Lake Erie College Names Nicole Rose First Swimming & Diving Coach

PAINESVILLE, OHIO -  Nicole M. Rose, an all-conference performer as a student-athlete at Wheeling Jesuit University, has been named the first swimming and diving coach in Lake Erie College history.  Director of Athletics Griz Zimmermann formally announced Rose on Friday, Jan. 22.

"We are excited to name Nikki Rose as our swimming and diving coach. With her experience, she will be able to mold the program into a respected one," Zimmermann said. "She was a very important part of rebuilding the program at Wheeling Jesuit and many of the student-athletes she recruited there continue to perform well and have great success. We are confident that she'll lay a strong foundation for our program as well." 

The Storm men's and women's swimming and diving teams, as well as men's wrestling, will begin varsity competition during the 2010-11 school year, joining the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) at that time. 

"I'm thrilled to begin a tradition of excellence in swimming and diving at Lake Erie College, and I am grateful to Griz Zimmermann and President Victor for this opportunity," Rose said.  "I aspire to build and sustain a program that honors and supports the history and success of the College and becomes an integral part of a growing athletic department."

Most recently, Rose was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at her alma mater.  During her tenure, the team underwent a rebuilding process that turned a squad of just two returners into 40 swimmers.  The 2009 teams posted their top dual-meet records in four seasons.

"We will attract student-athletes that excel in the classroom and are enthusiastic about competing at the Division II level," she said.  "High school swimming in Northeast Ohio is fantastic and I look forward to meeting coaches and student-athletes, both locally and throughout the state, and introduce them to Lake Erie swimming and diving."

Among her administrative duties, she was responsible for practice and meet administration, fundraising, team travel arrangements and worked specifically with the distance, breaststroke and individual medley swimmers. 

Prior to returning to Wheeling Jesuit, Rose coached at the high school level, including one season as the head coach at Staunton River High School where she guided the teams to their highest district finishes and broke 10 school records.  She also served as an assistant coach at Steubenville High School for three seasons.

Rose swam for Wheeling Jesuit from 1999-2004, serving as a team captain her senior year and was an All-Bluegrass Mountain/West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection.  She has worked numerous swim camps and clinics as a counselor and instructor, including camps at the University of Texas, California University (Pa.) and Hartwick College.    

Rose earned her bachelor's degree in English from Wheeling Jesuit in 2004.  She recently completed work on her master's degree, also from Wheeling Jesuit, in business administration.

-LEC-