Lenoir-Rhyne University Men's Swimming

Schiffel has coached four All-Bluegrass Mountain Conference honorees over the past two years and the program's first-ever NCAA Division II All-American in Chelsea Kyle in 2012 (women's 200-yard butterfly). After nine seasons, the Bears have showed marked improvement and should be a contender for the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championship in the near future. Schiffel currently serves as the Owner and Coach of the Catawba Valley Aquatics Club and had been the Head Coach of the Mens and Womens Swimming Teams at St. Stephens High School from its inception in 1992 and lasting 15 years. Schiffel also served as the Head Coach of the Hickory Seahorse Swim Team (1978-84 and 1986-89) and coached a swimmer who later became a two-time NCAA Division II All-American (2000 and 2002). In the 1980s, Schiffel coached several swimmers who qualified for the Olympic Trials and United States Senior Nationals. Several team accomplishments for Schiffel were the 1985 NCS Short Course Age Group Championship and St. Stephens second-place finish in the NCHSAA Championship in 2006. Schiffel graduated from East Carolina University in 1975 with a bachelors degree in health and physical education and earned his masters degree in education from ECU in 1981 as well. Schiffel, a member of the East Carolina Mens Swimming Team, earned Team MVP honors as a junior and served as an assistant coach for the Pirates from 1975 to 1978. Schiffel recently retired as a Physical Education Teacher at St. Stephens Elementary School in Hickory, N.C.    Head Men's and Women's Swimming Coach   Alma Mater: East Carolina, 1975    E-mail:    Office Hired on April 1, 2007, Paul Schiffel became Lenoir-Rhyne's first-ever Women's Swimming Coach and took over the men's program when it came on board three years ago. Schiffel has coached four All-Bluegrass Mountain Conference honorees over the past two years and the program's first-ever NCAA Division II All-American in Chelsea Kyle in 2012 (women's 200-yard butterfly). After nine seasons, the Bears have showed marked improvement and should be a contender for the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championship in the near future. Schiffel currently serves as the Owner and Coach of the Catawba Valley Aquatics Club and had been the Head Coach of the Mens and Womens Swimming Teams at St. Stephens High School from its inception in 1992 and lasting 15 years. Schiffel also served as the Head Coach of the Hickory Seahorse Swim Team (1978-84 and 1986-89) and coached a swimmer who later became a two-time NCAA Division II All-American (2000 and 2002). In the 1980s, Schiffel coached several swimmers who qualified for the Olympic Trials and United States Senior Nationals. Several team accomplishments for Schiffel were the 1985 NCS Short Course Age Group Championship and St. Stephens second-place finish in the NCHSAA Championship in 2006. Schiffel graduated from East Carolina University in 1975 with a bachelors degree in health and physical education and earned his masters degree in education from ECU in 1981 as well. Schiffel, a member of the East Carolina Mens Swimming Team, earned Team MVP honors as a junior and served as an assistant coach for the Pirates from 1975 to 1978. Schiffel recently retired as a Physical Education Teacher at St. Stephens Elementary School in Hickory, N.C.

Vic Riggs was named the Head Coach of the Lenoir-Rhyne Men's and Women's Swim programs on Tuesdsay, June 3, 2025. Riggs joined the Bears following a successful 17-year stint at West Virginia University. While at WVU Riggs coached 48 NCAA qualifiers, 17 NCAA All-Americans, 19 Academic All-Americans, nine Big 12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year and 20 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifiers. In total, Riggs' swimmers hold all 38 of the best times swam in each event in West Virginia Swimming history. During his 17-year tenure the West Virginia Men's and Women's swim programs never finished lower than fifth at the Big 12 or Big East Championships, with the men notching 11 top-three finishes and the women picking up seven.  Riggs came to West Virginia from Georgia, where he served as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs in 2006-07. Prior to his stint at Georgia, Riggs coached at USC under Mark Schubert, guiding numerous Trojan sprinters and breaststrokers to All-America recognition. In his first year at USC, he worked closely with the distance and mid-distance freestyle and 400 IM athletes. Riggs helped guide Erik Vendt, Kaitlin Sandeno, Lindsay Benko and Kalyn Keller to Olympic berths for their respective 2004 Olympic teams.  Riggs previously served two years as head coach and owner of the Gator Swim Club in Gainesville, Florida. He also served as head coach for the U.S. National Distance Camp in 2000 and 2002.   From 1995-2001, Riggs and his wife, Renee, directed the Nellie Gail Saddleback Valley Gators, coaching novice to Olympic-level swimmers. Among the athletes Riggs coached during that time was the USC All-American Kaitlin Sandeno, who was a part of the 800 free relay that won a gold medal and broke a world record at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Riggs also served as the age group head coach at Saddleback Valley Aquatics in Lake Forest, California, from 1991-95. He was an assistant coach at Cal State San Bernardino from 1990-91 and served as head age-group coach for Riverside Aquatics in that time. He began his coaching career as the senior assistant at Fullerton Area Sports Team (FAST) in 1989. Riggs competed at California-Berkeley, earning All-America honors in 1986 and swam on Cal's second-place NCAA team. He was ranked seventh in the world in the 1,500 free and ninth in the 400 free in 1985. He was in the top 25 in the world in both events in 1984. A 1985 World University Games participant for the U.S., he was an Olympic Trials qualifier in 1984 and 1988. He was a 28-time qualifier for the U.S. Senior Nationals from 1983-89 and won a junior national title in 1982. Vic Riggs Profile 2025-Present: Lenoir-Rhyne - Head Coach 2007-24: West Virginia - Head Coach 2006-07: Georgia - Assistant Coach 2003-06: USC - Assistant Coach 1995-01: Gator Swim Club - Owner/Head Coach 1995-01: Saddleback Valley Gators - Director 1991-95: Saddleback Valley Aquatics - Head Coach 1990-91: Riverside Aquatics - Head Coach 1990-91: Cal State San Bernardino - Assistant Coach 1989-91: Fullerton Area Sports Team - Senior Assistant

Berlitz joined Lenoir-Rhyne following an impressive career in the water at both West Virginia and Michigan. a 2024 U.S. Olympic Trails participant, Berlitz holds the West Virginia 200 Yard Freestyle record (1:34.93) and appears 11 times in the West Virginia Swimming record books. He was a part of the school's record breaking 400 Yard and 800 Yard Freestyle Relay teams in 2024 and 2025.