Completed Event: Swimming & Diving versus Richmond on January 25, 2025 , Win , 174, to, 124
S-D
Final
James Madison
174
vs Richmond
124
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Swimming & Diving
Wolsh, John
John Wolsh
- Title:
- Diving Coach
- Email:
- wolshjh@jmu.edu
- Phone:
- 540-271-0313
- Physical Address:
- Godwin 124E (261 Bluestone Dr.) / MSC 2301
John Wolsh wraps up his sixth season as the diving coach at James Madison after he joined the staff in July of 2016.
In the 2021-22 season, Wolsh helped five divers qualify for the NCAA Zone A Championships. Lindsey Hammar and Alexa Holloway both qualified for both boards, while Abi White and Lexi Lehman qualified for the 3-meter and Maddie Yager qualified for the 1-meter. Although not able to have their points counted to the team's total at the ECAC Championships, the divers under Wolsh's guidance would've taken the top five spots in the 1-meter and the top three spots in the 3-meter.
The 2020-21 Colonial Athletic Association Co-Diving Coach of the Year helped six divers qualified for the NCAA Zone A Championships competing on both boards. Under the guidance of Wolsh, Emily Gross and Faith Anderson each battled in the 3-meter finals at the meet finishing 14th and 16th, respectively. Wolsh coached Gross to the gold on the 3-meter at the CAA Championship, while Sarah Stim placed third overall. He helped Lindsey Hammar claim her first CAA medal on the 1-meter as she placed second overall with Gross behind her in third. He helped Faith Anderson, Stim and Gross achieve CSCAA Scholar All-America honorable mention for the fourth consecutive year.
In 2019-20, all seven JMU divers qualified for the NCAA Zone A Championships in Morgantown, W.Va. while two compete in the 3-meter finals. Wolsh guided Hope Byrum to qualify for the NCAA Championships as an alternate on the 3-meter board. Byrum was named CAA Diver of the Year and Most Outstanding Diver of the Meet at the CAA Championships after claiming the gold in the 3-meter and bronze in 1-meter. Wolsh was named CAA Diving Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year after guiding his divers to sweep the podium on the 3-meter board at the CAA Championships.
In 2018-19, four JMU divers qualified for the NCAA Zone A Diving Championships in Annapolis while two made it to the finals. At the Colonial Athletic Association Championships, the Dukes took first and second in the 3-meter before sweeping the 1-meter event.
Following a strong year, Wolsh earned the honor of CAA Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season while Hope Bryum was named the Diver of the CAA Championship and Faith Anderson earned the title of Diver of the Year.
During the 2017-18 season, four divers reached the NCAA Zone A meet. Three freshmen, Sarah Stim, Emily Gross and Anderson, made their first seasons successful by making it to post season and finishing in the top-40 at Zones. Byrum made a repeat performance at Zones and also landed in the top-40.
In his first season at the helm of the diving Dukes, Wolsh led senior Olivia Lehman to her second consecutive CAA Diver of the Year Award, All-CAA accolades in both the one and three-meter events, a third-place finish at the NCAA Zone meet. Lehman made an appearance at the 2016-17 NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, marking her as the first two-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships. After his first season of great success, Wolsh was named CAA Diving Coach of the Year.
From 1989 to 2010, Wolsh was owner of Montgomery Dive Club in Montgomery County, Md. He grew the program from the ground up and oversaw all aspects of operations, including hiring staff, developing training programs, marketing, event planning and more. During his time at Montgomery, he had 13 divers qualify for the USA Diving Olympic Trials among 30 overall USA National Team members and coached with the USA Diving National Team. He also had 30 athletes go on to become NCAA Division I All-Americans as part of a group of over 100 total Division I scholarship divers to come through his program. In addition, 13 assistant coaches at the program moved on to become Division I diving coaches.
Wolsh has also been selected as a USA Diving National Team coach 19 times in his career.
Following his time with Montgomery Dive Club, Wolsh stepped aside from diving for a brief time to pursue other interests and worked for the last four years as operations, marketing and sales director at Sarge Athletics. At Sarge, Wolsh in personal training, facility maintenance, staff management and program promotion.
In addition to his club experience, Wolsh owns previous diving coach experience at Maryland, American, Georgetown and Virginia. With the Terrapins, he coached three conference champions and a two-time All-American among many NCAA Zone qualifiers over eight seasons. He also captured 10 championships from 1982-89 at American with one NCAA national qualifier.
Wolsh inherits a JMU program that sent 19 divers to the NCAA Zone A Championships over the previous nine seasons with two advancing to the NCAA Swimming and Diving National Championships. In 2015-16, Olivia Lehman was named CAA Diver of the Year and became the first JMU diver to win an event title at the Zone A meet by claiming the 1-meter board. She was joined at the Zone meet by Carly Alexander. JMU has had the CAA’s Diver of the Year in each of the last six seasons with four different divers.
