Swimming Coaches - Wheeling Jesuit University

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Rick West
Head Coach

Coach West will begin his six season as Head Coach of the Cardinals after re-taking over the program in the 2007-08 season.

Jesuit Swimming became a winning program again 2009-10 when the men�s team compiled a 9-3 record and the women earned an 8-5 mark. Both teams had an excellent showing at the Appalachian Swimming Conference Championships as the men claimed the championship honors and the women matched their best performance in school history finishing in the runners-up position. Freshman Emily Martin was named the ASC Swimmer of the Year and West was named the Men�s Swimming Coach of the Year.

The 2009-2010 campaign resulted from the rebuilding that occurred over the past several important seasons for Wheeling Jesuit. The 2008-09 campaign was a time of turn around and change for the Cardinals. The men�s team compiled a 7 and 5 record and had a winning season for the first time in several years and the women�s team won more dual meets than the past four seasons combined.

West served as the head coach and aquatics director at Wheeling Jesuit for the 2001-02 season. He coached the men�s team to a 9-3 dual meet record and a first-place finish in the Bluegrass Mountain/West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships. Five of his athletes qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships and four earned All-America status. For his efforts, West was named the Bluegrass Mountain/WVIAC Coach of the Year. West also had the honor of serving as a visiting coach for the Jamaican National Swim Team in Kingston, Jamaica.

West rejoined the Cardinals after serving as an assistant coach for the University of Pittsburgh in 2003-2004 and from Duquesne University, where he served as the head coach of the men�s swimming team in 2002-03.

As assistant coach for the Panthers, West assisted in coaching of the Pittsburgh�s 8th consecutive Big East Title, the 19th in 22 years. West helped to coach the University of Pittsburgh Men�s Swimming Team in 2003 to the most dual meet wins in the University�s history while the Women�s team achieved the first winning dual meet record in four seasons.

As the head coach at Duquesne, he coached the first ever Atlantic 10 champion swimmer in the program�s 26-year history.

In addition to his coaching experience, West has volunteered at many youth swimming programs. He has been both a head coach and assistant coach for various YMCA and USA Swimming club teams in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, the most notable of these teams being the JB Chambers YMCA/Cardinal Aquatics program in Wheeling, the Marietta Family YMCA and the YMCA of Steubenville, Ohio.

West is a native of Moundsville, W.Va. He graduated from John Marshall High School and West Liberty State College. He holds a Master�s Degree in Athletic Coaching from West Virginia University. He and his wife, Carrie, have two daughters, Carleigh (11) and Sydney (10) and a son Quinton (3).

Jesuit Under West

Women

Year Record Conference Awards

2001-02
4-9 WVIAC/BGMC Runner-up

2007-08
2-9

2008-09
3-10

2009-10
8-5 ASC Runner-up

11-4 ASC Runner-up

Total
28-37

Men

Year
Record Conference Awards

2001-02
9-3 WVIAC/BGMC Champions Men�s Coach of the Year

2007-08
4-7

2008-09
7-5

2009-10
9-3 ASC Champions Men�s Coach of the Year

2010-11 13-1 ASC Champions Men�s Coach of the Year

Total
42-19 3 Conference Titles 3 Time Coach of the Year

Sarah Bell
Assistant Coach

Sarah Bell will begin her third season as assistant swim coach for the cardinal team. Bell is a 2009 graduate of Wheeling Jesuit where she not only swam her junior and senior year but also was the Vice President of her graduating class. Sarah has the distinction of swimming every event during her tenure as a member of the Cardinal swim team. While attending Wheeling Jesuit University, she was very involved throughout the campus with clubs that put on events such as Special Olympics, fundraising, formals, and mock disasters. She also served as a Campus tour guide.

Bell started competitive swimming at the young age of four. Her coaching experience dates back nine years where she coached swim teams in Vienna, West Virginia, her hometown. She has also help coached the Rick West Cardinal Swim Camp for the past four years.

Sergio Bracamontes
Assistant Coach

Sergio is beginning his first season with the Cardinals. He is a graduate from Parkersburg High School who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Wheeling Jesuit University in 2010. He is currently working towards a Masters in Business Administration at WJU.

Over his four years at Jesuit, Sergio was a member of the Men's Swim Team and served as team captain his junior year. He was also awarded the Jesuit�s Men's Swimmer of the Year award twice throughout his career. In addition, he was the swim team�s representative on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Sergio was a three time finalist in the Bluegrass Mountain Conference, and as a senior, he was a five-time medal winner while setting the Appalachian Swimming Conference�s 200 butterfly record.

After graduation, He accepted a coaching position at the Linsly School where the men's and women's swim team won a conference title. Sergio has also coached summer league for the Marshall County Swim Team and is a four-year member of the Rick West Swim Camp staff.

Fr. Harry Geib, SJ
Team Moderator

Fr. Harry Geib, SJ is the team moderator for Wheeling Jesuit University swimming. He is a member of the Campus Ministry staff at WJU where he also serves as the Jesuit Chaplain in the Thomas More Residence Hall. He works primarily with student retreats and various chapel services.

Fr. Harry earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology/Sociology from Saint Joseph's University; a Master's degree in Sociology from Duke University; a Master of Divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley; and a Master's degree in Social Work from Gallaudet University (university for the Deaf).

His ministry assignments have included teaching biology and chemistry at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC. Fr. Harry has also worked with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Thailand, Malaysia and Uganda, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Gonzaga College High School in Washington, DC; the Board of Directors for St. Ignatius Loyola Academy in Baltimore, MD; and the CSJ Ministries Board (Sisters of Saint Joseph).

Prior to coming to WJU, Fr. Harry served the Jesuits of the Maryland Province from 1999 as their Health Care Coordinator and as the Director of Manresa Hall (the Jesuit skilled care facility in Philadelphia) from 1999-2004.