Swim & Dive's Michele Lowry Promoted To Associate Head Coach

SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah swimming and diving head coach Joe Dykstra announced Tuesday that assistant coach Michele Lowry has been promoted to the program's associate head coach.

"I can't imagine someone else being so worthy of this title," said Dykstra on the promotion. "Countless swimmers are better people after working with Michele.  She is not only a gifted coach, but also a great motivator, leader, and educator.  I am endlessly appreciative of her work, which has now spanned more than 11 years with me."

Lowry is in her ninth season with the Utes in 2021-22 and primarily coaches the distance swimmers. Lowry played a crucial role in the development of former Utah standouts Bence Kiraly, Rahiti De Vos and Jordan Anderson, who each left their marks all over the Utah record books.

"I am so honored to be named associate head coach for the Utah Swim and Dive team for multiple reasons," said Lowry. "First and foremost, I love this team with all my heart.  Not only do these athletes bring me so much joy, but the family atmosphere that Joe, Jonas, Jos, Tami, and Richard have created make this the best job in the country.  Second, I am proud to represent female swim coaches across the NCAA.  There are not many women who are head/associate head coaches of combined Power 5 programs, and I hope to inspire more to strive for these titles."

"Finally, I truly believe in what, not only our program stands for, but also our athletic department.  We aim to create champion athletes and teams, but more than that, we aim to create incredible well-rounded student-athletes.  A huge thank you to Joe Dykstra for always believing in me and being the best head coach a staff and team can ask for.  Go Utes!"

De Vos qualified for the 1650 free and 500 free at the NCAA Championships during the 2019-20 season and holds the second-fastest 500 free time (4:16.27) and the second-fastest 1650 free time (14:57.07) in school history. He was named an All-American in 2020 after qualifying for the postseason and was named Utah's Most Valuable Swimmer under Lowry's guidance.

Lowry coached standout Anderson to consecutive berths to the NCAA Championships in the 200 fly and 400 IM in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Anderson finished her career as the school-record holder in the 400 IM (4:08.31), topping the second-highest time in history by just over five seconds. She is second all-time in the 200 IM (1:58.51) and fourth all-time in the 500 free (4:46.98). Lowry also guided Sara McClendon to the second-fastest times in school history in the 1000 free and 1650 free in the last few seasons.

In her first season with the Utes, Lowry helped coach Bence Kiraly to Utah's first-ever Pac-12 individual championship in the 1650 free, which he also qualified for the 2014 NCAA Championships. She was also instrumental in guiding Sami Zuch to the NCAA Championships in the 1650 free, as well as her setting new school records in both the 1000 and 1650 free events.  During her second season at Utah, Kiraly finished fourth in the 1650 free (14:41.86) and 11th in the 500 free (4:13.83) at the 2015 NCAA Championships.  Kiraly's 1650 was the highest placing swim for the Utes in more than two decades.

Lowry has coached six of the top-10 women's 1000 free swimmers in Utah history, eight of the top-10 women's 1650 free swimmers, seven of the top-10 men's 1000 free swimmers and nine of the top-10 men's 1650 free swimmers during her career.

The Hailey, Idaho native competed for the University of Denver, where she was one of the most accomplished swimmers in the history of the SBC. She qualified for the NCAA Championships as a senior in the 400 IM and the 1650 Freestyle for the Pioneers and was named the SBC's Most Outstanding Female Swimmer in 2008-09.

Lowry earned a bachelor's degree in management from the University of Denver in 2009, and earned her master's degree in higher education from North Texas in May 2012.