Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) is starting a swimming program, and former NCAA Division I All-American Mykenzie (Leehy) Liston has been tabbed to lead the inaugural Reiver men’s and women’s teams this fall.
After IWCC’s Board of Trustees approved swimming as a new addition to its athletic program at a meeting on Feb. 19, it took only two weeks for the Reivers to land their first head coach.
“I am excited to be a part of a supportive and winning environment that exists at Iowa Western,” said Liston, who lives nearby with her husband, Joe. “Starting a new program is a challenge I am looking forward to taking on.”
IWCC competes in Division I of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference. The Reivers (which are river pirates, in case you were curious) have combined for 16 NJCAA national titles among other sports in school history.
“We knew that we needed someone with the experience and knowledge of what it takes to compete, and we definitely found that coach with Mykenzie Liston,” said IWCC President Dr. Dan Kinney. “Mykenzie has a solid reputation both regionally and nationally and we are confident she will hit the ground running to make Reiver swimming a success.”
Liston was a five-time American Athletic Conference champion at the University of Houston before following her coach, Ryan Wochomurka, to Auburn for her fifth year of collegiate eligibility.
Soon after graduating from Auburn with a master’s degree in education, Liston took over as head coach at College of Saint Mary (CSM) — about 20 minutes away from IWCC. The NAIA program is located in Omaha, Nebraska, just about 15 minutes away from her high school, Lewis Central, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She spent less than two seasons at CSM before resigning in December.
The CSM women placed 9th out of nine teams at the 2023 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships in February with 220 points in the Flames’ first season under Liston’s leadership. Sophomore breaststroke specialist Lily Wright went on to March’s NAIA National Championships in Columbus, Georgia, where she placed 7th in the 200 breast (2:22.88) and 9th in the 100 breast (1:04.66).
“We are excited to have Mykenzie join the Reiver athletic team,” said IWCC Athletic Director Shane Larson. “Mykenzie’s reputation in the swimming community speaks volumes for her success in and out of the pool, and she will be a great addition to our team.”
A high school standout at nearby Lewis Central, Liston won four Iowa high school state titles and set several school records before arriving at Houston. She also coached at Swim Omaha and was named to the KMA Sports Hall of Fame for her swimming accomplishments.
Mykenzie left College of St Mary because she wanted to make it a D1 program and she couldn’t handle the maturity (lack thereof) of a few incoming freshmen. She also dropped the team just six weeks into the season. So good luck to IWCC. Be ready to be told you “lack passion” and receive zero positive feedback, ever. And if you make it to championships, instead of showing up for practice, she’ll just email you a practice to do on your own because she can’t bother to show up.
A million Up Votes for hiring Mykenzie!!!
It’s nice seeing colleges add swim programs.
How can this get a “down” vote?