NMU Swim and Dive Promotes Kelly, Hires Bergmann

MARQUETTE, Mich. – Head coach Heidi Voigt and the NMU swim and dive group are proud to announce the promotion of Christopher Kelly and the hiring of Lance Bergmann forward of the 2025/26 season.

Christopher Kelly, who joined the Wildcats because the diving coach in August of 2022, earns a promotion after a profitable previous few seasons overseeing the diving group for the Wildcats. In his tenure, Kelly has overseen a handful of All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, Scholar All-Americans, Academic All-District honorees, NCAA match contributors, GLIAC Championship medalists, GLIAC Diver of the Year, and extra. 

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue working with the amazing swim and dive community at NMU,” provides Kelly. “In the next year I hope to build the diving community in the upper peninsula and push NMU Diving to the top of division II.” 

Kelly dove for Grand Valley State from 2017-2021 and graduated with a Bachelor’s diploma in Biology. A well-decorated collegiate athlete, Kelly gained GLIAC Diver of the Year three years in a row (2019-2021), and made a number of appearances on the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, the place he earned First and Second-Team All-America Honors. 

“I am tremendously excited to have Coach Kelly advance as our Assistant Men’s and Women’s Diving Coach,” provides head coach Voigt. “He is a great fit for our team and Northern Michigan University. His commitment and passion for our students and the sport of diving is infectious. I am looking forward to his continued success.”

Lance Bergmann joins the Wildcats from Illinois College, the place he served as an assistant coach starting within the 2023/24 season. 

“I’m incredibly thankful to Coach Voigt for giving me an opportunity to work with such a successful program,” provides Bergmann. “I’m excited to get started and continue a culture of excellence here at Northern Michigan University!”

Bergmann joined Illinois College after serving as a volunteer coach at Eastern Illinois University, the place he helped the teaching workers with follow plans, distant video assessment, and different every day operations. Prior to EIU, Bergmann taught full time whereas additionally teaching with the Bloomington-Normal YMCA Waves swim membership, the place he helped restructure the dryland program to concentrate on physique consciousness, in addition to utilizing yoga to elongate and loosen essential muscle teams. 

“I am looking forward to Lance’s energy and enthusiasm for swimming on deck this fall!” says Voigt. “He will make a great addition to our coaching team.”

The Wildcats open the season with the annual Green vs Gold intra-squad scrimmage on September 19 and 20 earlier than the common season opens, taking up St. Cloud and Davenport at residence on October 3 and 4.