BISMARCK, ND – The University of Mary has named one of its own to lead the Marauders women's swimming and diving program. Abby Loel, a former team captain who last year coached on the swim decks of an NCAA Division I program, returns to her alma mater as the fourth head women's swimming and diving coach in program history. 

Loel, a successful UMary scholar-athlete with over a decade of coaching experience at the club and university levels, joins a Marauders program which placed 31st at the 2023 NCAA DII Championships and returns First-Team All-American Victoria Murillo. 

"We are excited to welcome Abby Loel 'home' to become our next head coach of UMary's Swimming and Diving program," said University of Mary Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Cooper Jones. "This is an important day for our department and Marauders Swimming and Diving as we continue to build off last year's success in the pool. Abby is a talented and passionate coach who understands how to prepare women to be champions in the classroom, in the community, and in competition. Abby's willingness to embrace our 'Greatness through Virtue' strategic plan makes her the ideal leader to continue building one of the best programs within Marauders Athletics."

Jones says Loel stood out during their coaching search. Her track record of success, deep ties to the school, ability to build strong relationships with scholar-athletes, and creativity around recruiting plans and roster development, were significant factors in Loel being named to the head coaching post.  

"Having the opportunity to come back and coach at my alma mater is very exciting for me," said Loel. "I feel very blessed to be back at a place where both virtue and sport are incorporated daily. It is truly an honor and I look forward to an incredible season."

Loel joins the Marauders with 10 years of experience as a swimming and diving coach. She spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant swim coach at NCAA Division I Grand Canyon University. She helped write workouts for scholar-athletes while handling additional administrative tasks for a Lopes squad that placed a program-best second place at both the women's and men's 2023 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championships. GCU set two WAC records and broke six team marks. Additionally, Lopes scholar-athletes earned both Swimmer and Diver Athlete of the Year honors in the WAC. The Lopes closed the year with program-best top eight team finishes by the women and men at the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational Championships. 

Loel, a native of Phoenix, AZ, coached nine seasons at the club level in addition to her stint at GCU: first as an instructor for the Phoenix Swim Club (2015-20, 2022-23), and an assistant for the Mandan (ND) Marlins Swim Club this past spring and summer. Loel also served as a special-needs swim coach (2014-19) working directly with Special Olympics swimmers in and out of the water while also volunteering at swim meets.

"I look forward to partnering with Abby as we elevate our Swimming and Diving program into a perennial NCAA Division II Top-25 program," stated Jones. "Our expectations for the program are very high, and we feel strongly that Abby is the right leader at the right time to take the program to the next level. In addition, the chance to bring in a head coach who has first-hand experience as a Marauder scholar-athlete made the completion of this coaching search very fulfilling."

During her four years at the University of Mary Loel helped the Marauders swim team claim a program-best fourth place at the 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championships, named team captain twice, earned NSIC All-Academic honors, and served as president for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), before graduating in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work.  

Loel raced to a state qualifying mark for Arcadia High School before graduating in 2018 and twice earned the Phoenix Swim Club Coaches Award. 

The Marauders Swimming and Diving program is entering season eight after first competing in 2016-17. 

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