Men's Swimming & Diving
Leah Stancil
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- leahs@gators.ufl.edu
- Phone:
- 4545
Leah Stancil, a former Gator swimmer and UF grad (’02), enters her tenth season as an assistant coach for Florida in 2017-18. Stancil has assisted with both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs since she returned to her alma mater prior to the 2008 season.
“Leah has a tremendous background in international competition and sports psychology, and she’s also a Gator,” head coach Gregg Troy said of Stancil.
Stancil’s highlights of her young coaching career began with the 2008-09 Florida women’s swimming and diving team, as she helped guide it to its 17th SEC Championship. Individually that season, Stancil tutored three individual NCAA Champions, including Bradley Ally, Gemma Spofforth and Shaune Fraser. The following season in 2010, Stancil helped elevate the women’s program to new heights, as that squad won the program's first NCAA Championship since 1982.
In the 2016-17, she coached 11 of the women’s swimmers and two divers into qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Seven of those 13 were making their NCAA debut and 11 of the 13 will return for competition this coming season. Under his direction, Autumn Finke was named All-SEC Second Team and Emma Ball earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team. She also helped coach Caeleb Dressel to his fourth, fifth and sixth National Championships in the 50 Free, 100 Free and 100 Butterfly. His mark of 40.00 set UF, NCAA, American and U.S. Open records. Dressel took home his second-straight Co-CSCAA Male Swimmer of the Year award as well. Along with Dressel, Mark Szaranek won the 200 IM National Championship, the first of his career. Newcomer Maxime Rooney became SEC Male Freshman of the Year after his performance in the pool.
In 2016, Stancil helped the Gators take another step forward as the Florida men matched their highest finish ever at the NCAA Championships. Behind two national titles from the NCAA Co-Swimmer of the Year, Caeleb Dressel, the Gators claimed a third-place finish for the second time in 20 seasons. In SEC competition, the Orange and Blue brought home their fourth straight Southeastern Conference Championship on the men's side while 11 Gators were crowned individual champions. Senior Kahlia Warner led the Florida women with a pair of titles in the diving well while Dressel shined once again, claiming six (3 individual, 3 relays).
In 2014-15, the Florida men’s team won its third-consecutive SEC title and finished fifth at the NCAA Championships. The Gators women’s squad placed third at SEC’s and ninth at NCAA’s for the third-straight year. Individually, the two teams had 21 student-athletes combine for 55 All-America honors.
From 2011-15, Stancil helped extend Florida’s streak of consecutive NCAA top-10 finishes, which is now 16 for the men and 15 for the women following this past season.
In addition to her coaching duties, Stancil serves as the Gator Swim Camp Director, while also coordinating all the team’s travel.
Prior to her return to Gainesville, Stancil spent two seasons at SEC foe South Carolina (2006-08), one year as an assistant coach at the Savannah College of Art and Design (2005-06) and one as a graduate assistant at UF (2004-05) which began her coaching career. While she was a grad assistant, Stancil served as an instructor at Swim America in Gainesville.
In the pool during her career, Stancil was a 12-time NCAA All-American, two-time Olympian and a four-time national record holder for her native country, Barbados. She was a member of the 2002 Florida Gators SEC Championship team.
Internationally, Stancil is the Barbados national record holder in the 50 free, 100 free, 50 butterfly and 100 fly in both long and short course events. Stancil recorded her record-setting times in the 50 and 100 free events at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, while she clocked her marks in the butterfly races at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. In addition, Stancil was named Barbados’ Female Sportsperson of the Year three times (1995-97).
Stancil graduated from Florida in 2002 with a B.S. in Psychology and she earned her M.S. in Sport & Exercise Psychology from UF in 2006. Stancil (formerly Martindale) and her husband, Michael, reside in Gainesville and have three children, Noah, Emma and Grace.
The Leah Stancil File
Hometown: Bridgetown, Barbados
Education:
Coaching Career
“Leah has a tremendous background in international competition and sports psychology, and she’s also a Gator,” head coach Gregg Troy said of Stancil.
