Elizabeth Lykins Amongst Nation’s Top 50 in Longest-Tenured Head Coaches in Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving

FULL NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING TENURE LIST

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville Women’s Swimming and Diving head coach Elizabeth Lykins is among the many nation’s high 50 longest-tenured head coaches within the sport at one faculty.

Lykins will start her fifteenth season on the helm of the UNC Asheville ladies’s swimming and diving workforce in 2026-27. Lykins, who has guided this system since its inception in 2012, has made unimaginable strides with this system instituting a tradition of private progress, distinctive lecturers, quick swimming and excessive degree competitors.

“Building a program from inception has been a labor of love for these last 14 years,” stated Lykins. “Being recognized for this longevity is truly humbling. Coaching has never simply been a career—it’s been about building relationships, a lot of hard learned lessons, experiencing opportunities and overcoming challenges, and countless moments that have shaped both me and our program. One of the greatest sense of accomplishment doesn’t come from the years or the recognition—it comes from watching team members, both current and former, succeed in their careers, communities and lives. Their achievements are the true measure of this journey, and I am grateful to every student-athlete, assistant coach, colleague and supporter who has been part of it.”

The Bulldogs have additionally been named a College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team all 28 semesters this system has been in existence. To earn Scholar All-America Team honors, a workforce should have achieved a grade-point common of three.0 or increased for the semester. The workforce’s highest GPA of three.76 was recorded within the Fall 2024 time period.

 

Lykins first constructed this system right into a constant contender within the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association, earlier than serving to information this system by means of a transition to the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2023-24 the place they continue to be a aggressive program.

 

Under Lykins’ management, the swimming & diving program has produced 4 recipients of the Janice Brumit Rising Star award at UNC Asheville’s Our Turn To Play occasion. This award is offered yearly to 1 feminine student-athlete to honor and acknowledge excellence in management inside their sport in addition to within the UNC Asheville Community. The 4 workforce members to earn the award have been Elizabeth Conte in 2018, Katie Brown in 2019, Nora Segurola Larrinaga in 2023 and Riley Edmundson in 2025.

 

From Oct. 2020-Jan. 2026, the Bulldogs posted a 16-dual meet house profitable streak contained in the Justice Center together with a pair of unbeaten seasons in 2021-22 (8-0) and 2022-23 (9-0) in twin meet motion. In whole, Lykins has led the Bulldogs to a 68-52-1 file in twin meets in her tenure together with a mark of 32-13-1 in twin meets contained in the Justice Center. Lykins has coached one NCAA qualifier, 18 particular person podium finishers at convention championships, and 11 podium relay groups. The Bulldogs have additionally earned quite a few weekly Swimmer and Diver of the Week honors throughout the conferences, whereas this system has collected quite a few particular person accolades. The program has additionally produced a pair of Big South Conference Christenberry Award winners, offered to the student-athletes with the very best grade level common within the convention. Alum Adee Weller, PhD was the primary to win the award in 2020, adopted by current graduate Tess Peny within the class of 2026.

 

Lykins can also be a four-time CCSA Coach of the Year.

 

“Congratulations to Coach Elizabeth Lykins for this honor and being recognized for her tenure with our Women’s Swimming and Diving program,” stated Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. “She has grown this program from the start and done a phenomenal job recruiting quality student-athletes to UNC Asheville. We hope she will guide our program for at least another 15 years!”

About Women’s Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank

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