Lehigh University Women's Swimming

Herb enters his 13th season at the helm of the mens and womens swimming and diving programs in 2016-17. Herb, the 2014 Patriot League Womens Coach of the Year, owns a combined dual meet record of 111-113. He has coached seven individuals and two relay teams to Patriot League titles, including Courtney Patterson, who became Lehighs first female individual league champion in 11 years in 2014, and Kaitlyn Ruffing, who captured individual league titles in each of her first two seasons of 2014 and 2015.   Herb also leads his teams to excellence in the classroom as his teams have placed 222 student-athletes on the Patriot League Swimming and Diving Academic Honor Roll in his first 12 seasons, including Patriot League Champion Dan Johnson who was named the leagues Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Mens Swimming and Diving in 2008 and 2009. Herbs Lehigh teams are consistently lauded by the CSCAA for their academic prowess.   The 2015-16 season marked a significant milestone for the Mountain Hawks swim program as four swimmers Kaitlyn Ruffing, Jacob Moyar, Justin White and Jamal Willis all qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials, marking the first time since 1968 and 1956 that Lehigh qualified swimmers for the premier event. As a team, Herb helped lead the Mountain Hawk women to a 7-2 overall record, while the men finished 5-5. Each team tallied a 3-2 mark in Patriot League competition. At the Patriot League Championships, the two teams combined to set 14 new school records and hit four NCAA B-cut times. Eight Lehigh swimmers were named All-Patriot League, while Ruffing earned Academic All-League honors.   Building on the previous years success, the Mountain Hawks continued to improve in 2014-15. Lehigh swept Lafayette for the seventh consecutive year, with these wins coming at a historic neutral-site meeting at Lehman College in New York. Both the men and women finished with six dual meet wins and winning dual meet records. Lehighs women challenged for a top three spot before finishing fourth at the Patriot League Championships, while the men finished fifth. Kaitlyn Ruffing won gold in the 50 yard freestyle for her second individual title. The Mountain Hawks set 11 new school records at the Patriot League Championships, including all five womens relays. Lehigh placed ten student-athletes on All-Patriot League teams.   Herb led the Mountain Hawks to a successful dual meet season in 2013-14. The Lehigh women finished 7-2 while the men went 6-4. Both Lehigh teams finished fifth at the Patriot League Championships with 20 new school records established over the four day meet. Sophomore Courtney Patterson became Lehighs first individual womens league champion since 2003 with her win in the 400 yard individual medley and Kaitlyn Ruffing later won the 100 yard freestyle to give Lehigh two gold medals at a league championship meet for the first time since the Mountain Hawks won three golds in 2005. Seven Mountain Hawks were named to All-Patriot League teams.   The 2012-13 season saw Lehighs men finish fourth at the Patriot League Championships, while the women finished fifth. The highlight of the dual meet season was Lehighs fifth straight sweep of arch rival Lafayette. A total of five Mountain Hawks earned All-Patriot League honors, with freshmen Carolyn Koch (first team) and Courtney Patterson pacing the women, and Chris Hoke (first team), Demetri Karedis and Danny Bennett leading the men. Lehighs 200 yard free relay team consisting of Frank Cuzzola, Matt Chrzanowski, Karedis and Hoke, brought home the Mountain Hawks first Patriot League gold in five years.   In 2011-12, Lehighs men won their first seven meets to finish at 7-4, while the women finished at 4-7. The Mountain Hawks swept rival Lafayette in the pool for the fourth consecutive season. Herb guided the Mountain Hawk men to another fourth place finish at the Patriot League Championships, while the women finished fifth. Lehigh had an impressive seven All-Patriot League selections, including freshman Alissa Leung, who became the first Lehigh female swimmer since 2007 to earn first-team All-League honors.   In Herbs eighth season he guided both the mens and womens programs to successful campaigns. The Mountain Hawk men were 8-2 in dual meets and placed fourth at the Patriot League Championships, while the women went 4-4. Lehigh swept Lafayette in the annual dual meet for the third straight year. Andrew DiPietro led the way for the Mountain Hawks earning All-Patriot League laurels for his performance at the league championships, in addition to earning Academic All-Patriot League honors.   The 2009-10 season saw Lehighs mens team post a remarkable 9-1 record, while the women finished at 5-4.  For the second straight year and the third time in six seasons, the Mountain Hawks swept arch rival Lafayette.  At the Patriot League Championships, Herb led both teams to fourth place finishes, while 11 new school records were established.   