Youngquist Resigns as CWU Swim Coach

ELLENSBURG, WA -Chad Youngquist, Central Washington University’s swimming coach for the past three seasons, has resigned and will accept a teaching and coaching position at Shelton High School. Youngquist will be the aquatic physical education teacher at Shelton and will also coach the high school swim team along with his former CWU teammate Rob Phelan.

Youngquist, whose position at CWU was part-time, said his decision to leave CWU was a difficult one. “My time at Central has been rewarding,” Youngquist said. “Support for the swimming program has improved significantly in recent years and I believe it will thrive at the NCAA Division II level.”

Youngquist, however, said because the position was part-time he had to work five different jobs last year to support his family. “That left little time for my family and did not allow me to perform my coaching duties to the level of my own expectations. Therefore, I have decided to leave out of respect for the swim program and my family,” Youngquist said. In three seasons as head coach, Youngquist, 31, guided Central’s men to a 16-15 dual meet record and its women to a record of 15-14. He led the Wildcat men to sixth and fifth place finishes at the NAIA national meet in 1997 and 1998. His women’s squad placed fourth and third, respectively, in the NAIA national meet. Last winter, CWU’s men placed 11th and its women finished 19th in their inaugural NCAA Division II season.

Prior to being named CWU’s head coach, the Mt. Vernon native was an assistant coach at California State – Bakersfield (1992-93) and at Central Washington (1995-96) for one season each. He also coached the Skagit Valley YMCA swimming team for one year (1992-93) and has been the head coach at Ellensburg High School since 1993.

In 1995, he was named the Eastern Washington Class AA High School Swim Coach-of-the-Year.

As an assistant at CWU during the 1995-96 season, he was the primary coach for five All-Americans and he initiated a stroke analysis program including under water video taping He also initiated and administered a successful study group for freshmen and swimmers with grade point averages below 2.50. In addition he organized CWU’s Swimming Alumni Association.

Youngquist is a 1986 graduate of Mt. Vernon High School where he was the swimming team captain and place third and fifth in the state high school meet in both the 50 free and 100 butterfly. He then swam four seasons at CWU, twice (1989 and 1990) serving as the team’s captain. After earning his bachelor of science degree in exercise science in 1991, he went on to earn a MS degree in exercise science from CWU in 1996.

CWU athletic director Gary Frederick said the university would immediately begin a local search to fill the part-time position.

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