2019 ASCA Coach of the Year Megan Oesting. Photo credit: Fitter and Faster Swim Camps
Megan Oesting of Eastern Iowa Swim Federation was named the American Swimming Coaches Association’s 2019 Fitter and Faster Age Group Coach of the Year at the ASCA World Clinic Awards Banquet in Dallas, Texas on Thursday, September 5th. The 20-year coaching veteran from Iowa was selected from an original group of 50 nominees that was then whittled down to ten finalists based on the results of public voting online.
The list of nominees included the top 50 coaches based on a scoring of USA Swimming national rankings for the 9-10 and 11-12 age groups. Oesting produced two swimmers (Mason Turner and Parker Macho) with a total of five number-one rankings for the year on USA Swimming’s national age group lists. Her swimmers appeared 23 times among the nation’s top-20 for 2019. No other nominated coach had more than 19 top-20 swims and only one other had 5 number-ones.
A former All-American swimming at UCLA, Oesting founded Eastern Iowa Swim Federation in 2016. Her swimmers have broken over 40 Iowa Swimming records, posted more than twenty-five All-Time Top-100 swim, including 12 in the top-10, and one National Age Group Record (Mason Turner, boys’ 11-12 500-year freestyle). Oesting was head coach of the 2019 USA Swimming Southern Zone Select Camp in Louisville and was an assistant at the 2018 USA Swimming National Girls Select Camp in Colorado Springs. As a swimmer, she won three Junior National titles and represented the USA on the National Junior Team in Paris and East Berlin. She won gold in the 4×100 free and silver in the 100 free at the 1991 Pan American Games in Cuba and was ranked 18th in the world in the 100 free.
This is the sixth year that ASCA has partnered with Fitter and Faster to identify the top age group coaches in the United States. Previous ASCA Age Group Coach of the Year recipients include:
- 2018: Rod Hansen, Irvine Novaquatics, Irvine, California
- 2017: Robert Norman, TAC Titans, Cary, North Carolina
- 2016: Sherwood Watts, Sarasota YMCA Sharks, Sarasota, Florida
- 2015: Tom Himes, NBAC, Baltimore, Maryland
- 2014: Beth Winkowski, Dynamo Swim Club, Atlanta, Georgia
2019 Top 10 Finalists (in alphabetical order)
- Alex Carney, Nitro Swimming (South Texas Swimming)
- Juya Cho, Waverunners (New Jersey Swimming)
- Douglas Copper, Delaware Swim Team (Middle Atlantic Swimming)
- Adam Madrassy, Eagle Aquatics (Florida Gold Coast Swimming)
- Mickey McNeil, Springfield Family YMCA (Ohio Swimming)
- Rick Mills, Magnolia Aquatic Club (Gulf Swimming)
- Marni O’Dell, Chino Hills Aquatics (Southern California Swimming)
- Megan Oesting, Eastern Iowa Swim Federation (Iowa Swimming)
- David Stephens, Chicago Wolfpack Aquatic Club (Illinois Swimming)
Photo: @fitterandfastertour on Facebook
Well deserved Megan has been doing an under the radar great job for years in Iowa, just hope she bring her talent back to the Northwest someday.
Congratulations & well deserved ! Way to think outside the box for teaching/coaching while still looking for ways to get better. You have inspired a seasoned coach to also continue learning & trying new methods. Thanks !
I’m sure she’s a good coach. I’m guessing she’s a great person. But I really wish we weren’t grading great age group coaches on how many fast 9-10 and 11-12 year olds they have. There’s a reason USAS stopped ranking 9-10s and probably should 11-12 year olds also.
Interesting. What metrics that can be measured, should be used?
I’m pretty sure the term age group here means swimmers that compete by age 11-12, 13-14, 15-18 not someone who coaches 12&unders exclusively
Congratulations, Megan! So happy for you. Well deserved!
Congratulations Megan! When will you ever win Iowa Swimming coach of the year? 😂
Congratulations!!!
Yeah Megan!
Congratulations Megan! Well deserved.