Entering the 2020-21 season, Allen Gilchrest is in his 8th season at the helm of both the men’s and women’s swimming programs at Emmanuel and his 20th year as a collegiate swim coach. Gilchrest started the collegiate swim program at Emmanuel in 2013.
In the first 7 seasons, the men’s and women’s teams have combined to win 7 conference championships, break school records an impressive 375 times, earn NCAA Academic all-American team status 25 times, with the women’s team earning the #1 NCAA Div. II team GPA in the country 4 times (Spring 2015, 2017, 2019 and Fall 2019).
Some major team highlights (so far) under Coach Gilchrest include, Stanislas Raczynski winning the 2016 CSCAA Open Water National Championship and setting the national record. Rio Olympian Alex Sobers winning the 500 freestyle at the 2019 NCAA Div. II swimming & diving National Championships.
With collegiate coaching stops including Hamilton College, Bethany College, Washington College, University of Maryland, Limestone College and the University of Wyoming, Gilchrest has coached 40 individual NCAA All-American's, 20 Olympic trials qualifiers, 2 Olympians, 5 NCAA national champions, and 2 NCAA national records.
With USA Swimming club and high school coaching stops including the Clinton Cudas Aquatics (NY), Shomen Aquatics (MD), Maverick Aquatics (MD), Badfish Aquatics (NC) and Charlotte Country Day High School (NC), Gilchrest has coached hundreds of age group swimmers, including 2 high school state championship teams.
Gilchrest is originally from Rahway NJ, where he swam competitively 4 years for Rahway High School and the Rahway Rapids YMCA swim team, breaking 7 high school and 7 YMCA swim records. In College, Gilchrest swam competitively 2 years for Kutztown University and 2 years for Rowan University, breaking 2 Kutztown school records and 3 Rowan school records.
He earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Rowan University (1999) and his master's degree in U.S. History from Washington College (2003).
