Multi-time FINA World Championships medalist Margo Geer is part of the group of swimmers to follow former Indiana University associate head sprint coach Coley Stickels to the University of Alabama, as he was named the program’s new head coach in April following Dennis Pursley‘s retirement.
Geer, 27, swam collegiately for the University of Arizona under Eric Hansen from 2010-2014 and was a three-time NCAA champion individually.
At Olympic Trials in 2012, she finished seventh in 50 free and 12th in the 100. In 2015, she made her first Worlds team as a member of the 2015 4×100 free relay, and then was put on the both the mixed 4×100 free and medley relays; the former finished first in finals in world record fashion. Geer also swam prelims of the women’s 4×100 medley relay.
She moved to Bloomington to train under Stickels in IU’s post-grad group in 2017. The decorated IU team includes professionals Blake Pieroni, Cody Miller, Zane Grothe and Annie Lazor, as well as recent graduates Lilly King, Zach Apple, and Vini Lanza, among others.
Last summer at the 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships, Geer finished third in the 50 and 100 free, qualifying for the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships. In Tokyo, she finished third in the B-final of the 100 free and went second on Team USA’s silver medal 4×100 free relay.
As of now, we know the group moving to Alabama with Stickels includes Olympians Ryan Held and Ali Khalafalla, as well as Geer. That sprint training group will also include post-grad Laurent Bams and rising senior Zane Waddell.
Confirmed – 22.1/48.6 sprinter Robert Howard following Jonty to Indiana
Story to come shortly, but Howard will be moving to IU after Summer Nationals.
Who is Robert Howard?
Did Apple train with Coley? Presumably wouldn’t be a huge deal for him to move back to (the state of) Alabama if he wanted to.
If he did it would leave just Lanza and Pieroni as sprinter, non-breastroke pros, but they both seem to be pretty settled in Bloomington.
Apple trains with Mike Westphal, along with Blake Pieroni.
They never train with Coley.
Yeah, never a problem to go from, say, Auburn to Bama. Provided you never go within 50 miles of Auburn in your remaining lifetime.
These IU and Alabama post-grads should set up a housing exchange since they are basically all switching places following their coaches.
Did Coley hire any assistants yet?
Word on the street was right.