Washington and Lee University Women's Swimming

Kami Gardner is in her 13th season as the director of aquatics and head men's and women's swimming coach at Washington and Lee in 2023-24. She had previously served as the head women's swimming coach for five seasons and was the interim men's coach for much of the 2012 season. The 2012-13 season was her first as the head coach for the combined men's and women's program.    W&L ACCOMPLISHMENTS - 203-53 Overall Record (.793) Women’s Swimming (2007-Present) 17x ODAC Champions 10x ODAC Coach of the Year 1x VaSID Coach of the Year  Highest finish at NCAA Championship in 2017-18 (7th place) 81 All-American Citations 281 All-Conference Citations  105 All-State Selections  13 ODAC Swimmer of the Year Citations 12 ODAC Rookie of the Year Citations 14 ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year Citations Two VaSID Rookie of the Year Citations Two VaSID Swimmer of the Year Citations Two CoSIDA Academic All-America Citations Men’s Swimming (2011-Present) 10x ODAC Champions 6x ODAC Coach of the Year  3x VaSID Coach of the Year Highest finish at NCAA Championship in 2017-18 (13th place) Two National Champions 75 All-American Citations  181 All-Conference Citations  121 All-State Selections Four ODAC Swimmer of the Year Citations Four ODAC Rookie of the Year Citations Five ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year Citations Three VaSID Rookie of the Year Citations Two VaSID Swimmer of the Year Citation Seven CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-America Citations  AWARDS, HONORS & CERTIFICATIONS ODAC Coach of the Year  Women’s – 2009, ’11, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’19, ’21, ’22, '23, '24 Men’s – 2016, '18, '20, '22, '24, '25 VaSID Coach of the Year Women’s – 2020 Men’s – 2022 Inducted into the Kenyon College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 Inducted into the inaugural Troy High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013    COACHING RESUME Washington and Lee (2007-Present) 27 ODAC Championships  16 ODAC Coach of the Year Awards Four VaSID Coach of the Year Awards Two National Champions 156 All-American Citations 462 All-Conference Citations  226 All-State Citations 17 ODAC Swimmer of the Year Citations 16 Rookie of the Year Ciations 19 ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year Citations Five VaSID Rookie of the Year Citations Five VaSID Swimmer of the Year Citations Nine CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-America Citations  Head Men’s and Women’s swimming coach, aquatics director and instructor at SUNY Oswego  188 Individual SUNYAC titles 26 SUNYAC records 144 team records  Six SUNYAC Swimmer of the Year Awards 43 NCAA Division III Qualifiers  49 NCAA Division III All-American Awards 14 Academic All-America Citations  11x SUNYAC Coach of the year Awards Assistant Swim Coach at Western Illinois University (1993-94) Back-to-Back Mid-Continent Conference Championships Swimmer and Newcomer of the Year Citations Apart of the staff that was honored as the Conference’s Coaching Staff od the Year Award PLAYING CAREER (Kenyon College) 4x NCAA Team Champion 27x All-American  17x National Champion 2x Academic All-American 1991 NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year GARDNER YEAR-BY-YEAR WOMEN YEAR RECORD ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2024-25 5-3 ODAC Champions 2023-24 6-1 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year 2022-23 6-1 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year 2021-22 5-1 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year, T-42nd at NCAA Championships 2020-21 0-0 Did not officially compete 2019-20 8-1 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year 2018-19 9-0 ODAC Champions, 10th at NCAA Championships 2017-18 6-1 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year, T-21st at NCAA Championships 2016-17 7-0 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year, 7th at NCAA Championships 2015-16 7-2 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year 2014-15 8-1 ODAC Champions 2013-14 9-3 ODAC Champions 2012-13 10-3 ODAC Champions 2011-12 7-2 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year 2010-11 8-3 ODAC Champions 2009-10 6-5 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year 2008-09 9-6 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year 2007-08 13-6 ODAC Champions 18 SEASONS 129-39 (.767) 17 ODAC Titles, 10 ODAC Coach of the Year Awards MEN YEAR RECORD ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2024-25 5-3 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year, 19th at NCAA Championships 2023-24 6-1 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year, 22nd at NCAA Championships 2022-23 6-1 ODAC Champions 2021-22 5-1 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year 2020-21 0-0 Did not officially compete 2019-20 8-1 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year 2018-19 8-1 ODAC Champions, 29th at NCAA Championships 2017-18 6-1 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year, 13th at NCAA Championships 2016-17 5-1 ODAC Champions 2015-16 6-1 ODAC Champions, ODAC Coach of the Year 2014-15 8-1 ODAC Champions 2013-14 8-2 10th at BMC Championships 2012-13 8-2 6th at BMC Championships, 30th at NCAA Championships 2011-12 5-4 4th at BMC Championships, 16th at NCAA Championships 14 SEASONS 84-20 (.807) 10 ODAC Titles, 6 ODAC Coach of the Year Award TOTAL 213-59 (.783)

