Former standouts Amy Krakauer from Columbia University and Russell Hunt from Kenyon have been named as assistant coaches at Colgate. Hunt's title will serve as the top assistant, coordinate Colgate’s recruiting efforts, and working with the Raider sprinters.

Hunt comes to Colgate from Ohio Northern University, where he has served as an assistant swimming coach since 2005. During his time at ONU, the Polar Bears won three straight Ohio Athletic Conference men’s swimming championships, as well as the 2007 OAC women’s championship. Hunt helped coach Ohio Northern’s sprinters to 10 varsity records and 21 OAC individual and relay titles. Hunt’s coaching experience also includes a stint at the Kenyon College Elite Sprint Camp in 2005.

“Russell came highly recommended, and he certainly has impressed so far,” Jungbluth said. “The day he accepted the job, he asked what he could do from Ohio to prepare. With his background as a student-athlete at Kenyon, Russell is accustomed to working at the highest standards of excellence. I am sure that he will bring that same attitude and work ethic to Colgate, and will be a fantastic addition to our coaching staff.”

Hunt earned three letters in swimming at Kenyon College, which has built a swimming dynasty at the NCAA Division III level over the last three decades. During his time with the Lords, Hunt helped Kenyon win three of its 29-straight NCAA Division III national championships. Hunt was the 2003 national champion in the 100 back, and received All-American honors 17 times during his career. He led off the 400 medley relay that broke the NCAA Division III record with a time of 3:16.70 in 2004, and the record still stands today.

“When I asked Jim Steen (Hunt’s former coach at Kenyon) about Russell, he told me that this past season, he asked Russell to come back to Kenyon from Ohio Northern and coach the Kenyon men’s team while the Kenyon coaching staff was with the women at their national championship meet,” Jungbluth said. “Kenyon’s men had won 28 national titles in a row – that’s the longest winning streak in the history of the NCAA in any sport, and in any division. You don’t put just anyone into a position like that with that kind of a streak on the line.”

While at Ohio Northern, Hunt completed his juris doctorate at the university’s Pettit College of Law. During the summer of 2007, he worked as a public defender in Huntington, W. Va., where he represented clients in bench and jury trials. Hunt graduated from Kenyon in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology.

Krakauer finished her career at Columbia as one of the best breaststrokers in school history. At the 2008 Ivy League Championship, she broke the school record in the 100 breast with a prelim time of 1:02.67, before going on to claim silver in the event. Her top time of 2:18.73 in the 200 breast ranks second on the Lions’ all-time list. Krakauer earned first-team all-Ivy recognition as a member of the winning 200 medley relay (28.72 split), and was second-team all-Ivy in the 100 breast and 400 medley relay (1:02.19 split).

“I’m excited to have Amy join our staff,” Jungbluth said. “She had an amazing collegiate career and made improvements that few athletes could have achieved. She has demonstrated an insight and work ethic that is a necessity for success at this level. All of us in the swimming and diving program are happy to have Amy join us.”

In 2008, Krakauer was one of 77 women named a Collegeswimming.com mid-major Division I honorable mention All-American. Krakauer, who served as a team captain as a senior, was a two-time recipient of the Columbia’s Coaches Award, and was also a two-time academic all-Ivy selection. After exhausting her collegiate eligibility, Krakauer attempted to qualify for the Olympic Trials at the 2008 MR Condors May Meters Matter, missed the qualifying cut by less than a second with a 100-meter breast time of 1:13.51.  

Krakauer’s coaching experience includes four years as a head coach with the Columbia Masters swimming program. She also spent two summers working at the Nike and West Point Swimming Camps as a lane coach and counselor.

Outside the pool, Krakauer led the Columbia women’s swimming team in the 2005 Komen Race for the Cure in New York City. She organized her team’s participation in the breast cancer awareness and fundraising event, and was the squad’s top fundraiser.

Krakauer graduated from Columbia in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and German