Chris Villa enters his 18th season as head coach of the IUP men's and women's swimming programs in the 2023-24 season.
Throughout Villa’s 18 years with the program, the Crimson Hawks have rewritten the school record book, setting over 100 new marks. The women have posted two top-10 finishes - eighth in 2012 and ninth in 2014 - and five top-25 finishes under Villa. The men have two top-25 finishes, coming in 24th in 2007 and 2009.
IUP excelled in 2022-23 in both the pool and the classroom. Paige Mikesell was named the College Sports Communicators (CSC) DII Academic All-America Tem Member of the Year, while Rachel Johnson earned the NCAA Elite 90 award as a two-time individual All-America honoree. The women's 200 and 400 medley relay teams were All-America honorable mention at the national championships, while Mikesell earned All-America status in four events (200 IM, 100 fly, 200 free and 200 fly). On the men's side, Thanos Diamantidis earned All-America honors in the 100 breast.
The IUP women logged a runner-up finish in the team standings of the 2022-23 PSAC Championships, with the men posting fifth overall. The Hawks combined for 39 top-eight finishes and claimed four PSAC titles and eight runner-up races.
IUP was second on the women's side and fifth in the men's standings at the 2021-22 PSAC Championships, logging a combined 48 top-eight finishes across the program. Luke Mikesell (1000 free, 500 free), Paige Mikesell (200 IM), Rachel Johnson (100 breast), Claire Mikesell (200 breast) and the women's 800 free relay all claimed first-place showings at the conference championships. Claire Mikesell went on to earn national runner-up honors in the 200 breast, one of three IUP women's simmers (Paige Mikesell, Claire Mikesell) to compete in the NCAA DII National Championships that season.
In 2020-21, he helped lead the IUP women's program to the PSAC Championship with the men's program finishing fourth. The Crimson Hawks had seven combined PSAC champions (individuals/relays) and six runner-up finishes. Paige Mikesell won 200 free at the 2020-21 NCAA DII Championships, while Claire Mikesell (100 breast, 200 breast), Rachel Johnson (100 breast, 200 breast) and Luke Mikesell (500 free) also competed in the national championship meet.
Villa has led two of the most successful swim programs in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for the duration of his time in Indiana, especially recently. The women's team has posted top-4 finishes at the conference championship meet for eight straight seasons, coming in second in 2014, 2019 and 2020. The men's team has been just as consistent with top-4 finishes each year from 2014 to 2019, including a second place finish in 2015.
The Crimson Hawks have also been successful in dual meets, posting a combined record of 80-28 since the 2010-11 season. The women are 43-12 (.782) over that time with five undefeated seasons and 20 straight victories from 2012 to 2015. The men are 37-16 (.698) since 2010 with three undefeated seasons.
Villa has helped 14 swimmers earn a total of 45 All-American honors. His most successful pupil has been 11-time All-American Jackie Hynson (2009-12), who also won the NCAA individual title in the 200 butterfly with a Division II record time of 1:58.84 in 2012. Hynson was the 2010-11 PSAC Women's Swimmer of the Year, won six individual PSAC titles, and broke eight school, three conference, and two PSAC championship meet records. Hynson graduated with a 4.0 grade point average in speech pathology, was the 2012 IUP Scholar-Athlete of the Year, a CSCAA Scholar All-America, and a two-time PSAC Winter Top 10 recipient.
Allyson Mitidieri (2010-14) was another highly successful swimmer under Villa, earning nine All-American nods in her career, including four first team honors as a senior in 2014.
Pawel Glowiak (2005-09) has been the men's program's best swimmer this century with nine All-American nods during his four-year career, including seven with Villa as the head coach.
Villa is a three-time PSAC Coach of the Year, earning the honor twice on the women's side (2011, 2014) and once on the men's side (2015). The two latter awards came after second place finishes at the conference championship meet.
The Crimson Hawks have also excelled in the classroom, with the women's team routinely earning Scholar All-America Team honors by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. The men's program also earned three straight PSAC Top Team GPA Awards between 2012 and 2014. Paige Mikesell was named a CoSIDA Academic All-America in 2020, in addition to earning CSCAA Scholar All-America and to the PSAC Winter Top 10 Team.
