University of Notre Dame Men's Swimming

Woo was a volunteer assistant coach at Stanford University for the 2014-15 season, joined the University of Notre Dame swimming and diving program as an assistant coach in June 2015. Woo was the first hire under women's swimming and diving head coach Mike Litzinger, who became the program's sixth head coach in the spring of 2015. Woo came to Notre Dame from Stanford, where she served as the volunteer assistant coach last season. Woo helped coach on deck with the swimmers while assisting with all aspects of the swimming & diving program. During her year with Stanford, the Cardinal placed third overall at the 2015 NCAA Division I Championships, setting three American records in the 400 medley and free relays and the 100 free (Simone Manuel) in the process. Eight individuals earned All-America status while four others claimed honorable mention All-America citations. In addition, four relays claimed All-America accolades and one other secured honorable mention All-America honors. Prior to coaching at Stanford, Woo was an assistant coach for Florida Gulf Coast University from 2012-14. There she assisted with the teams recruiting classes, which included the 12 ranked recruiting class in 2013. She also designed weight training programs for the distance swimmers. In her last season at FGCU, the Eagles placed 32 at the 2014 NCAA Division I Championships, which was the highest finish in program history. Three individual All-America citations highlighted the 2014 run. In her first year with the program (2012-13), the team claimed the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association team title. Woos first stop out of college took her to Cleveland State, where she worked under the direction of legendary head coach Wally Morton while also completing a Masters of Education in exercise science in 2012. With the Vikings, Woo assisted in all aspects of the program including recruiting, training, weight plans and meets. Eleven individual school records fell under her watch in addition to nine relay marks. During her time as a student-athlete at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California from 2005-09, Woo served as co-captain during her senior campaign (2008-09). She earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 2009. In 2013 Woo was awarded the prestigious Jean Freeman Award. This award is given to a male and female assistant coach in each NCAA division whose contributions have brought recognition to the respective colleges or university, and whose honesty, leadership and integrity reflects the characteristics of Jean Freeman. Outside of her assistant duties with various collegiate programs, Woo has assisted with several camps and clubs all over the country including the Neal Studd Swimming Camp, Ohio Masters, Swim Strongsville Club, Fast Lane Swimming Camp, LLC and the Pacific Swim School.  April Woo Position: Assistant Swimming Coach Alma Mater: Pacific '09 Seasons At ND: 2ns Season Position: Assistant Swimming Coach Alma Mater: Pacific '09 Seasons At ND: 2ns Season

Litzinger's leadership was immediately felt as the Irish broke at total of six Notre Dame Records and qualified four women and six men for the 2016 NCAA Championships. Standout performances by Junior Justin Plaschka led the way, as he set varsity marks in the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. Plaschka also had a hand in setting two relay marks, one in the 200 freestyle relay and the other in an ACC Championship silver medal performance in the 400 freestyle relay. At the 2016 U.S. Open, Notre Dame swimmers Alice Treuth (200 backstroke), Rob Whitacre (200 backstroke), Matt Grauslys (200 butterfly), and Tommy Anderson (400 IM) all made the championship final, capping one of the most successful summers by an Irish team. The 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials also had a significant Notre Dame presence, as the Irish qualified 16 athletes for Omaha. Emma Reaney '15, who continued her post graduate career at Notre Dame, lead the group with outstanding performances earning her a 9th place in the 200 breaststroke and a 13th place in the 100 breaststroke. Litzinger (pronounced LITZ-ing-er) brought with him to South Bend the experience of seven years as head coach of both the men's and women's programs at the University of Utah (2000-07) and seven more as head women's coach at St. Bonaventure University (1989-1996). He was the associate head coach at North Carolina since 2011 after first joining the Tar Heel staff in 2007. Litzinger was named in September 2014 to the list of U.S. National Team coaches after mentoring Tar Heel butterflier Ben Colley to a spot on the national team that summer. "Mike's vast experience as a head coach and most recent