Pomona-Pitzer Colleges

J.P. Gowdy is entering his 11th season as the head coach of the Pomona-Pitzer Swimming and Diving Programs. Gowdy earned the program's first back-to-back sweeps over the conference championship, leading the Men's and Women's team to their second straight SCIAC title in the 2018-19 season, his fourth total with the women and second with the men. Coach Gowdy saw 17 swimmers (Eight women, nine men) compete at the 2019 NCAA Championship, lead the women to a seventh place finish while the men took 11th. In the 2017-18 season, Coach Gowdy helped his men's and women's program to a SCIAC Title sweep and won SCIAC Women's Coach of the Year. He also saw 16 swimmers, eight from each program, qualify for the NCAA Championship where the men finished in eighth place while the women finished in ninth. The program saw it's first individual swimmer win the NCAA Championship when Lukas Menkhoff took first place in the 100-yard breaststroke. Gowdy has earned SCIAC Coach of the Year 4 times (2015W, 2016M, 2016W, 2020M) In his nine seasons, Gowdy has directed the Pomona-Pitzer Women's Swimming and Diving team to three SCIAC Championships and the Men's Team to two SCIAC Titles. Gowdy came to Pomona-Pitzer after serving as the Head Men's and Women's Swim and Dive Coach at Wheaton College (Mass.) for eight years. At Wheaton, Coach Gowdy presided over programs that improved from last place in conference to fourth for the men, and from eigth place to third for the women. During his tenure, Gowdy coached six NCAA All-American swimmers, as well as seven NCAA invitees, 12 NCAA qualifiers, two individual conference record holders, and four conference relay holders. In addition to his responsibilities as the head coach, Gowdy served as the Aquatics Director, overseeing every aspect of the aquatic center. Prior to coaching at Wheaton College, Coach Gowdy received his master's degree at Springfield College (Mass.) and served as the Graduate Assistant Coach from 2002-2003. During his time at Springfield, Gowdy served as a Physical Education Graduate Fellow in addition to his coaching responsibilities. Coach Gowdy is a 1999 graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont, where he was a two-time MVP of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), a 17-time All-American, and a National Champion in the 400 IM.

Chris Depew enters his fourth season as the assistant coach for Pomona-Pitzer Swim and Dive program. Depew last coached at the University of Redlands from 2013-2016 as an assistant coach, working with the Bulldog IM, stroke, and distance groups. Depew is also an alumni of the University of Redlands, he swam for four years with the Bulldogs, racing primarily in the IM and butterfly events. He is a 25 time All- American swimmer and in 2013 at Division 3 NCAA's, he and his younger brother, Jeff, finished 1-2 in the 200 IM. He graduated from the program with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and minor in Physical Education. In 2015, he obtained his master in education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Redlands. He currently teaches at El Roble Intermediate. A native of Naperville, Illinois, Depew attended and swam for Naperville Central High School. He also swam under Wheaton Swim Club.

Lopez enters her second season as a the lead assistant coach of the Pomona-Pitzer swimming & diving coaching staff. Lopez previously served as an assistant coach at BIOLA University and was a collegiate swimmer at Cerritos College and CSU East Bay. During her time at BIOLA, Lopez assisted in BIOLA’s best seasons in the programs' history. BIOLA placed 3rd on both men and women at PCSC conference meet and also sent BIOLA’s first NCAA qualifier in history to Nationals. In 2021, BIOLA won conference for the first time in program history on both the men and women’s side and also sent three women to NCAA DII Nationals where they all placed top-10 in their events. Lopez also programmed dryland for all athletes throughout the year. Lopez also coached at Brea Aquatics during the 2018-19 season and served as a graduate assistant at Concordia Irvine, which is where she attained a graduate degree and assisted in Concordia's men team winning conference championships in 2019. As a swimmer at CSUEB, Lopez was a part of Biola's swimming & diving conference, the Pacific Collegiate Swim & Dive Conference. She was a top-8 finisher at the conference meet both years and was a NCAA qualifier in the 200-freestyle, swimming the 13th best time in the nation. She helped the Pioneers to a second-place PCSC finish in 2013 and was a part of a top-8 relay team at NCAA Division II nationals. Lopez was named the Pioneers' Athlete of the Year in both 2012 and 2013 and earned NCAA All-American honors in 2013.