Stancil’s highlights of her young coaching career began with the 2008-09 Florida women’s swimming and diving team, as she helped guide it to its 17th SEC Championship. Individually that season, Stancil tutored three individual NCAA Champions, including Bradley Ally, Gemma Spofforth and Shaune Fraser. The following season in 2010, Stancil helped elevate the women’s program to new heights, as that squad won the program's first NCAA Championship since 1982.
In the 2016-17, she coached 11 of the women’s swimmers and two divers into qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Seven of those 13 were making their NCAA debut and 11 of the 13 will return for competition this coming season. Under his direction, Autumn Finke was named All-SEC Second Team and Emma Ball earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team. She also helped coach Caeleb Dressel to his fourth, fifth and sixth National Championships in the 50 Free, 100 Free and 100 Butterfly. His mark of 40.00 set UF, NCAA, American and U.S. Open records. Dressel took home his second-straight Co-CSCAA Male Swimmer of the Year award as well. Along with Dressel, Mark Szaranek won the 200 IM National Championship, the first of his career. Newcomer Maxime Rooney became SEC Male Freshman of the Year after his performance in the pool.
In 2016, Stancil helped the Gators take another step forward as the Florida men matched their highest finish ever at the NCAA Championships. Behind two national titles from the NCAA Co-Swimmer of the Year, Caeleb Dressel, the Gators claimed a third-place finish for the second time in 20 seasons. In SEC competition, the Orange and Blue brought home their fourth straight Southeastern Conference Championship on the men's side while 11 Gators were crowned individual champions. Senior Kahlia Warner led the Florida women with a pair of titles in the diving well while Dressel shined once again, claiming six (3 individual, 3 relays).
In 2014-15, the Florida men’s team won its third-consecutive SEC title and finished fifth at the NCAA Championships. The Gators women’s squad placed third at SEC’s and ninth at NCAA’s for the third-straight year. Individually, the two teams had 21 student-athletes combine for 55 All-America honors.
From 2011-15, Stancil helped extend Florida’s streak of consecutive NCAA top-10 finishes, which is now 16 for the men and 15 for the women following this past season.
In addition to her coaching duties, Stancil serves as the Gator Swim Camp Director, while also coordinating all the team’s travel.
Prior to her return to Gainesville, Stancil spent two seasons at SEC foe South Carolina (2006-08), one year as an assistant coach at the Savannah College of Art and Design (2005-06) and one as a graduate assistant at UF (2004-05) which began her coaching career. While she was a grad assistant, Stancil served as an instructor at Swim America in Gainesville.
In the pool during her career, Stancil was a 12-time NCAA All-American, two-time Olympian and a four-time national record holder for her native country, Barbados. She was a member of the 2002 Florida Gators SEC Championship team.
Internationally, Stancil is the Barbados national record holder in the 50 free, 100 free, 50 butterfly and 100 fly in both long and short course events. Stancil recorded her record-setting times in the 50 and 100 free events at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, while she clocked her marks in the butterfly races at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. In addition, Stancil was named Barbados’ Female Sportsperson of the Year three times (1995-97).
Stancil graduated from Florida in 2002 with a B.S. in Psychology and she earned her M.S. in Sport & Exercise Psychology from UF in 2006. Stancil (formerly Martindale) and her husband, Michael, reside in Gainesville and have three children, Noah, Emma and Grace.
The Leah Stancil File
Hometown: Bridgetown, Barbados
Education:
- B.S. in Psychology, University of Florida, 2002;
- Masters of Science, Specialization in Sport & Exercise Psychology, University of Florida, 2006
Coaching Career
- Volunteer Assistant Coach, University of Florida, 2003-05
- Graduate Assistant, University of Florida Sports & Fitness Department, 2003-05
- Assistant Coach, Savannah College of Art & Design, 2005-06
- Assistant Coach, South Carolina, 2006-08
- Assistant Coach, University of Florida, 2008-present
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