In 2009, Herb guided both Mountain Hawk squads to 6-5 dual seasons that was highlighted by a sweep of arch rival Lafayette, Lehighs second sweep of the Leopards in five meets under Herb. At the Patriot League Championships, an incredible 13 school records fell, as Lehighs men swam to a fourth place team finish, while the women finished sixth.   In his first season, Herb guided both Lehigh teams to top-five finishes at the Patriot League Championships and saw his swimmers capture three Patriot League titles. In 2006, one of Herbs top mens swimmers, Grant Flothmeier, captured an individual league title and was named to the at-large Academic All-District II second team.   Herb is no stranger to Lehighs Jacobs Pool.  He has served as part of the Mountain Hawks staff for over a decade, initially as a member of the swimming staff under Chris Marshall, but more recently in a part-time administrative role as Aquatics Director.  His primary professional commitment has been Director and Head Coach of the very successful Atlantis Club Swimming program, a long time lessee of Lehigh pool space.  Herb has worked with Atlantis since 1994, when he created the club.  He is four-time honoree of the American Swim Coaches Association, capturing their Coach of Excellence honor in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.   Robs reputation as a technical swimming coach and advocate for swimming is national in scope, said Lehigh Athletics Director Joe Sterrett.  More importantly, however, Rob maintains a set of educational and personal values that are extremely well aligned with the university and with our department.  Rob's demeanor, organizational skills, creative and strategic thinking abilities, and concern for young people have earned him a strong and positive reputation that is founded upon respect and trust.   For five years beginning in 2000, Herb served as a member of the U.S. National Swimming Team advisory staff and regionally on the Middle Atlantic Swimming board of review. He was head coach of the 2002 U.S. National Select Training Camp, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he worked directly with many of the top American swimmers and their coaches.   Herb graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa., in 1990 with a bachelors in chemistry. He then earned his masters in education from Lehigh in 1994. He resides in Bethlehem with his wife, Alexandra and daughter, Gisella.

Matyus joined the Mountain Hawks program in November 2011 and coaches Lehighs student-athletes through practices, meets and other training events while also playing a major role in student-athlete recruitment.   The Liberty High School graduate spent two winters an assistant coach for the Bethlehem YMCA where she worked with age group swimmers. She also served as an assistant coach for the Northwest Swim Club in Allentown, Pa. in the summer from 2002-2010.   Matyus competed in cross country and track and field for the University of Maryland after transferring from Colorado State where she redshirted as a freshman. She served as a team captain for the Terrapins, competing in cross country and distance running events.   Matyus earned degrees in Animal Science and Environmental Science from Maryland in 2010. She spent one season as an assistant mens and womens cross country coach at Moravian College, and also has spent time as a volunteer swim coach at Liberty High School and a volunteer assistant with Lehighs cross country program in the fall of 2011.   A four-sport athlete at Liberty, Matyus competed in cross country, track and field, swimming and soccer. Matyus held three school records in track and several others in swimming, where she was an All-American in the 200 and 400 yard free relay events.   Matyus currently resides in Bethlehem.       Erin Matyus is in her sixth season as an assistant coach with the Lehigh swimming and diving program. A Bethlehem native, Matyus joined the Mountain Hawks program in November 2011 and coaches Lehighs student-athletes through practices, meets and other training events while also playing a major role in student-athlete recruitment.   The Liberty High School graduate spent two winters an assistant coach for the Bethlehem YMCA where she worked with age group swimmers. She also served as an assistant coach for the Northwest Swim Club in Allentown, Pa. in the summer from 2002-2010.   Matyus competed in cross country and track and field for the University of Maryland after transferring from Colorado State where she redshirted as a freshman. She served as a team captain for the Terrapins, competing in cross country and distance running events.   Matyus earned degrees in Animal Science and Environmental Science from Maryland in 2010. She spent one season as an assistant mens and womens cross country coach at Moravian College, and also has spent time as a volunteer swim coach at Liberty High School and a volunteer assistant with Lehighs cross country program in the fall of 2011.   A four-sport athlete at Liberty, Matyus competed in cross country, track and field, swimming and soccer. Matyus held three school records in track and several others in swimming, where she was an All-American in the 200 and 400 yard free relay events.   Matyus currently resides in Bethlehem.      

