Lock Haven University Women's Swimming

Blesh enters his fifth year (2016-17 season) as the head coach for the womens swimming program at LHU.   Blesh, a 2009 LHU graduate led the Bald Eagles to another solid season in 2015-16. Last year Lock Haven swimming ended the season by placing 11 th at the PSAC Championships. LHU sent five swimmers to compete in 30 different events. Leading the way for the Bald Eagles for the second straight year was Danielle Parowski, and Jacki Bingham. Both turned in stellar performances that rank near the top of the all-time marks.   In 2014-15 the Bald Eagles finished 12 th at the PSAC Championships last year and had two individuals qualify for the conference championships. Danielle Parowski, who set a pair of school records at the PSAC Championships, last year enters her senior season as the holder of four total school records. Sophomore Jacki Bingham, a PSAC qualifier last year as a freshman clocked the fourth-fastest 200 backstroke time in school history at last years conference meet.   In 2013-14, Lock Haven saw six swimmers qualify for 12 different individual events at the conference championships.   Previous to being named head coach, Blesh spent two seasons as a student-assistant coach during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons here at Lock Haven.   While at LHU, Blesh coached Brittany Rehrig as she rounded out a brilliant career, finishing as The Havens most decorated swimmer in school history.   Highlights: In 2012-13, LHU was 2-3 and finished 11th at the PSAC Championships. In 2012-13, LHU went 2-3 as well, finishing 10th at the PSAC Championships.   In his first season as head coach, Blesh guided Rehrig to the NCAA Championships.  Lock Haven finished tied for 30th in the NCAA Championships after Rehrig, the lone Lady Eagle competing, earned them 11 points with her eighth-place (ALL-AMERICAN) finish in the 100-yard backstroke.   Prior to LHU, Blesh was the head swim coach for the Lock Haven area YMCA and Haven Area Aquatic Club, while also serving as the YMCA Aquatics Director and student-assistant coach here at LHU. He oversaw a major growth in the YMCA team and helped lead the program to new heights in the pool. Blesh coached a YMCA state champion and helped a pair of swimmers garner national top-10 marks. He guided 88 athletes to all-time top-five performances.   Blesh also serves as a coach and counselor at the prestigious University of Texas at Austin swim camps during the summer months.   He was a former standout swimmer for the Mercyhurst North East swim team, serving as the team captain from 2006-2007. Blesh was a 10-time NJCAA National Championship qualifier from 2005-2007 and a three-time honorable mention All-American.   Blesh graduated from LHU Magna Cum Laude and earned his degree in Sports Administration. He's currently enrolled in Lock Haven's Masters of Sport Science program.   Blesh is a registered USA Swimming Coach and a certified lifeguard and water safety instructor.  

Head Coach Jerry Hammaker Entering fourth season at Lock Haven Lock Haven women's swimming head coach Jerry Hammaker enters his fourth season in 2025-26. In just three complete seasons, Hammaker has completely revamped the women's swimming roster, which will feature 24 athletes this season. 2024-25 In his third season at the helm, Hammaker and the Bald Eagles opened the season with an impressive showing at a pair of PSAC invites, before soaring to a 178-43 victory over Lycoming College. The Bald Eagles brought home gold in every individual event.  After securing multiple dual victories in a season for the first time in six seasons last year, The Haven accomplished that feat once again in 2024-25 after taking down Penn State Altoon, 155-86, on the road.  At the conference meet on Feb. 17, 2025, Sydney Houck made history as she was named the PSAC Scholar Champion for Women's Swimming for the second straight season.  Heading into the 2025-26 campaign, Hammaker's recruiting class increased the overall roster size from a possible four swimmers to 24 athletes. 2023-24 In his second season at the helm, Hammaker led the Bald Eagles to a pair of dual meet victories for the first time since the 2017-18 season.  Following the regular season, four athletes qualified for the 2023-24 PSAC Women's Swimming Championships.  At the conference meet on Feb. 17, 2024, Sydney Houck was named the PSAC Champion Scholar for Women's Swimming, becoming the third Bald Eagle in Athletic Department history to earn the award. 2022-23 On August 30, 2022, Jerry Hammaker was named Lock Haven’s new head women’s swimming coach and he was charged with leading the NCAA Division II program into the future. The Coach-Hammaker era officially began on October 8, 2022 with a dual at Penn State Altoona and the Bald Eagles closed season No. 1 under his leadership at the 2022-23 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships, behind three individual championship qualifiers. Prior to Lock Haven, the Williamsport, Pennsylvania native enjoyed a record-breaking career at Lycoming College from 2001-2018. During his 17 seasons at Lycoming, Hammaker coached both the men’s and women’s swim teams.  He officially took over head coaching duties at Lycoming prior to the 2001-02 season and announced his retirement from Lycoming following the 2017-18 season.  During his first season (2001-02) as the head coach at NCAA Division III Lycoming (Williamsport, Pa.), Hammaker led the women’s program to the only undefeated season in school history. The Lycoming women were 11-0 in dual meets. In just his second season (2002-03) as head coach at Lycoming, he led a male swimmer to All-American honors in a pair of events.  In 2010, he led the Lycoming women’s team to the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) team title and he was named the MAC’s 2019-10 Women’s Coach of the Year.  Hammaker was named the 2013 Robert Darrow Curry Lycoming Athletics’ Coach of the Year.  During his impressive tenure at Lycoming, Hammaker led the Warriors to 24 individual or relay conference championships. He also guided 233 swimmers to individual All-Conference honors. Under his leadership, the men’s and women’s swimming programs at Lycoming broke nearly 100 school records.  Hammaker holds the program record for overall career dual meet wins (220), most wins with the men's program (107), and most wins with the women's program (113). The Warrior women posted 15 straight winning seasons under Hammaker from 2001-16 while the Warrior men had 15 straight .500 or better seasons. Hammaker’s teams also excelled in the classroom. He coached four College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) All-Americans. His women’s teams achieved CSCAA Scholar All-American Team status 14 times and his men’s teams earned CSCAA Academic Team honors eight different times.  Hammaker is a 1989 graduate of The College of Wooster (Ohio), where he earned a degree in speech communications with a philosophy minor. He was a four-year letter winner and a school-record holder in the 400-yard individual medley for the Fighting Scots. *Updated: July 23, 2025