2023 Jesse Coon Award Winner
Presentation at the SMU Natatorium during the 2024 Summer Zones Champs meet:
The winner of this year’s Jesse Coon award has dedicated more time and energy to U.S Masters Swimming in the past decade than most give in a lifetime. She is a highly skilled meet director, a leader in her LMSC, and a Zone and National-level volunteer. When she is not busy behind the computer at a masters meet, she is busy working on the next LMSC or Zone newsletter, making sure all LMSCs in our Zone are aware of the opportunities being offered. This year’s recipient served as our South-Central Zone Chair for four-years, only stepping down because she had reached her term-limit. Instead of “retiring”, she has since has taken on the following volunteer roles:
• Gulf LMSC Chair,
• Gulf LMSC Webmaster and Communications Chair
• South Central Zone Communications Chair and Webmaster
• South Central Zone Open Water Char
• South Central Zone Championship Committee Chair
In addition to serving in all of these roles, she also finds time to host local masters meets and mentor new meet/race directors throughout our Zone. The immense work she puts in behind the scenes is solely to provide opportunities to her local masters.
An example of our recipient’s commitment to her local master swimmers can be seen through all of the work she’s put into developing the South-Central Zone Open Water Grand Prix. When she were was South-Central Zone Chair in 2021, she noticed a growing demand for open water opportunities in our Zone. Very quickly, she connected with the LMSC Chairs and Vice Chairs in our Zone and pitched her vision of assembling a Zone open water swim series. In 2022, the series launched with 3 swims. This year (2024), the South-Central Zone Open Water Grand Prix is in its 3rd year, with 5 open water swims included in the series.
As tremendous of a leader as she is, it’s her mentorship that has made the biggest impact in her LMSC and our Zone. Elevating and educating those she works with is her greatest strength. It takes a village to run our LMSCs/Zones, and she is constantly working with her village to make sure they have everything they need to succeed.
Without further ado, I’d like to congratulate and welcome up Nicole Christensen, Gulf Chair and USMS Volunteer