experience as associate head coach at a very successful North Carolina program were key factors in the decision to hire him," said Notre Dame vice president and athletics director Jack Swarbrick. "His passion and drive embody the Notre Dame spirit and represent what we need to propel the program forward." "I am truly humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead the University of Notre Dame women's swimming and diving program. My wife Julie, our daughters and I are thrilled to be a part of this great institution and what it stands for. "I have great appreciation for Jack Swarbrick's vision of Notre Dame's place in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics. Notre Dame is a place already steeped in tradition and excellence, and we will bring a roll-up-our-sleeves attitude as we live out the past successes of the program while carrying on into the future. It is up to me to provide leadership, direction and spirit as we pursue ACC Championships and elite-level finishes at the NCAA Championships." Litzinger's eight-year women's resume with the Tar Heels featured a 57-17 dual meet mark (.770), seven runner-up finishes in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships and top 19 finishes in the NCAA Championships each of the last four seasons--including a best of 12th in 2012-13. During his tenure the Tar Heels produced 33 individual All-Americans and 13 relay units that claimed All-America status. On the men's side during those same eight seasons beginning in 2007-08, the Tar Heels finished 56-15 (.788) in dual meets, ended up second three times and third four times in the ACC Championships and enjoyed top-15 finishes in the NCAA Championships three straight years from 2010-12, the first time since 1956-58 North Carolina had done that in men's swimming & diving. Litzinger assisted in producing 34 individual North Carolina men's All-Americans and 13 relay squads that garnered All-America honors. All 15 North Carolina individual men's and women's school records have been set since 2010, and all five relay marks for both men and women have been set in the last three seasons (established in the last two years by the women). North Carolina in 2012-13 had the ACC men's and women's swimmers of the year in the same season for the first time since 1996. From 2007-08 through 2010-11, both teams finished second in the ACC for four straight years. Litzinger has been involved in all aspects of the North Carolina program with his primary responsibilities coaching the middle-distance group and heading up Carolina's recruiting efforts. He is known as an innovative coach, a possessor of outstanding on-deck coaching techniques and a superior evaluator of talent. In seven seasons in Salt Lake City, Litzinger built the Utah men's and women's swimming and diving teams into two of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference and the nation. During his last year in Salt Lake City in 2006-07, the Utes had a particularly memorable season as the women went undefeated in dual meets at 10-0, upping their mark over three seasons to an impressive 28-1. Utah previously won three successive women's Mountain West championships in a row from 2004-06. He won MWC women's coach of the year honors in 2002 and 2006. Overall, in Litzinger's seven years, the Utes broke 35 school records, qualified eight athletes in 23 different events for the NCAA Championships and had 14 swimmers qualify for U.S. Nationals. Both programs garnered All-Academic status from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. Litzinger's accolades include Eastern Intercollegiate coach-of-the-year awards in 1992 and 1994 and Atlantic Ten Conference coach-of-the-year honors in 1996 and 1997 while serving as the head coach at St. Bonaventure. After leaving St. Bonaventure and before going to Utah, Litzinger was the assistant men's coach at Ohio State from 1996-2000. While there, he helped lead the Buckeyes to two top-25 NCAA finishes. As the St. Bonaventure women's coach Litzinger led the Bonnies to an ECAC title and two Atlantic Ten championships. He began his coaching career at Fredonia State University in New York in 1988-89. While at Fredonia State, Litzinger took the Blue Devils to a second-place SUNYAC Conference finish. A 1984 graduate of Hobart College in Geneva, New York, Litzinger received his bachelor's degree in English and was captain of the Hobart swimming team in 1983-84. The same year he was voted the program's most valuable swimmer. In 1988, he received his master's degree in physical education from the University of Iowa. While working on his master's degree, Litzinger was the Hawkeyes' graduate assistant men's swimming coach. The New York native and his wife Julie have two daughters--Gabrielle and Grace.