SHAWNEE – Two of St. Gregory's University's newest athletics programs have their first coach. Lyndsay Watts has been selected to guide both the Cavalier men's and women's swimming and diving programs into their inaugural seasons, SGU athletic director Jeff Potter recently announced.

Swimming and diving was added by the university – along with men's lacrosse – in November to bring SGU's total offering of athletics programs to 17. All three sports are slated to begin competition during the 2014-15 academic year.

Watts, a native of Riverside, Calif., is a retired swimmer with 21 years of competition under her belt. She is a four-time Senior National Meet qualifier and an Olympic Team Trial qualifier. Watts also was a 15-time All-American, a six-time individual national champion and was named the NAIA Co-Swimmer of the Year in 2002 and 2003 at her alma mater, California Baptist.

"I am so excited to have been blessed with the opportunity to develop the swimming and diving program at St. Gregory's," said Watts, who ranked as high as 18th at the 2000 Olympic Trials. "Being given the chance to mold and shape the lives of student-athletes and, in turn, the future is truly mind-boggling. I look forward to helping these young adults excel in the classroom, in the pool and in the community."

Watts served as swim coach at Enid High School, where she was a special education teacher for more than three years. She has a master's degree in education from Cambridge College. Watts and her husband, Gabe, have been married since May of 2011 and have a 14-month-old son, Corbin.

"We are excited to have someone of Lyndsay's caliber join us," Potter said. "She is an excellent fit for our swimming and diving programs – someone I know will embrace the challenge of building them from the ground up. Lyndsay exudes confidence, and I think she'll be a great asset when it comes to attracting and motivating our student-athletes."

SGU joined Oklahoma Baptist as the only varsity collegiate swim teams in Oklahoma. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), of which SGU is a member, has sponsored swimming since the 1950s.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), approximately 33,000 high school students at more than 900 schools participate in swimming programs in Oklahoma's six-state region.

For more information about SGU's swimming and diving programs, email Watts at [email protected] or visit SGUCavaliers.com.