Craig Leonard’s Swimming Bio:

 

-          Started swimming at age 8 for Montgomery Swim and Tennis Club in the P.P.S.L. and swam for them for 10 years. Held P.P.S.L. records in the Butterfly and I.M. in the 9-10 and 11-12 age groups and the Butterfly and Freestyle events in 13-14 and 15-18 age groups.

 

-          Started swimming year round for the Cincinnati Marlins at age 9. I swam for the Marlins until age 16. During that time with the Marlins I was the Ohio Swimming record holder in 10 individual and 14 relay events. I was also a member of the relay teams that set the National Age Group Records in every relay in the 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14 age groups.

 

-          I swam, and played water polo, for Sycamore High School all four years. I was an Ohio State Meet qualifier all four years. I placed in Finals all four years. I won the 100 Freestyle and was third in the 50 Freestyle in my senior year. I was named a High School All-American in water polo and swimming in both my Junior and Senior years at Sycamore.

 

-          I swam for the Blue Ash Y.M.C.A. as a Junior and Senior in high school under Coach Tim Blood. In my senior year, I placed third at the Y.M.C.A. National Meet in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 49.74. I swam at the U.S.A. Swimming Junior National Meet at Memphis State University in the summer of my senior year. I qualified for the meet in 77^th place of 77 entries in a time of 1:00.07. In the preliminaries I swam the distance in 57.03 and qualified 14^th.

 

-          I swam for the University of Cincinnati for one year before taking on my first coaching job with the Anderson Barracudas that following Fall. As the Barracudas coach, I took a team of 14 and Unders from relative obscurity to a 3^rd place finish at the Ohio State AA Meet in just three short years.

 

-          After coaching the Barracudas, I took on a position of assistant age group coach for the Cincinnati Marlins. In just 2 seasons with the Marlins I was named their Head Age Group Coach. While in the position of Head Age Group Coach, my program won the State AA Championships in all 7 seasons I was with them, Short Course and Long Course. While I was with the Marlins I had 12 swimmers who made their “Top 16” time standards in a total of 27 individual events and 30 relay events. In four of the seven seasons I was with the Marlins we were named the “mythical national age group champions” by a national swimming publication. I was honored for my achievements by U.S.A. Swimming by being asked to be a “Major Presenter” at the National Age Group Coaches Conference which took place at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 

-          I was approached by the Northern Kentucky Clippers to head up their program while I was still at the Marlins. I wanted a chance to lead a team and to see what I was capable of as a Head Coach. I coached the Clippers for 5 years. While I was there I took the Clippers to a Senior State Meet 2^nd place finish. We lost the title by 1 point to the Greater Columbus Swim Team. We, also, won the Men’s Sectional Meet Title in my last season with the Clippers and we were second in the combined team score behind Greater Columbus. I had 14 swimmers at the Clippers who attained High School All-America honors. I had a Men’s 800 Free Relay that took 4^th place at the Senior Nationals. I had two swimmers who went on to achieve their Olympic Trials cut-off times. I had two swimmers who qualified for Senior Nationals, 11 swimmers who made their U.S. Open cut-off times. I had numerous swimmers who won events at the Ohio Senior Championships in all five years as their Head Coach.

 

-          I started the River’s Edge Swim Team in 2002. We swam great in all age groups in each of the championship meets we attended in each of the 5 seasons the team was in existence. We had finalist at the State of Ohio Age Group Championships and at the Ohio Senior Meets.

 

-          I came back to the Cincinnati Marlins 3 years ago after selling the River’s Edge Swim Team to the Marlins and becoming their southern satellite program. I have decided to leave the Marlins after these three years because I saw a wonderful opportunity to come to the Milford Area Swim Team. I have built my reputation in coaching swimming as a techniques perfectionist. And the results have always seemed very positive.

 

-          I have known Mr. Tameris for a number of years now and I have a great deal of respect him, his coaching style and his reputation throughout the Ohio swimming community. I believe that I can continue to learn from Mr. Tameris and his staff. I look forward to meeting all of you and working with all of the families.