Following a national search, Grace Carlson has been named the next head swimming and diving coach at Ripon College, as announced by Director of Athletics Chris Schumacher on May 16, 2024.
“We welcome Grace as she takes the helm as our new swimming and diving coach,” Schumacher said. “From the very start of our interview process, it was abundantly clear that Grace possessed the passion, expertise and vision we sought to lead our swimming and diving program. We are thrilled to have her join our athletic staff and look forward to the contributions she will bring to our athletes and Ripon College.”
Carlson comes to Ripon after serving as an assistant men’s and women’s swim coach at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. For the last two seasons she recruited athletes to Springfield, worked closely with the distance group, assisted in scheduling and administrative work and ran home meets.
Prior to Springfield, Carlson was the lead age group coach with the Minnetonka Swim Club in Minnetonka, Minnesota, coaching over 100 13-14 year olds, 9-10 year olds, developmental swimmers and the National Team. During the 2019-20 season, she was an assistant swimming and diving coach at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, where her father Jon has been the head swimming and diving coach for the last 34 seasons.
Carlson said: “I am thrilled and honored to be joining the Ripon community as the new Head Coach for Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving! Thank you to the coaches in my life that have supported me throughout my career and thank you to Chris Schumacher and the team for giving me this opportunity! Go Red Hawks!”
Carlson also has experience as an assistant swim coach at St. Peter High School and Rosemount High School, both in Minnesota. A four-time letterwinner and captain of the swimming and diving team at Gustavus Adolphus, she also has experience as an assistant camp director with the Gustavus Swim Camps over the past eight years.
Carlson received her bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Gustavus Adolphus in 2019, and received her master’s degree from Springfield College in May 2024 in Physical Education with a concentration in Athletic Leadership.