Wolsh was a 1979 graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with a bachelor’s degree in recreation programming. He was a four-year NCAA qualifier with the Terps.
In the 2021-22 season, Wolsh helped five divers qualify for the NCAA Zone A Championships. Lindsey Hammar and Alexa Holloway both qualified for both boards, while Abi White and Lexi Lehman qualified for the 3-meter and Maddie Yager qualified for the 1-meter. Although not able to have their points counted to the team's total at the ECAC Championships, the divers under Wolsh's guidance would've taken the top five spots in the 1-meter and the top three spots in the 3-meter.
The 2020-21 Colonial Athletic Association Co-Diving Coach of the Year helped six divers qualified for the NCAA Zone A Championships competing on both boards. Under the guidance of Wolsh, Emily Gross and Faith Anderson each battled in the 3-meter finals at the meet finishing 14th and 16th, respectively. Wolsh coached Gross to the gold on the 3-meter at the CAA Championship, while Sarah Stim placed third overall. He helped Lindsey Hammar claim her first CAA medal on the 1-meter as she placed second overall with Gross behind her in third. He helped Faith Anderson, Stim and Gross achieve CSCAA Scholar All-America honorable mention for the fourth consecutive year.
In 2019-20, all seven JMU divers qualified for the NCAA Zone A Championships in Morgantown, W.Va. while two compete in the 3-meter finals. Wolsh guided Hope Byrum to qualify for the NCAA Championships as an alternate on the 3-meter board. Byrum was named CAA Diver of the Year and Most Outstanding Diver of the Meet at the CAA Championships after claiming the gold in the 3-meter and bronze in 1-meter. Wolsh was named CAA Diving Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year after guiding his divers to sweep the podium on the 3-meter board at the CAA Championships.
In 2018-19, four JMU divers qualified for the NCAA Zone A Diving Championships in Annapolis while two made it to the finals. At the Colonial Athletic Association Championships, the Dukes took first and second in the 3-meter before sweeping the 1-meter event.
Following a strong year, Wolsh earned the honor of CAA Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season while Hope Bryum was named the Diver of the CAA Championship and Faith Anderson earned the title of Diver of the Year.
During the 2017-18 season, four divers reached the NCAA Zone A meet. Three freshmen, Sarah Stim, Emily Gross and Anderson, made their first seasons successful by making it to post season and finishing in the top-40 at Zones. Byrum made a repeat performance at Zones and also landed in the top-40.
In his first season at the helm of the diving Dukes, Wolsh led senior Olivia Lehman to her second consecutive CAA Diver of the Year Award, All-CAA accolades in both the one and three-meter events, a third-place finish at the NCAA Zone meet. Lehman made an appearance at the 2016-17 NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, marking her as the first two-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships. After his first season of great success, Wolsh was named CAA Diving Coach of the Year.
From 1989 to 2010, Wolsh was owner of Montgomery Dive Club in Montgomery County, Md. He grew the program from the ground up and oversaw all aspects of operations, including hiring staff, developing training programs, marketing, event planning and more. During his time at Montgomery, he had 13 divers qualify for the USA Diving Olympic Trials among 30 overall USA National Team members and coached with the USA Diving National Team. He also had 30 athletes go on to become NCAA Division I All-Americans as part of a group of over 100 total Division I scholarship divers to come through his program. In addition, 13 assistant coaches at the program moved on to become Division I diving coaches.
Wolsh has also been selected as a USA Diving National Team coach 19 times in his career.
Following his time with Montgomery Dive Club, Wolsh stepped aside from diving for a brief time to pursue other interests and worked for the last four years as operations, marketing and sales director at Sarge Athletics. At Sarge, Wolsh in personal training, facility maintenance, staff management and program promotion.
In addition to his club experience, Wolsh owns previous diving coach experience at Maryland, American, Georgetown and Virginia. With the Terrapins, he coached three conference champions and a two-time All-American among many NCAA Zone qualifiers over eight seasons. He also captured 10 championships from 1982-89 at American with one NCAA national qualifier.
Wolsh inherits a JMU program that sent 19 divers to the NCAA Zone A Championships over the previous nine seasons with two advancing to the NCAA Swimming and Diving National Championships. In 2015-16, Olivia Lehman was named CAA Diver of the Year and became the first JMU diver to win an event title at the Zone A meet by claiming the 1-meter board. She was joined at the Zone meet by Carly Alexander. JMU has had the CAA’s Diver of the Year in each of the last six seasons with four different divers.
Wolsh was a 1979 graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with a bachelor’s degree in recreation programming. He was a four-year NCAA qualifier with the Terps.
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