College of Saint Rose Women's Swimming

Murray, who has twice earned the distinction as a Coach of Excellence from the America Swimming Coaches Association, is in his 15th season at the helm of The College of Saint Rose men's and women's swimming and diving programs. Murrays teams have consistently excelled in the pool and in the classroom throughout his tenure.   The 2007 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year whose student-athletes have garnered 10 All-America and an additional 10 Honorable Mention All-America accolades, he  is one of only two coaches in school history to produce a national champion as diver Brandon Birchak captured the one and three-meter events at the 2007 NCAA Division II Championship Meet as a junior. He subsequently finished second the following year.   Furthermore, the Golden Knights have recorded the highest grade-point-average among all NCAA Division II women swimming and diving programs in two of the past eight semesters.   In 2013-14, both mens and womens teams finished fourth at the Northeast-10 Conference Championships where the Golden Knights recorded 10 All-Conference performances. Furthermore, Saint Rose lowered five school records throughout the season. Furthermore, the womens squad was recognized by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) for academic excellence in both the fall and spring semesters.   Three years ago, both teams were again fourth at the NE-10 Championships. Throughout the four-day event, thirteen school records were lowered, including the men's 800-yard freestyle relay team that established a conference mark of 6:52.01. Furthermore, both squads were honored academically by the CSCAA.   In 2012-13, Murray sent student-athletes to the NCAA Championships for a tenth consecutive time. For the second straight year, two female athletes qualified as Caitlin Brauer and Naomi Woodcock once again represented Saint Rose. Brauer established herself as an All-American for the second year in a row and was also among a mere thirty women, selected from a group of more than 450 nominees, that were chosen as the top 30 honorees for the prestigious 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year award.   Furthermore, the womens and mens squads both finished fourth at the NE-10 Championships and were seventh and eighth respectively among 19 competing institutions at the season-ending Metropolitan Conference Championships.   Four years ago, Brauer set a standard for Saint Rose by becoming the first female swimmer to earn All-America honors with her performance in the 400-yard individual medley. Also, the men took second and the women wound up third at the NE-10 Championships, before finishing seventh and sixth respectively at Metros.   The 2010-11 campaign marked the eighth consecutive year that Saint Rose had a presence at the NCAA Championships. Brauer represented the Golden Knights for the second consecutive year as the only female in school annals at that juncture to qualify for that meet. Furthermore, both teams finished sixth among 19 competing institutions at the Metros. Earlier in the year, the mens squad took home second place at the NE-10 Championships where the women wound up third.   In 2009-10, Brauer and Vadim Yafayev both represented the Golden Knights at the NCAA Championships where Yafayev earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 400 IM on the way to being named the NE-10 Swimming Athlete of the Year. Additionally, the Saint Rose womens squad had its best showing ever at the Metros by finishing fourth among 21 competing institutions. Meanwhile, the men finished 11th among 18 teams at the meet, where the Saint Rose squads lowered 12 school records collectively.   Six years ago, Murray sent Ryan Brauer and Yafayev to the NCAA Championships where they had a combined four All-America performances. Brauer was furthermore named the NE-10 Freshman of the Year in April. Murray also led the women's team to a fifth place overall showing among 20 competing institutions at the Metros, the team's best finish up to that point. Both the mens and womens clubs established a staggering 31 school records throughout the three-day meet in 2009.   Murray garnered 2007 NE-10 Coach of the Year plaudits from his peers after guiding the men's club to its best dual meet record in school history at 9-1. The squad finished second at the NE-10 Championships and tied its best finish ever at the Metros with a fifth place overall showing. He also led the women's team to a sixth place performance among 20 competing schools. In the NCAA Division II portion of the meet, the Saint Rose men's squad took the team title while the women's team finished third.   During the 2005-06 campaign, Murray guided then senior Matt Kavanagh to the NCAA Championship meet for the third straight season, as he earned All-American honors in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles. Kavanagh is the only male swimmer in the 20-year history of the program to qualify for three straight NCAA meets. In 2004, Kavanagh became the first ever Saint Rose swimmer to qualify for the NCAA Championships.   Murray's impending impact upon the program was foreshadowed in his first season when he led the 2002-03 men's squad to its best mark ever with a 7-3 dual meet record.   Collectively, Murrays knowledge goes well beyond competitive swimming. He has acquired a wealth of aquatics experience through his work with various competitive and recreational entities. He is a member of the USA Swimming Coaches Association and also serves as the Aquatics Coordinator at Saint Rose. Murray has completed numerous professional development courses and holds several certifications related to aquatic and recreational activities.   A 1996 graduate of Hartwick College where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology, Murray served as a part time assistant coach at Saint Rose from 2000-02 while working full time as the Director of Recreation for the LaSalle School for Boys. Murray has also coached at Union College, Hartwick College and at the Guilderland (NY) YMCA.   Previously, Murray was a team captain for the men's swimming team and was also President of the men's water polo club during his undergraduate career at Hartwick.   