Jill Cook begins her 11th year as Head Swimming & Diving Coach.

Over the past five campaigns, WestConn’s dual meet record is 31-19.

A year ago, the Colonials went 5-5 in dual meets and placed a program-best fifth at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association Championships in February. WestConn also finished a program-best, third, in the Little East Conference Championship Meet earlier in the season.

In 2007-08, it finished in fifth place at the Little East Conference Championship Meet and 12th at the season-ending NEISDA Swimming & Diving Championships.

A year earlier, the Colonials placed fifth at the LEC Championship Meet and 14th at the season-ending NEISDA’s. A year earlier, they placed a program-best third place at the LECs and at the NEISDA season-ending event.

In 2004-05, Cook enjoyed the program’s most successful campaign going 10-1 in dual meets while finishing fourth at the league championships and 16th at the NEISDA Championships.

In her first 10 seasons, 80 records have been set, including 15 new marks set in 2008-09.

The team has earned the College Swim Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Academic Team All-American honors by earning an overall GPA of 2.80 or higher for 19 consecutive semesters. During Cook’s tenure, 63 swimmers have made the Dean’s List and three members have been awarded the coveted WCSU Student Athlete Advisory Committee Scholar Athlete Award. Senior Francesca Testa was one of five recipients of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Award of Valor this past summer.

Cook came to Danbury, Conn. following two years as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut State University where she earned a Master’s of Science degree in Exercise Science in May of 1999.

While at the New Britain, Conn. school, she trained a 1999 NCAA Division I Qualifier, an All-American in the 200 freestyle, an ECAC Swimmer of the Meet. Prior to her appointment at WCSU, Cook was an Assistant Head Counselor for the Wolverine Swim Camp in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Cook, WestConn’s Senior Women’s Administrator, earned a bachelor of science degree in Sports Management from Springfield College in 1996. She was a three-time All-Conference swimmer for The Pride from 1992 to 1995.

In 1998, she was a USMS Long-Distance All-American, won the Outstanding Coach Award for Bristol Sprinters, and published two articles in The Bulletin: Connecticut Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Cook is a 2006 graduate of the NCAA Women’s Coaching Academy and last June graduated from the NACWAA/HERS.