LaBerge will be in his third season as an assistant swimming coach at Washington and Lee University in 2016-17. In his first campaign, the womens program finished with an 8-1 overall record and claimed its eighth consecutive conference title. The mens squad also recorded an 8-1 record and won the inaugural ODAC Championship. Both the women and mens teams had 18 individuals garner all-conference laurels. Emily Rollo 17 was named Swimmer of the Year, Kira Tomenchok 18 tabbed Rookie of the Year honors and Stephanie Foster 16 received her second straight ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the women. On the mens side, Tommy Thetford 18 was selected as the Rookie of Year. During the 2015-16 season, the women posted a 7-2 overall record and won its 26th ODAC Championship. The mens team registered a 6-1 record and claimed its second consecutive ODAC title. At the conference championship, Elle Chancey 19 was chosen as the womens Rookie of the Year, while Sam Childress 19 was named the mens Rookie of the Year. Foster was selected as the ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the third straight year and Thetford was awarded the Swimmer of the Year. LaBerge also assisted in coaching Thetford and Rollo to First Team All-America accolades. Thetford won two national titles in the 100 and 200 free, and had a second-place finish in the 50 free at the NCAA Championship. Rollo garnered First Team All-America honors with a sixth-place showing in the 100 back and a fifth-place finish in the 200 back. She also earned Honorable Mention All-America laurels in the 200 IM. LaBerge came to W&L from Mount Union, where he served as the assistant swimming coach for the last two seasons.  He helped the Purple Raiders mens and womens teams to second-place finishes in the Ohio Athletic Conference both years, while helping the teams break 22 school records and four conference records combined over the two seasons. Prior to his time at Mount Union, LaBerge was a student assistant coach at Miami (Ohio) from 2010-12, helping the womens team to third-place finishes in the MAC in 2011 and 2012.  LaBerge also served as a swim counselor at the Total Performance Swim Camp in Gambier, Ohio (2012) and at the Longhorn Swim Camp (2013-14) in Austin, Texas.  He was also an assistant coach for the Padonia Park Club in Cockeysville, Md., from 2003-10. LaBerge earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from the College of Wooster in 2010 and a master of science in sports studies from Miami in 2012.  While at Wooster, he was a four-year letterwinner for the swimming team, serving as a team captain for his senior season.

Steele is in his second season as the assistant men's and women's swimming coach. Steele came to Washington and Lee from Angelo State University, where he earned a master of science in kinesiology in May. Steele is also a strength and conditioning coach for the athletic department. In his first stint, he helped lead the Generals to a 9-3 overall record and to an ODAC Championship, which marked the program's 24th and seventh consecutive title. Seventeen Generals earned all-conference accolades, led by sophomore Stephanie Foster '16 who garnered the ODAC Scholar Athlete of the Year award and First Team All-ODAC laurels. She was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America All-District At-Large team. Since June, he had been serving as an assistant swimming coach with the West Houston Aquatics Team and as an area supervisor with Greater Houston Pool Management. Steeles coaching experience also includes serving as the head swimming coach for the City of Georgetown, Texas from 2010-11, and he was an assistant swimming coach for the Forest Area Swimming Team in Pflugerville, Texas for much of the same time period. Steele was also a pool manager and water safety instructor for the City of Georgetown.  He is a 2011 graduate of Southwestern University, earning a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology.  He served as a captain for the Pirates swimming team, earning Scholar All-America honors as a senior. Steele is a ASCA Level 1 Certified Coach who is also certified in CPR/AED and First Aid.  Additionally, he is a Certified Lifeguard Instructor and a Certified Water Safety Instructor.