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Home / Sports News / Santa Fe Prep’s Dave Caldwell honored as a National Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High Schools in regard to his coaching the girl’s swimming and diving team

Santa Fe Prep’s Dave Caldwell honored as a National Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High Schools in regard to his coaching the girl’s swimming and diving team

By Arnie Leshin 
Arnie Leshin

It was just an ordinary day. Dave Caldwell sat in his office and envisioned another stellar swimmer to come along after Riley Kinlaw graduated, and his son, Ethan, a Santa Fe Prep sophomore, was there doing his homework.

 

But when athletic director Todd Kurth and head master Jim Leonard paid a visit, it changed the tone of the day.

 

“They came in with big smiles,” said Caldwell, long-time head coach of the swimming program, “and they informed me that I was selected as a national coach of the year by the National Federation of High Schools. Then they showed me the letter that had all the information. I was overwhelmed.”

 

Caldwell was also sent the same letter with the NFHS Indianapolis dateline, but his was put into his message box at school, and so he had no clue, and neither did his son.

 

Also the assistant athletic director, Caldwell’s favorite is swimming, but he also finds time to assist the track and field and cross country teams. Plus he’s now in his 11th year of putting together impressive teams and individuals, although this award refers to him coaching the girls swimming and diving teams.

 

At the state championships last season at Albuquerque Academy, his Griffin girls finished 11th out of 23 schools of all classes, but they were the top finisher among the small schools.

 

He’s also got some impressive young swimmers. At state last year, freshman Sophia Gossem finished fourth (24.78) in the 50 freestyle, and fifth (54.16) in the 100 freestyle. She also swam first leg on the 200 medley relay quartet that placed 10th.

 

Then there was sophomore Chelsea Griscom taking 16th in the finals of the 200 individual medley and 13th in the finals of the 100 breaststroke. Arille Nathan, on the team since 8thgrade, has graduated, but her sister, Aliva, is with the program as an 8th grader. And Gossem’s sister, Victoria, is a junior.

 

And can’t forget graduate Kate Schilro, who not only was on the swim team since 8th grade, but also played the outfield for the boy’s baseball team.

 

Caldwell has also had some standout boys, and that includes Sean Montgomery, a graduate of Williams College in Massachusetts, was one of his better swimmers who contended for state honors, as did Kinlaw, now a freshman at NCAA Division II Pitzer University in California. And Caldwell is also impressed by Kinlaw’s younger brother Jordan, now a junior trying to establish his own recognition.

 

Growing up in South Carolina, Caldwell’s Riverside high school did not have a swimming program, but despite being unhappy about this, he found happiness on club teams in the area, and was named an All-America in recreation and club swimming.

 

“I was ranked as high as number 15 in the country,” he said. “I was best in the 50 and 100-yard freestyles.”

 

During the summer months, he coached area swim teams, so he picked up experience in the pool and on the sidelines.

 

He also played some soccer and now takes to bike riding, which he said he really enjoys and did this when he was younger. He also played some basketball his high school years, but never played for the team.

 

“No way,” he said, “was I going to be a point guard when we had guys 6-3 handling the ball. But I still liked to shoot around.”

 

He attended NCAA DII Indiana University in Pennsylvania, then coached the swim teams at West Virginia and Clemson, and is a fan of the football team that surprisingly dominated No. 1 Alabama in this year’s national championship game.

 

He is one of 23 high school coaches from across the nation that were named as 2018 National Coaches of the Year. He also coached 20 years at the collegiate level, but at Prep he has dedicated himself with appreciation from others.

About this honor, he said, “It felt like it was a group effort of my colleague helping me out at school, and the support of the community.

 

And of course, his son Ethan was the first family member to congratulate him.

 

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