Bolstad enters his fourth season in 2016-17 as Lehighs diving coach. Bolstad enjoyed a standout diving career at Marist College and brings a strong coaching pedigree to this position. His mother Melanie is the longtime diving coach at Marist.   In his first three seasons, Bolstad has worked with a Lehigh diving squad small in numbers with Dan Bateman scoring at the Patriot League Championships in both the one and three meter events in 2014 and 2015. He has helped to mentor Croldy Veliz, who joined the mens team as a freshman in 2015, along with Emily Speakman (2014), Rayna Smilowitz (2015) and Megan Schappert (2015) who have joined the womens team and provided scoring in dual meets.   The 2011 Marist Male Athlete of the Year, Bolstad holds the school records in both the one meter (338.92 points) and three meter ((374.70 points) events. In 2010, Bolstad won the MAAC Championship in the three meter diving event and swept the one and three meter events at the ECAC Championship en route to being named ECAC Diver of the Year. He is a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Zone-A meet, with a top finish of tenth place in the one meter in 2011. Bolstad was named MAAC Diver of the Week and impressive 17 times in his career, and owns the MAAC Championship meet record in the three meter with a score of 350.   Bolstads coaching experience includes one season as the diving coach for Division III Vassar College and nearly four years as the head diving coach for the Red Fox Aquatic Club. A native of Highland, N.Y., Bolstad graduated from Marist in 2011 with a Bachelors degree in Spanish and has earned his secondary education certificate. He spent the 2012-13 school year teaching Spanish at LaGrange Middle School in New York.  Brian Bolstad Diving Coach Brian Bolstad enters his fourth season in 2016-17 as Lehighs diving coach. Bolstad enjoyed a standout diving career at Marist College and brings a strong coaching pedigree to this position. His mother Melanie is the longtime diving coach at Marist.   In his first three seasons, Bolstad has worked with a Lehigh diving squad small in numbers with Dan Bateman scoring at the Patriot League Championships in both the one and three meter events in 2014 and 2015. He has helped to mentor Croldy Veliz, who joined the mens team as a freshman in 2015, along with Emily Speakman (2014), Rayna Smilowitz (2015) and Megan Schappert (2015) who have joined the womens team and provided scoring in dual meets.   The 2011 Marist Male Athlete of the Year, Bolstad holds the school records in both the one meter (338.92 points) and three meter ((374.70 points) events. In 2010, Bolstad won the MAAC Championship in the three meter diving event and swept the one and three meter events at the ECAC Championship en route to being named ECAC Diver of the Year. He is a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Zone-A meet, with a top finish of tenth place in the one meter in 2011. Bolstad was named MAAC Diver of the Week and impressive 17 times in his career, and owns the MAAC Championship meet record in the three meter with a score of 350.   Bolstads coaching experience includes one season as the diving coach for Division III Vassar College and nearly four years as the head diving coach for the Red Fox Aquatic Club. A native of Highland, N.Y., Bolstad graduated from Marist in 2011 with a Bachelors degree in Spanish and has earned his secondary education certificate. He spent the 2012-13 school year teaching Spanish at LaGrange Middle School in New York.