Villa had successful 2019-20 season that saw two women's swimmers make the program's 24th trip to the NCAA Championships (10th under Villa). Unfortunately, the championships were not finished as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the meet on day two. Despite the cancellation, sophomores Paige Mikesell (100 fly, 200 fly) and Rachel Johnson (100 breast) were each named All-Americans by the CSCAA.
Mikesell had a huge season, being named the PSAC's Most Outstanding Women's Swimmer at the championship meet, winning four conference titles, while breaking two meet records and one school mark. Mikesell also became the first sophomore to be named IUP Women's Athlete of the Year, was a CoSIDA Academic All-America and CSCAA Scholar All-America, and was named to the PSAC Winter Top 10 team.
Villa helped the women's team finish second at the 2020 PSAC Championships, finishing within its closest margin of first place since the 2014 season. The women won four event titles and broke two school records at the meet.
The women's program also earned CSCAA Scholar All-America Team honors each semester.
The 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons saw returns to the NCAA Championships for the first time in three years. Villa coached women's swimmers to a combined six All-American honors (five individual, one relay) at the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Division II Championships, with Nicole Smith totaling five of those.
Villa helped both the men and women to third place finishes at the 2018 PSAC Championships and helped Smith to a pair of honorable mention All-American honors (200 free, 500 free) at the NCAA Championships the following month. A combined three new school records between the men's and women's squads were set that season.
In 2018-19, Villa helped five women's swimmers earn places at the NCAA Championships, with IUP totaling four All-American nods (three individual, one relay). Junior Claire Mikesell was a first team All-American with a seventh place finish in the 200 breaststroke, while senior Nicole Smith wrapped up her career with a pair of individual honorable mention All-American honors (200 free, 500 free), while anchoring the All-American 400 medley relay.
He helped the women's program finish second at the PSAC Championships, its highest finish since 2014. The men finished fourth in the conference. The women's 200 medley relay won a conference title while also setting a meet record. In all, six school records were broken during the season.
Both programs earned CSCAA Scholar All-American honors for the fall and spring semesters.
Both the men's and women's programs had top-3 finishes at the PSAC Championships for three straight years from 2014-16.
The IUP women posted a second place team finish at the 2014 PSAC Championships, boasting three individual champions (Aniella Janosky, Taylor Snyder, Allyson Mitidieri) and five second place finishes. The Crimson Hawks finished the season with a 16th place finish at the NCAA Championships, including nine All-American honors and five new school records. The women's team finish was the best since coming in 14th during the 2003 season. 13 school records were broken, including eight individual marks and five relay records.
Mitidieri finished her career at IUP with nine total All-American nods, including four during the 2014 NCAA Championships, and held seven school records at her graduation. Freshman Aniella Janosky was named the PSAC Women's Swimming Freshman of the Year after a season in which she won an individual title at the PSAC championships and earned two All-American nods at the NCAA championships.
The success of the women's team helped Villa garner PSAC Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his career.
The IUP men's team finished in third at the 2014 PSAC Championships, which was the program's best since finishing third in 2005. The Crimson Hawks were led by Steve Long, who earned honorable mention All-American honors in the 100 yard butterfly at nationals, and Brandon Hopkins, who broke school records in the 500 freestyle, 1000 freestyle, and 1650 freestyle. In all, the men broke six school records and two pool records this past season.
Vincent Hall was named the PSAC Men's Swimming Champion Scholar Athlete for having the highest cumulative grade point average of all men competing at the PSAC Championships.
Villa was named the 2015 PSAC Men's Swimming Coach of the Year after leading the Crimson Hawks to a second place finish at the 2015 conference championship. It marked his third career conference coach of the year award. Yuri Fernandes and Brandon Hopkins each won individual titles while the team recorded 35 top-10 finishes at the league championship. The second place finish was the best program finish in more than 16 years. Fernandes capped off his season with a 10th place finish in the 400 yard IM at the NCAA Division II Championship to earn All-American honors.
