KEAN’S NEW COACHING STAFF BRINGS EXPERIENCE TO WOMEN’S SWIMMING Team

By Dorian Alerte | Published by October 09, 2021

Kean University swimming brought in two new assistant coaches that hope to improve the program before their season begins on Oct. 22, 2021 against Ramapo.

The Kean University Swimming Instagram account announced the additions on Sept. 8. Lexy Brewer, a former Big 10 Division-1 swimmer for Rutgers University was the first of the two assistant coaches to be announced. She is excited about building the program with head coach Chris Swenson.

“I chose to coach at Kean when Chris immediately started discussing his goals and vision for this team,” Brewer said. “The program that he is building at Kean is truly inspirational and I could not say no to being a part of it. I am also attending grad school at Kean which makes it even more special!”

Matea Samardzic was the second of the two assistant coaches announced to be joining the staff. Samardzic’s lengthy resumé includes competing in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in three events and earning top 16 finishes in the 100 and 200 meter backstrokes for the Croatian National Team. She completed her swimming career at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

After completing her swimming career when she graduated from college, Samardzic was excited to be selected by Coach Swenson to be an assistant coach for this team. 

“I met Chris eight years ago, he was a coach at the university that I swam for,” Samardzic said. “Chris reached out to me, asking if I was interested in coaching,” she continued. “He’s a really amazing coach and I’m happy to be able to work with him again, now on the same side of the pool.”

Swenson is excited at the opportunity to work with his two new assistant coaches and build upon the program that they currently have.

“We moved the bar forward as a program,” Swenson said. “We broke every school record last season except two. Brianna Shaw being rookie of the year, that was kind of the icing on the cake.”

The search for new assistant coaches came as an opportunity for Swenson to benefit the team by having individuals with elite swimming backgrounds to work with the athletes on the team.

“I was really looking for female assistants with elite swimming backgrounds and they both provided that,” he said. “I think it just allows me to focus on whatever group I’m working with, and not having to be coaching four groups at once. I think that’s ultimately going to benefit the girls. The fact that I know that their swimming backgrounds will translate well to communicating with the girls and ultimately helping us out in any areas that I need, it’s just really exciting.”

Among the athletes on the team, sophomore Brianna Shaw is looking forward to improving upon an impressive rookie season this past spring. Shaw was named a captain for the upcoming season, an honor that she did not hold in high school.

“I was so happy,” Shaw said. “I was not named captain in high school on the swim team, so to have this honor in college is ten times more amazing than it would be in high school. It’s just great that I have this leadership opportunity for the team and that I can help push the team in the right direction.”

Shaw is also looking forward to working with the new coaches and seeing how they can help her improve.

“She [Lexy] has some great insight on sprinting, which is something I lack in,” Shaw said. “And then Matea is just an amazing swimmer overall, I mean she was an olympian, so she has some great things to add from that.”

The Cougars are looking to improve upon their previous spring season and continue to move the Kean Women’s Swimming program in a positive direction.

Both Brewer and Samardzic are excited about the season and their opportunity to work with this team and Swenson.

“I am really just looking to have fun,” Brewer said. “As much as I appreciated swimming in college, you tend to forget how fun the sport is. I would do anything to go back and relive that feeling when you get a best time after working so hard for it. I can’t wait to see those same reactions in the girls this year.”

“I’m really looking forward to being part of the team, getting to know them and making sure that I’m there to help them with anything and also so they can enjoy their college experience in athletics,” Samardzic said.

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