University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Since taking over the UW-Stevens Point program in 1997, head coach Al Boelk has led the Pointers to 30 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC-2023) titles establishing the program among the best in the nation. In 2021-22, the men’s swimming & diving program captured its 22nd consecutive conference crown. The title was also the 23rd in 24 seasons for UW-Stevens Point, dating back to Boelk's first season of 1997. During his tenure, he has also guided the women's program to six team titles in the WIAC. Boelk is a 18-time WIAC Coach of the Year, having earned the honor 14 times for the men and five times for the women. Boelk has coached two NCAA Division III national champion relays that both set Division III records, while also coaching his brother, Randy, to a national title in the 200 backstroke in 1998. Boelk has coached the Pointer men to seven top-10 national finishes, including a fourth-place performance in 1999. He also guided the women’s team to their three highest-ever national finishes, including an eighth-place finish in 2001 and a 10th-place effort in 2006. Overall, Boelk has coached 39 men’s All-Americans and 15 honorable mention men’s All-Americans. He has trained 23 women’s All-Americans and 12 honorable mention women’s All-Americans. Boelk has guided 70 All-American men’s swims, including 30 All-American relays and has coached 26 All-American women’s swims, including 18 All-American relays. A native of Embarrass, Minn., Boelk came to UW-Stevens Point from the University of Minnesota, where he was a four-year letterwinner on the Gopher swim team before joining the coaching staff, where he served as an assistant coach for the Gopher men’s swimming and diving team and as the head coach for the distance competitors. He was also an assistant coach for the Twin Cities Swim Team (USS) for over two years. Boelk made his mark in the high school ranks when he became the first swimmer in nearly 40 years from Northern Minnesota to win a high school state championship (1991). He earned his bachelor’s degree from Minnesota in kinesiology with a coaching minor and has a master’s degree in exercise physiology. Boelk has also published research regarding “Power Generation in Female Swimmers.” Boelk resides in Amherst with his wife, Amy Sue. They have three children; Otto, Ivy, and Nora.

Coach Justin Stoffel currently serves in his 19th season as associate head swimming coach. Dating back to 2000, the Pointers Men’s team won 23 consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC-2023) titles. The Pointers Women’s team won WIAC titles in 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2010 & 2011. Leading up the pandemic, the Pointers placed 11th at the 2018 Division III NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. A native of Stevens Point, Stoffel has coached collegiate, high school, USA and YMCA swimming programs over a span of 22 years. His athletes have won 47 individual state titles, set seventeen state meet records and earned 11 individual NCAA All-Americans, 27 individual honorable mention NCAA All-Americans and a combined 44 NCAA All-American and honorable mention relays. Stoffel and his wife, Erin, also own and operate the highly successful Impact Aquatics Group LLC Swim Camp. The primary focus of stroke refinement and physiological training stems from Stoffel's previous experience coaching at the Texas Longhorn Swim Camp under U.S. Olympic coaches Eddie Reese and Kris Kubik. Stoffel earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UWSP in Physical Education and Educational Sport Leadership. Stoffel is an associate lecturer at UWSP and has taught courses in physical education, wellness, sports psychology, anatomy and physiology. Stoffel also serves as the UW-Stevens Point aquatics director, Pointers Swim School director and is a member of the UWSP Athletics Hall of Fame committee. As founder & Director of the UWSP Main Set Campaign, Stoffel collaborated with retired (1965-1997) UWSP swimming & diving head coach Lynn “Red” Blair (2020) to update the UWSP Aquatics Center. Their combined efforts (2016-2018) generated over $125,000 to replace starting blocks, scoreboards, lane lines and an updated record board. The program is currently working to generate funds toward full endowment. Stoffel resides in Stevens Point with his wife, Erin, son, Matias (13), and daughter, Jerra (11). Justin Stoffel Associate Head Swim Coach President-Pointers Swim Camp Lecturer-Physical Education Dept. Manager-UWSP Aquatics Center Member-Athletics Hall of Fame Committee University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point 064 MCCH Center jstoffel@uwsp.edu