Kami Gardner Named Old Dominion Athletic Conference Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year Generals’ mentor garners top conference honor after leading W&L to another league title.
Kami GardnerKami Gardner, director of aquatics and head coach of men’s and women’s swimming at Washington and Lee University, was selected as the 2025 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year in voting conducted by the league’s coaches.
Gardner’s men’s team produced a 5-3 overall record this winter, claiming the program’s fourth consecutive ODAC crown and the 10th league championship in the last 11 years. The Generals placed 19th at the NCAA Division III Championship, their best showing at the national meet since the 2018 campaign.
At the conference championship, Gardner guided W&L to eight championship event wins, including victories in four of the five relay events. All told, 15 swimmers claimed All-ODAC honors based on their performances at the conference championship meet.
Six W&L men qualified for the NCAA Championship, combining for 11 All-America citations between them, led by Dalton Jobe ’25, who garnered first-team recognition in the 200 freestyle and 800 freestyle relay and second-team honors in the 400 freestyle relay.
Gardner has now earned six ODAC Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year Awards and another 10 as coach of the W&L women’s program. She claims an 84-20 (.808) record as the men’s head coach and a 129-39 (.768) mark while coaching the W&L women.
Gardner has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2007. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kenyon College and a master’s degree in sports management from Western Illinois University.
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