UNIVERSITY PARK – Former Penn State swimmer Kaitlyn Ferguson has been added to the swimming and diving staff as an assistant coach, head coach Tim Murphy announced Monday. Ferguson swam for the Nittany Lions from 2006-09.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very excited to have Kaitlyn,\u201d said Murphy. \u201cWe think she will step right in and contribute and help the student-athletes in and out of the pool. We are going to rely on her perspective. It\u2019s always nice to have a Penn Stater back and we are happy to have her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferguson left her mark on Penn State as a swimmer. The Mamaroneck, New York, native was an NCAA Championships qualifier and helped the 2008 400-yard medley relay team earn honorable mention All-America honors with a 16th place finish. A member of the program\u2019s 2006 Big Ten Championship team, she is fifth on the school\u2019s top times list in the 100 backstroke, posting a time of 53:75 in 2009.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am very excited to be returning to Penn State as an assistant coach,\u201d said Ferguson. \u201cI think it\u2019s something special to be able to come back to your alma mater and give back to a place that has given you so much. We have a great group of kids on the team here and I am looking forward to working with them and joining the rest of the staff for a great season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most recently, Ferguson has served as an assistant coach for the Mamaroneck High School (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) varsity girls swim team since fall 2009, as well as an assistant for the Badger Swim Club since March 2010. With Mamaroneck, Ferguson coached district champions and state qualifiers, while overseeing the strength and conditioning program. She also created meet lineups, maintained the results database, coordinated team activities and ordered team equipment.<\/p>\n
With the Badger Swim Club, she coached different levels of swimmers ranging from sectional qualifiers to Olympic trial qualifiers. There, she oversaw seasonal training plans for the senior team and developed stroke technique and instruction for elite USA Swimming athletes. Ferguson got the opportunity to serve as head coach for the Badger Swim Club at USA Junior Nationals.<\/p>\n
Along with her coaching positions, Ferguson was a Therapy Aide at the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital from 2009-2011.<\/p>\n
During her time as a Nittany Lion, Ferguson assisted at the Penn State Swimming Camp, helping more than 400 swimmers. She also held a volunteer assistantship in 2008, helping out the swimming and diving program in a variety of ways.<\/p>\n
Ferguson earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in kinesiology from Penn State in May 2009. She also received a bachelor\u2019s degree in dietetics, food and nutrition from Lehman College, CUNY in May 2014.<\/p>\n