Lewis & Clark College

Caitlin DeNise was named the head men’s and women’s swimming coach in March of 2024. She was elevated to the head coach position after serving as the interim head coach for the 2023-24 season and as assistant with the program for the previous two seasons. DeNise enters her third season as head coach and fifth with the program for the 2025-26 season. 
 
She led the Pioneers to a fantastic 2024-25 season. Nine swimmers earned All-Conference honors and six Pioneers garnered multiple All-Conference accolades. Junior Ezra Billings was named the Northwest Conference Men’s Swimmer of the Year after winning all three of his individual events and helping the 400 Free Relay team claim gold in the final event of the NWC Conference Championship Meet. Billings is the first men’s swimmer in program history to earn the NWC Men’s Swimmer of the Meet award. DeNise was also recognized by her peers, as she became the first coach in program history to earn NWC Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year honors. The men’s team posted their most points at an NWC Meet since 1998 (370) and racked up nine program records across three days. On the women’s side, junior Elise Barton (three) and sophomore Angie Cummings each posted multiple All-Conference performances. 
 
In her first season as head coach, the men's program finished sixth (279 points) and the women's team placed eighth (193 points) at the Northwest Conference Championship Meet. Five student-athletes garnered All-Conference accolades, including senior Kate Milne (50 and 100 Yard Free) and junior Aidan Ringel (1,650 Free) who each earned their first All-Conference honors. Sophomore Zach Martin broke a 36-year program record in the 200 Free (1:42.51) and the two programs combined to record 18 top-10 individual marks in program history. 
 
During her time as an assistant coach with the program, DeNise has worked with 10 student-athletes that have been named to the Northwest Conference All-Conference Team. The Pioneers racked up 46 top-10 marks and set three programs (all during the 2022-23 season). 
 
Prior to her time at Lewis & Clark, DeNise worked as an assistant coach at her alma mater Cal State East Bay University (NCAA DII) and the University of the Pacific (NCAA DI). 
 
At Cal State East Bay, she oversaw and coached the individual medley and distance groups and managed the recruitment of student-athletes from Northern California, the Pacific Northwest, North and South Dakota, Alaska and Wyoming. During her three seasons with the Pioneers (2018-21), the program won the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Titles and she coached three student-athletes who competed at the NCAA DII National Championship Meet. She also trained and coached Claire Beaty who was a 2021 Olympic Trial Qualifier in the 200 Breaststroke. 
 
She spent one season working with the Pacific Tigers (2015-16). DeNise collaborated with the head coach to develop the sprint and individual medley groups practices. She spent the season working with NCAA Qualifier Kenna Ramey (100 Butterfly). 
 
Outside of her work at the collegiate level, DeNise also worked for two years at the club level with the Pleasanton Seahawks. She worked as the Senior Assistant to the head coach and was in charge of the Senior Elite Group from August 2016 to January 2017. During her two years with the Seahawks, DeNise mentored and trained Junior National and National Level qualifiers and coached 2016 Olympics Trial Finals Qualifier Maxime Rooney (200 Freestyle). 
 
DeNise enjoyed a fantastic career at Cal State East Bay. She was named the school’s “Female Athlete of the Year” in 2014 and made it to the NCAA DII Finals in the 100 butterfly. She set multiple school records during her four years and still holds the program record in the 100 Butterfly (54.78) and 400 Freestyle Relay (3:23.26). After graduation, she continued to compete and competed at the 2019 Toyota US Open in the 100 Butterfly and 50 Free.

Men's Swimming Results at Northwest Conference Championship Meets