Seven new assistants have joined the Lake Forest College Athletic Department Staff as the Foresters prepare for the 2011-12 academic year.
The cross country team, led by second-year head coach Sam Romanoski, welcomes a pair of new coaches in Patrick Grempka and Christine Pappadis. Both coaches ran for North Park University, where Romanoski served as an assistant cross country and track & field coach in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Head Coach Tamlyn Tills and the Forester women's basketball program also added two assistant coaches. Nickolas Simons comes to Lake Forest after serving as the Director of Women's Basketball Operations and Graduate Manager at Gonzaga University. The Bulldogs reached the Elite 8 of the 2011 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Lauren Rosengarden also joins the Forester women's basketball staff after coaching at several different levels, including a two-year stint as an assistant at Judson University in Elgin, Illinois.
The other coaching addition to Lake Forest's fall sports is Mike Hansen, who will work with the football team's cornerbacks. Hansen has nine years of experience as a defensive backs coach in Bothell, Washington.
The most recent addition to the Foresters' winter coaching staffs is Jim Swoyer, who will assist new men's hockey coach Ryan McKelvie. Swoyer is currently a skills development instructor and has been a club coach for several years, including five (1989-94) at Lake Forest High School.
In addition to the six new assistant coaches, the College also welcomes Assistant Athletic Trainer Nicki Graham. Graham recently earned her master's degree from Iowa State University and is also a graduate of Illinois State University and nearby Adlai Stevenson High School.
"I am excited about the new additions to our staff," commented Lake Forest College Athletic Director Jackie Slaats. "We would never be able to reach our athletic program goals without significant contributions from assistants and, fortunately, we’ve been able to continue attracting and retaining some of the finest in the profession. These seven are no exception and I look forward to the upcoming year and to the valuable contributions they will make to their respective programs and, ultimately, to our strong tradition of excellence in Forester Athletics."