For the IUP women, Aniella Janosky set the school record in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:52.32 at the NCAA championship while earning All-American laurels. Villa helped guide the women to a third place finish while 23 individual swimmers earned top-10 finishes at the PSAC championship.
Villa saw a pair of third place team finishes at the 2016 PSAC Championships as he guided freshman Noah Brockway to an individual title in the 200 backstroke. Brockway also set IUP freshman records in the 100 and 200 backstroke while classmate Colter Long set a rookie mark in the 100 butterfly. On the women's side, Villa helped coach rookies Bria Otwell (500, 1000 free) and Taylor Cisik (200 free, 100 back).
In 2012, Villa helped senior Jackie Hynson become the IUP women's program's first ever NCAA individual champion as she won the 200 butterfly. Making the win extra sweet was that she also set a Division II record with a time of 1:58.84. Hynson totaled four All-American honors at the 2013 championships with Allyson Mitidieri adding three more, helping the IUP women post an eighth place finish at the NCAA Championships.
It was the best team finish for the women since 1999 (third) and the most All-American honors (seven) at a single NCAA championships under Villa.
The NCAA finish in 2012 continued a trend for Villa and the Crimson Hawks. It was the fifth straight year IUP placed at the Division II championships, including 36th in 2008, 26th in 2009, 16th in 2010, and 18th in 2011.
Hynson was a big part of that, earning a combined 11 All-American honors in the three years she was on campus.
The 2010-11 season saw Villa earn PSAC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year and Hynson named PSAC Women's Swimmer of the Year. Villa helped Hynson and the rest of the women's team to a fourth place finish at the PSAC Championships, an improvement of six spots from the year before (10th). Hynson became the first IUP woman to earn All-America honors in four years, taking third place in both the 200 butterfly and 200 backstroke while also finishing 11th in the 100 butterfly and setting school records in all three events at the 2010 NCAA Division II Championships.
Pawel Glowiak earned All-America honors five times, including three times in the 100 backstroke and once each in the 200 backstroke and 100 butterfly. Glowiak was also a two-time recipient of the PSAC Top 10 award which combines athletic and academic excellence.
The women's 800 freestyle relay team of Jen Price, Melissa Kucharczuk, Bethany Johnston and Brittany Watkins qualified for nationals in 2009 and finished 12th at the NCAA meet while setting a school record.
Villa came to IUP for the 2006-07 season after spending the previous three years as the women's assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy. He helped coach the Navy women to top three finishes at the Patriot League championships all three seasons as well as producing two conference MVPs. He coached two swimmers who met the Division I provisional time standards.
In addition to his duties with the Navy swimming program, Villa served as a physical education instructor and was the officer in charge of the plebe summer swim program.
Prior to joining the staff at Navy, Villa spent three years at Juniata College and was the women's head coach from 2001-03. He recruited and coached a national qualifier both seasons, and the team broke five school records during his tenure. As an assistant at Juniata in 2000-01, he was on the staff of the Middle Atlantic Conference coach of the year and helped an Eagle athlete earn All-America honors at the Division III national meet.
Villa began his career as an assistant coach at Hartwick College during the 1999-00 season. In his one season at Hartwick, the men's team had five national qualifiers and finished in 16th place at the Division III national meet while the women had two athletes advance to nationals.
He has consistently emphasized academic success in the classroom, and his Navy team registered a 3.1 cumulative grade point average for the fall 2005 semester.
Villa has swimming experience outside of his coaching positions, including serving as meet director of the Speedo Champions Series in Annapolis, Md. In that capacity, he organized all the operations of a national competition which consisted of more than 100 teams and 700 swimmers.
Villa was commissioned as a Lieutenant Junior Grade and Human Resource Officer at the Naval Academy based on his prior professional experience in the coaching industry.
He has also been a guest swim coach at camps conducted at Navy, Rutgers, Lehigh and Hartwick. A 1999 graduate of Hartwick, Villa earned his bachelor of arts degree in psychology.
Villa and his wife, Jen, are the parents of daughter Elizabeth and son Conner.
