Competitor Coach of the Month is a recurring SwimSwam feature shedding light on a U.S.-based coach who has risen above the competition. As with any item of recognition, Competitor Coach of the Month is a subjective exercise meant to highlight one coach whose work holds noteworthy context – perhaps a coach who was clearly in the limelight, or one whose work fell through the cracks a bit more among other stories. If your favorite coach wasn’t selected, feel free to respectfully recognize them in our comment section.
CSP Tideriders Executive Director and head coach Dave McCrary has led his swimmers to a phenomenal start to the 2025-26 season, earning him Competitor Coach of the Month honors.
McCrary, who has been with the Tideriders in St. Louis, Mo., since 2005, is an eight-time Ozark Swimming Senior Coach of the Year and is coming off a successful conclusion to the 2024-25 campaign with Sydney Schoeck winning the girls’ Junior National title in the 200 back while also winning silver in the 1500 free and adding 4th-place finishes in the 800 free and 400 IM.
McCrary is joined on staff by head age group coach Mark Imig, who has been with the club since 1995 and has won Ozark Swimming Age Group Coach of the Year eight times.
At the Jim Devine Invitational on Oct. 24-26 in Columbia, Mo., the Tideriders had several standout performances and saw an onslaught of personal best times being set.
Leading the charge for the squad was Schoeck, a 2026 Texas commit, who set a new lifetime best in the 200 fly (1:57.77) while also winning the 200 back (1:55.29), 200 IM (1:59.43) and 400 IM (4:11.70), with all four swims ranking her in the top five this season in the girls’ 17-18 age group. She currently ranks 3rd in the 400 IM, 4th in the 200 IM, and 5th in both the 200 fly and 200 back.
Lexi Cook, an 18-year-old Mizzou commit, also performed well at the meet, winning the 500 free (4:51.52) and 1000 free (10:07.18), setting best times and hitting Winter Junior cuts in both.
Boston College commit Avery Cunneen also delivered a pair of lifetime bests in the 500 free (5:01.08) and 100 fly (56.83) while posting season-best times in her primary events, the 100 (55.45) and 200 back (2:00.86).
Other notable performers on the girls’ side were Kansas commit Hannah Renaud, who set a series of season-best times including a 2:00.41 clocking in the 200 fly, and on the younger side, 14-year-old Emma Fouke picked up new bests in the 500 free (5:00.63), 200 back (2:06.23) and 400 IM (4:24.41) while adding a season-best in the 200 breast (2:18.30).
On the boys’ side, 15-year-old Austin Chu had an impressive showing with victories in the 100 back (48.77) and 200 back (1:47.93), with his swim in the 100 marking a new best time, a Winter Juniors cut, and ranking him 1st this season among 15-year-old boys. Earlier in the month, he set a PB of 1:47.50 in the 200 back, ranking him 2nd this season among 15-year-olds.
Chu also set best times in the 100 breast (58.10), 200 breast (2:04.84) and 200 fly (1:53.49) at the meet, while other male standouts included 15-year-old Colin Cunneen (three best times) and 13-year-old Ramsey Wishy (eight-for-eight in best times).
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Big Congratulations Dave! Keep up the great leadership and work!