Cindy Ikeler is in her ninth year as Cabrini's head swim coach and director of aquatics and safety in 2020-21. In addition to her coaching duties, Ikeler oversees programming, operations and maintenance of the Dixon Center Natatorium.
In her seven seasons as head coach, Ikeler has led the Cavaliers to unprecedented heights. Ikeler led the Cavaliers to the program's first AMCC Women's Championship in 2014 and added a second in 2018.
Ikeler and the Cavaliers made school history in 2018-19, as the men's and women's swim programs won their respective Atlantic East Conference titles, becoming Cabrini's first program's to win titles in the newly-formed league. The Blue and White's reign atop the Atlantic East continued in 2020, as the Cavaliers men's and women's teams claimed their second consecutive conference championships.
Ikeler's leadership has not gone unnoticed, as she has been named AMCC Coach of the Year four times, claiming the honor in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018. Ikeler and her staff were also recognized in the first year of the Atlantic East Conference, as the group was named Coaching Staff of the Year following the 2019 and 2020 championship meets.
Under Ikeler's leadership, the Cavaliers have rewritten the program's record books. Since the 2012-13 season, the Blue and White have broken 37 of the program's 38 records, including 20 during the 2018-19 campaign.
Ikeler also led the Blue and White women to three consecutive second place finishes in 2015, 2016 and 2017, while the men's teams have finished third in three of her four years, including narrowly missing second place by nine points in 2018.
In addition to their success at the season-ending conference meet, the Cavaliers have qualified for the ECAC Championships four times. The women made their inaugural appearance at the postseason meet in 2013 as the only Division III program at the meet. One year later, the men qualified for the meet, marking the team's first appearance at the meet since 2011.
Ikeler made an immediate impact on the Cabrini swim teams, as both their best ever finishes at the 2013 AMCC Championships. Ikeler was named AMCC Coach of the Year after leading the women's team to a second place finish, while both teams combined for a 83 point improvement over the clubs' 2012 performances.
Ikeler came to Cabrini after six years as the assistant swim coach and assistant aquatics director at Albright College. During her time at Albright, the Lions won five Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) titles, including sweeping both the men and women’s championships at the 2012 meet.
Ikeler has assisted in the careers of some of the MAC’s most successful swimmers, including nine conference Most Outstanding Swimmers and six Rookies of the Year, not to mention a host of individual and relay conference champions.
As Albright’s assistant aquatics director, Ikeler assisted in scheduling and programming Albright’s Life Sports Center Pool. Some of those programs included an extensive learn-to-swim program, aqua aerobics, scuba classes and Red Cross lifesaving/CPR classes.
A 2005 graduate of Albright, Ikeler was a highly decorated member of the Lions’ 2001-05 swim teams. She was a member of three MAC championship teams, while amassing six individual and 14 relay titles. Ikeler was a four-time First Team All-MAC performer and was named MAC Outstanding Swimmer as a freshman. She achieved NCAA provisional qualifying standards in all four years.
Ikeler graduated Summa Cum Laude, earning a bachelor of arts degree with co-concentration in criminology/sociology and Spanish. She claimed ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Third Team honors as a senior.
Ikeler, her husband, Andy, also a former Albright swimmer, and their son, Austin, and daughter, Gemma, currently reside in Media, PA.
