Coach Tyrrell at dolphinscoach@islands.vi or (340) 642-7579.