Springfield College Women's Swimming

Taffe has coached multiple All-Americans during his time at Springfield College, but most recently, at the 2016 NCAA Championships this past March, the NEWMAC Swimming Coach of the Year helped lead standout junior  to a pair of All-America accolades as she set a new Springfield College record with a 1:02.45 in the 100 breaststroke to take fourth overall, before touching in a time of 2:16.46 in the 200 breast to take sixth overall. On the mens side, Taffe guided senior to his fourth-consecutive NEWMAC Championship in the 200 breast in 2016. With multiple connections to the Olympic Games, Taffe served as the head coach for the Netherlands-Antilles squad at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, coaching Springfield College All-American . Additionally, Taffe has guided the tandem of  and  to international success as the duo competed in both the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Burch represented Bermuda in the pool while Zook competed in the Paralympics for the United States. Prior to joining the Springfield College staff in 1989, Taffe served as the men's and women's coach at Mount Union College in Ohio for one season and head women's coach at East Carolina University for two years. A native of Haverhill, Mass., Taffe attended the University of Rhode Island, where he was a five-time New England swimming champion as well as a two-time All-New England water polo selection for the Rams. Taffe received his bachelors degree in physical education from URI in 1985 and his masters degree in education from East Carolina in 1988. Taffe graduated from Haverhill High School in 1980 and was a member of the 1978 squad that captured the state swimming crown.  

Avdoulos was a standout diver for the Pride, as he received the Charles Batterman Award as the top New England Diver during the course of his career as a student-athlete. Avdoulos has coached countless All-New England and All-American divers, including four-time All-American , the first Springfield male diver to win a national title. As a sophomore, Shaw won the Division III National Championship on the three-meter board, while finishing runner-up in the one-meter competition. In his junior campaign, Shaw won the national championship in both events and was named the NCAA Division III National Diver of the Year. He swept the one- and three-meter events at the conference championship to garner NEWMAC Diver of the Year honors all four seasons of his career. Avdoulos also coached eight-time All-American , the Division III Womens Diver of the Year and national champion on the one-meter board in 2002, and , the 2001 national champion in three-meter diving.      

Pekar will enter her second season working with the Springfield College men's and women's swimming and diving program as a graduate assistant coach during the 2016-17 season. A native of Arlington Heights, Illi., Pekar recently graduated from Lake Forest College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology in the spring of 2015. At Springfield, Pekar will be pursuing her Master's degree in Secondary Education, while also be helping with divers, assisting with daily practice plans and running home meets. Additionally, Pekar will help oversee dry-land and strength training, while also proctoring cardiovascular activity.

Wahl will enter his second season as a graduate assistant coach with the Springfield College men's and women's swimming and diving programs during the 2016-17 academic year. A native of Webster, N.Y., Wahl recently spent one season with Middlebury College, where he was an assistant swimming coach. Wahl graduated from Union College in the spring of 2014 after double majoring in biology and geology. At Union, Wahl earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in the 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay and 200 fly, while also being named a First Team Scholar All-American at year's end.

Rapp received his bachelors degree from Ithaca College in 2012, majoring in exercise science with a minor in coaching. The Syracuse, N.Y. native swam for four years at Ithaca. He set seven school records and had six national qualifying times in his senior year. Rapp will coach stroke and sprints with the mens and womens teams.