Allegheny College has announced the hiring of Justin Hill as the assistant coach for the Gators' men's and women's swimming and diving programs.
Specializing in sprints, Hill starred collegiately at Division-I Cleveland State University, where he was a four-time national qualifier while earning a B.S. in education, specializing in exercise fitness and physical education.
"I am incredibly excited to get started," said Hill. "Helping the Gators continue to build, and being successful both in and out of the pool, are my two main goals. I cannot contain my excitement about how much I plan to learn and experience."
Most recently, Hill has served as an assistant varsity coach at Berea (Ohio) High School since 2013, while also working as an assistant coach for the SwimStrong Aquatic Club in Strongsville, Ohio. From 2009-13, Hill coached at the Berea Recreation Center, where he also worked as a lifeguard since 2006.
He has also remained active as a competitor, and on June 15 at the Robert F. Busbey Invitational in Cleveland, Hill qualified for the 2016 United States Olympic Trials in the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 23.24 seconds.
"We're thrilled to have Justin joining us at Allegheny this season," said Gator head swimming and diving coach Kirk Kumbier. "Justin worked extremely hard throughout his college career, and has continued this trend as a club and high school coach, as well as a self-trained competitor. His drive and hunger will set an outstanding example for our student-athletes that is in line with the philosophies of both our team and NCAA Division III."
During his 2010-11 sophomore season at Cleveland State, Hill was named a Mid-Major All-American by CollegeSwimming.com, before helping the Vikings capture wins in the 200 freestyle and 200 medley relays at the Horizon League championships in both 2012 and 2013, with the Vikings taking the overall Horizon League team title in 2013.
"His curiosity and love for the sport," Kumbier continued, "in addition to his willingness to experiment with his own training, are indications of a mature, forward-thinking coach that embraces both challenge and change. His personality, combined with his background in exercise science, will also contribute to our team culture and the success of our program as we strive for personal growth and excellence as a team in the pool and in the classroom. We all – coaches, team members, staff, and professors – would like to welcome Justin to the Gator family and into the Meadville community."
The Gator swimming and diving teams are slated to open up the 2015-16 season on Oct. 3 at the Fredonia Sprint Meet.
