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.
Word on the street was right.
Did Coley hire any assistants yet?
These IU and Alabama post-grads should set up a housing exchange since they are basically all switching places following their coaches.