Murray and his wife, Andi, reside in nearby Wynantskill with their three children; Cooper, Jackson and Crosby. Keith Murray Aquatics Director/Head Swimming & Diving Coach Keith Murray, who has twice earned the distinction as a Coach of Excellence from the America Swimming Coaches Association, is in his 15th season at the helm of The College of Saint Rose men's and women's swimming and diving programs. Murrays teams have consistently excelled in the pool and in the classroom throughout his tenure.   The 2007 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year whose student-athletes have garnered 10 All-America and an additional 10 Honorable Mention All-America accolades, he  is one of only two coaches in school history to produce a national champion as diver Brandon Birchak captured the one and three-meter events at the 2007 NCAA Division II Championship Meet as a junior. He subsequently finished second the following year.   Furthermore, the Golden Knights have recorded the highest grade-point-average among all NCAA Division II women swimming and diving programs in two of the past eight semesters.   In 2013-14, both mens and womens teams finished fourth at the Northeast-10 Conference Championships where the Golden Knights recorded 10 All-Conference performances. Furthermore, Saint Rose lowered five school records throughout the season. Furthermore, the womens squad was recognized by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) for academic excellence in both the fall and spring semesters.   Three years ago, both teams were again fourth at the NE-10 Championships. Throughout the four-day event, thirteen school records were lowered, including the men's 800-yard freestyle relay team that established a conference mark of 6:52.01. Furthermore, both squads were honored academically by the CSCAA.   In 2012-13, Murray sent student-athletes to the NCAA Championships for a tenth consecutive time. For the second straight year, two female athletes qualified as Caitlin Brauer and Naomi Woodcock once again represented Saint Rose. Brauer established herself as an All-American for the second year in a row and was also among a mere thirty women, selected from a group of more than 450 nominees, that were chosen as the top 30 honorees for the prestigious 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year award.   Furthermore, the womens and mens squads both finished fourth at the NE-10 Championships and were seventh and eighth respectively among 19 competing institutions at the season-ending Metropolitan Conference Championships.   Four years ago, Brauer set a standard for Saint Rose by becoming the first female swimmer to earn All-America honors with her performance in the 400-yard individual medley. Also, the men took second and the women wound up third at the NE-10 Championships, before finishing seventh and sixth respectively at Metros.   The 2010-11 campaign marked the eighth consecutive year that Saint Rose had a presence at the NCAA Championships. Brauer represented the Golden Knights for the second consecutive year as the only female in school annals at that juncture to qualify for that meet. Furthermore, both teams finished sixth among 19 competing institutions at the Metros. Earlier in the year, the mens squad took home second place at the NE-10 Championships where the women wound up third.   In 2009-10, Brauer and Vadim Yafayev both represented the Golden Knights at the NCAA Championships where Yafayev earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 400 IM on the way to being named the NE-10 Swimming Athlete of the Year. Additionally, the Saint Rose womens squad had its best showing ever at the Metros by finishing fourth among 21 competing institutions. Meanwhile, the men finished 11th among 18 teams at the meet, where the Saint Rose squads lowered 12 school records collectively.   Six years ago, Murray sent Ryan Brauer and Yafayev to the NCAA Championships where they had a combined four All-America performances. Brauer was furthermore named the NE-10 Freshman of the Year in April. Murray also led the women's team to a fifth place overall showing among 20 competing institutions at the Metros, the team's best finish up to that point. Both the mens and womens clubs established a staggering 31 school records throughout the three-day meet in 2009.   Murray garnered 2007 NE-10 Coach of the Year plaudits from his peers after guiding the men's club to its best dual meet record in school history at 9-1. The squad finished second at the NE-10 Championships and tied its best finish ever at the Metros with a fifth place overall showing. He also led the women's team to a sixth place performance among 20 competing schools. In the NCAA Division II portion of the meet, the Saint Rose men's squad took the team title while the women's team finished third.   During the 2005-06 campaign, Murray guided then senior Matt Kavanagh to the NCAA Championship meet for the third straight season, as he earned All-American honors in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles. Kavanagh is the only male swimmer in the 20-year history of the program to qualify for three straight NCAA meets. In 2004, Kavanagh became the first ever Saint Rose swimmer to qualify for the NCAA Championships.   Murray's impending impact upon the program was foreshadowed in his first season when he led the 2002-03 men's squad to its best mark ever with a 7-3 dual meet record.   Collectively, Murrays knowledge goes well beyond competitive swimming. He has acquired a wealth of aquatics experience through his work with various competitive and recreational entities. He is a member of the USA Swimming Coaches Association and also serves as the Aquatics Coordinator at Saint Rose. Murray has completed numerous professional development courses and holds several certifications related to aquatic and recreational activities.   A 1996 graduate of Hartwick College where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology, Murray served as a part time assistant coach at Saint Rose from 2000-02 while working full time as the Director of Recreation for the LaSalle School for Boys. Murray has also coached at Union College, Hartwick College and at the Guilderland (NY) YMCA.   Previously, Murray was a team captain for the men's swimming team and was also President of the men's water polo club during his undergraduate career at Hartwick.   Murray and his wife, Andi, reside in nearby Wynantskill with their three children; Cooper, Jackson and Crosby.