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Kent Kirchner – Head Coach |
Kent “Coach K” Kirchner is back for
his eighth year as head coach for the Woodlands Marlins. Coach K is also in
his ninth year as Head Boys’ and Girls’ Swimming Coach at The Woodlands High
School. His teams have won numerous state titles - 2006, 2004 and 2000, and
one national title in 2001. For the 2007/2008 High School Season, Coach
Kirchner has once again been selected as the Texas State Girls Coach of the
Year, the Region IV Coach of the Year (Boys and Girls) and the District
Coach of the Year (Boys and Girls).
Kent was a two-time NCAA All-American
swimmer in 1972 and 1973 and was the Cleveland State University Athlete of
the Year in 1974. Since his All-American days with the Vikings, Coach K
took his knowledge of the pool into coaching. He coached his brother Kris
in his preparation for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but the U.S. boycott ended
the younger Kirchner’s hopes.
He was then head coach for the Fort
Smith Tideriders. His team set two U.S. Open and American records for the
200-meter medley relay and 200-meter free style relay. Kent then took over
as men’s swimming head coach at Southwest Missouri State where he was
honored as Coach of the Year for the Association of Mid-Continent
Universities in 1983. He then served as head coach at the University of
Arkansas from 1985-1989. With the perennial national power Razorbacks, he
coached 12 All-American swimmers and divers and was named the Southwest
Conference Coach of the Year in 1987.
Coach K and his wife Cheryl have three children; Kale,
Kody, and Kirby. There has also been a new edition to the Kirchner family
as son Kale recently married Jennifer Schlacks (also a former Marlin
Swimmer). Kale and Jennifer now live in Seattle where she works for Boeing.
Enough said! Hammer Down! |
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Kristi Radford – Assistant
Head Coach |
This is Kristi's third year to be the
Assistant Head Coach of the Marlins and after last year, she couldn't be
more excited. Kristi grew up in The Woodlands
as a TWST swimmer from 1992-1999. She attended The Woodlands High School
where she was on the varsity Swimming and Water Polo teams. During this
time Kristi was a multi-year letterman and Honorary All State recipient.
After graduation in 1999, Kristi left to attend Delta State University in
Cleveland, Mississippi. There she was a Distance and IM swimmer and was
voted Co-Captain her junior year, a multi-year college letterman, an
Academic All-American, an All-Conference recipient, and on the Deans List.
Kristi has previously helped to coach the Delta State
Aquatic Team and the Vicksburg Swim Team, both in Mississippi. Currently
Kristi is a coach of the Pre-TWST swim lesson program offered at the WAC.
Kristi is married to Coach Brad of TWST and together they have two
daughters, Kayley and Mackenzie. |
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Valerie Nichols– Assistant
Head Coach |
Valerie was born in Beaumont, Texas and is
24. She swam competitively for 17 years. Valerie was All-American all four
years of high school, a Senior National swimmer on the Woodlands Swim Team (TWST)
and also swam one year in college.
Valerie has coached for the Marlins
before (in 2003 and 2004). She has been coaching with TWST for the last
four years and the last two she been working with the eight and under age
group.
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Leslie Powell – Assistant Coach |
I am 20 years old and I have been swimming since I was
six. I was on the Marlins when I was seven and then I joined The Woodlands
Swim Team. I swam for TWST for eleven years. I was on TWHS varsity swim
team and water polo team and lettered in those two sports. I graduated in
2006 and now I just finished my sophomore year of college and swim season at
Towson University in Maryland. WE WON OUR CONFERNCE THIS YEAR!
I am really excited about coming back and coaching
again! I think it will be a lot of fun!! This will be my last summer to
coach, so I am hoping it is a great one!!! |
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Kalyn Amundsen - Assistant Coach |
This is Kalyn Amundsen’s second year to
help coach Marlins, and she has gained a lot of knowledge about swimming
over the past 14 years. She started swimming at age 5 on a summer league
team in Pennsylvania, and a couple years later joined a year-round team.
She now continues to swim for the Iowa State Swimming and Diving team.
During her four years at The Woodlands High School she swam for Coach
Kirchner on The Woodlands High School Varsity Team. She also swam on a
relay at High School State two years ago, which placed 1st and helped
contribute to winning the State Championship title. Kalyn also qualified
for High School All-American all four years.
She graduated in May 2007 and continues to swim in college at Iowa State
University, which is where her father, uncles and cousin graduated from as
well. She is majoring in Kinesiology (Exercise Science Pre-PA) and will
eventually go into a Physician’s Assistant program. |
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Tara VanNatta –
Assistant Coach
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Tara just completed her first year at
Duquesne University. She is pursuing a major in physical therapy as
well as swimming for the Division I school. She has been swimming
since she was five and started out on the Greentree Gators in Kingwood.
Tara is returning for her second year as a Marlins coach
and is excited about having another amazing season. Tara is
looking forward to seeing all her returning swimmers and can’t wait to
coach new ones. She loves little kids and will give swim lessons
to anyone in need. |
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David Hotard – Assistant Coach |
David will become nineteen on May 3rd.
He first joined a summer league swim team similar to the Marlins when he was
eight years old. Upon moving to The Woodlands, he joined TWST in 2000 and
has been dedicated to swimming ever since. David also competed as a member
of The Woodlands High School varsity swim team throughout high school.
David is currently a senior at The Woodlands High
School and will be attending Georgia Tech next year. He plans to swim there
and major in mechanical engineering. David has taught swim lessons to
children of all ages and is returning as an assistant coach for his second
year. He is excited for another great season full of improvement and
racing.
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Scott Smidlein – Assistant Coach |
Scott was born March 23, 1990 and has
been swimming most of his life. He started out on a summer league team just
like The Marlins, and soon joined TWST. He has swum all four years of high
school on The Woodlands High School varsity swim team and was a State
Finalist in 2008.
Currently Scott is a senior at The Woodlands High school
and plans on going to Texas Christian University next year and major in
finance and swim. Last summer Scott taught swim lessons to children of all
ages and all levels. He loves kids and willing to go the extra mile to do
what needs to be done. Scott is pumped for having the opportunity to help
coach the Marlins this year and as Coach K says, is ready to “Put the hammer
down!” |
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Katie Welch – Assistant Coach |
My Name is Katie Welch. I'm eighteen
years old and a senior at College Park HS. I was born in Yuma, AZ and lived
there until I was nine years old. My family moved to Las Vegas, NV where I
lived until I was fifteen. We moved to The Woodlands three years ago.
I began swimming when I was nine years old with the
Boulder City Henderson Swim Club in Nevada. I joined TWST as soon as I
moved here in August of 2005. I have also played water polo off and on
since my freshmen year and at the end of my junior year joined back up with
club water polo.
I have not yet decided where I am going to colleges,
but I will definitely be swimming or playing water polo and majoring in
either criminology or medicine. |
