Ball State University Women's Swimming

Castillo enters into her fourth season as head coach of the womens swimming and diving team after a successful first three years at the helm of the program. The 2014-15 season marked success in and out of the pool, when the team of 23 posted 85 individual lifetime bests and was honored as a CSCAA Scholar All-America team for the third consecutive year under Castillo. In her third campaign as head coach, Castillo led Ball State to a 5-4 record, including 0-4 dual meet record in the Mid-American Conference, improving to an overall record of 16-12 and 14 new Ball State school records in the course of her time with the Cardinals program.  The Ball State womens swimming and diving team marked the third highest team GPA of all Division I swim programs with a 3.58 for the 2014 fall semester, as awarded by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America, in addition to holding the highest GPA in the Mid-American Conference. Standout events for the Cardinals over the course of the 2014-15 season included the 100 and 200 freestyle, in which both Audrey Rodawig and Carlena Magley posted times that hold in the Ball State all-time Top Ten record book. With Madie Zirzow and Brittany Penns participation, it was the first time since the 2011-12 season that two Ball State divers participated in the NCAA Diving Zones, including Zirzows second time attending the competition. In the 2013-14 season, Castillo led the Cardinals 3-6 dual record, while going 0-4 in the MAC. At the 2014 MAC Championships, Bridgette Ruehl claimed the 100 and 200 breaststroke individual titles for the second year in a row with times of 1:01.13 and 2:12.57, respectively. Ball State was also able to clench the 400 medley relay for the second year in a row and second time in program history, thanks to the combination of Ruehl, Mallory Miles, Haley Richter and Carlena Magley who finished in a 3:40.06. Richter also found individual success when she finished second in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events, before helping her team to a third place finish in the 200 medley relay. Also at the Championships, Jordan VanWinkle became just the fifth woman in Ball State history to go under five minutes in the 500 free after clocking a lifetime-best of 4:59.97 to sit in fifth place in school history. Ball State ultimately had Richter and Ruehl named to All-MAC First Team, while five Cardinals earned Academic All-MAC accolades. The team earned its second CSCAA Scholar All-America award after marking a 3.53 team GPA. In the 2012-13 season, the Cardinals accumulated an 8-2 dual record, including going 2-2 in MAC meets. Ball State won four individual medals at the 2013 MAC Championships, including three golds. The 400 medley relay also took home a gold medal after setting a school record and winning the event title for the first time in program history. Ruehl became the third woman in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships, competing in the 100 and 200 breast, events in which she finished first at the 2013 MAC Championships. Diver Zirzow also qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving meet as a freshman. Castillo promoted success not only in the pool, but in the classroom during her first season as head coach. The team was named a 2013 CSCAA Scholar All-America team after finishing with a 3.45 GPA. Seniors Miles, Richter and Emily Wisolek earned the distinction of being named to the Honorable Mention All-America list. In addition, four Cardinals were named to the Academic All-MAC Team. Castillo came to Ball State after serving as an assistant swim coach at the University of Akron from 2003-2012. In addition to her coaching experience at Akron, Castillo served as an assistant lecturer at Akron from 2008-12. She also served as a coach and camp counselor at the Stanford Swim Camp in the summers of 2006-2009. A 2003 graduate of Akron, Castillo began her coaching career as the head swim coach at Rosemont Country Club in Fairlawn, Ohio, in the summers of 2003-04. She then went on to earn her masters degree from Akron in 2006. As a student-athlete for the Zips, the Canton, Ohio, native served as team captain for Akron in 2001 and 2002 and was as four-year letter winner. She set school records in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, 100 freestyle and as a member of four relay teams in her career. She still owns some of the schools top times in several events. Before her 1998 graduation from Glen Oak High School, Castillo swam under now-retired head coach Jeff Burrows, specializing as a breaststroker and sprint freestyler. A multisport athlete, Castillo was just one of few girls at the school to earn 12 letters in four years, including swimming, soccer and track.

Gayes enters his fourth season as the diving coach for the Ball State swimming & diving program in 2016-17. He oversees the divers for both the men's and women's teams, and has helped his student-athletes earn several trips to the NCAA Zone Diving Championships.  Gayes joined the Ball State swimming & diving program in September of 2013 as a part-time coach, and was elevated to a full-time position following the 2014-15 campaign. Under Gayes leadership, the Ball State womens program has sent a pair of divers to the NCAA Zone Diving Championships in each of the last two seasons. Under his guidance, Madie Zirzow, Britany Penn and Quinn Bixler all posted scores which place them in the top 10 in Ball States individual record book. In addition to their success in the diving well, the three were joined by Taylor Fiew in earning Academic All-MAC honors over their careers. Both Penn and Bixler have garnered Academic All-America honors in Muncie. In his first season at Ball State, Gayes led mens senior diver Jake Brehmer to one of the best campaigns in school history. Brehmer etched his name in the Cardinals record book ranking second on the 3-meter and third on the 1-meter. He became the first Ball State male diver to qualify for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships since 2007, and the first to finish in the top eight at the Mid-American Conference Championships in the same span. Brehmer was named team MVP and Ball States Comeback Student-Athlete of the Year. Prior to joining the Ball State coaching staff, Gayes spent five seasons as an assistant coach for the Sun Devil Divers at Arizona State. During his time in Tempe, Gayes worked to develop athletes from elementary-age through collegiate All-Americans on the springboard and platform.   Another highlight of Gayes time in Arizona was working with Sam Dorman, the NCAA Division I record holder (3-meter), the 2015 NCAA National Champion (3-meter) and a 2016 Olympian (3m Synchro).   Gayes also has six years of coaching experience at the high school level, having coached at McClintock High School in Temple, Ariz., for three years and at Delta High School in Muncie for three years. During his time at the prep level, Gayes coached state qualifiers, medalists and All-American qualifiers. The Indianapolis native also spent time as an assistant and head coach of Ray's Rippers Diving club based out of Indianapolis. During his coaching career, Gayes has helped develop divers that have gone on to compete collegiately at Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, BYU, Denison, Idaho, Illinois State, Miami (OH), Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Northern Arizona and Western Kentucky to name a few. Gayes is a 2003 graduate of Ball State University where he majored in journalism and is in the process of completing his masters degree in athletic coaching education. He and his wife, Kari, have one daughter, Katharine and one son, Niko.