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Princeton University Athletics
Women's Swimming and Diving
Bret Lundgaard
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- lundgaard@princeton.edu
- Phone:
- 609-258-3562
The pipeline from Tennessee to New Jersey has once again brought a leader for the Princeton women's swimming and diving program. Tennessee assistant coach Bret Lundgaard was named the sixth head coach for the Princeton Tigers prior to the 2017-18 season. He replaced Princeton legend and Tennessee graduate Susan Teeter following her historic 33-year run with the Orange and Black.
Ivy League Coach of the Year in 2022-23, Lundgaard led Princeton to the Ivy Team Championship for the second time in three seasons at a meet where the Tigers won 12 out of 20 events, and saw Nikki Venema win High Point Swimmer of the Meet and Charlotte Martinkus High Point Diver. Venema went on to get invited to the NCAA Championships in three events; the 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle. Lundgaard also helped guide 20 swimmers to over 150 lifetime best times, and the Tigers to NCAA “B” cuts in four out of the five relays, becoming the only non-power five school to have more than two. The Tigers also broke eight school records and two Ivy records (200 Medley Relay and 200 Free Relay) in 2022-23.
In 2019-20, Lundgaard guided the Tigers to an Ivy League Championship and the No. 22 ranking in the nation. Princeton went 9-1 overall and a perfect 7-0 in Ivy League meets. The Tigers won both the dual meet and championship meet titles, collecting seven event championships. Under Lundgaard's tutelage, first-year swimmers, Nicole Venema and Ellie Marquardt, were both honored as High Point Swimmers of the Meet. Marquardt earned CSCAA All-American status as her 500 freestyle and 1650 freestyle ranked seventh and 22nd nationally. Throughout the season, the Tigers broke eight school records, including four of the five relays. The Tigers enjoyed strong contributions from their first year student-athletes, the ninth-ranked class in the country (according to swimswam), as the class earned an impressive 45 personal best times in their first season at Princeton.
In the 2021-22 season, a young Princeton team saw Nikki Venema win the Ivy League title in the 100 butterfly, and the team of Alexas Pappas, Vivian Wang, Nikki Venema, and Christina Bradley win the 200 medley relay. Ten Tigers earned All-Ivy League honors, and Princeton went 8-1 in dual meets, and 5-1 in Ivy League meets, including a win over Big Ten opponent Rutgers.
Lundgaard made an immediate impact on the Princeton squad, as was shown at the 2018 Ivy League Championships. The Tigers won two individual titles, as well as a dramatic comeback in the 400 free relay, and the team improved by more than 270 points from the previous season; the next closest team improvement was only 117 points. Princeton also broke two school relay records (200 medley/800 free) during the championship weekend.
That capped a 9-3 season overall, and a 6-1 mark in the Ivy League, including a win over the eventual Ivy champion Crimson in Boston.
Lundgaard, who is also currently a USA Swimming National Team Coach, had a remarkable five-year impact at Tennessee on both the individual and team levels prior to his arrival to Princeton. He was responsible for all training components for 2016 U.S. Olympian Molly Hannis, a four-year member of the US National Team who competed in Rio in the 200 breaststroke. Hannis was part of a 2013 Tennessee squad that placed third at the NCAA Championships, the best finish in program history.
"Bret Lundgaard has been a huge influence on my swimming career," Hannis said. "His ability to learn and evolve my breaststroke, and breaststroke in general, has rivaled some of the best coaches in the world. Princeton has found one of the most talented and quickly rising innovators in the sport. I will truly miss Bret and I will always be thankful for his contribution to my growth and success as both a person and as an athlete."
Tennessee had multiple SEC champions and NCAA All-America honorees during Lundgaard's five years on staff, and the Volunteers were fewer than 30 points away from their first SEC team title in 2016. He was the primary breaststroke and butterfly coach in Knoxville, and he helped Brad Craig and Peter John Stevens earn silver medals at top international events over the last three years, including an NCAA runner-up finish for Stevens in 2016.
While Tennessee flourished in the water, it did not come at the expense of academic success. In 2013, the Volunteers had the highest team GPA for a Top-10 program, and the 2015-16 teams had the best GPAs in both women's and men's program history.
Lundgaard also served as the Director of Recruiting at Tennessee, and he helped recruit five Top-10 classes between the women's and men's teams, including the No. 2 women's class in 2013. In 2016, both of his classes earned Top 10 ranks from swimswam.com, including the No. 6 class for the women.
Following a successful swim career at the University of Washington, where he was a two-year captain and 2008 Olympic Trials qualifier (100 butterfly), Lundgaard began his coaching career at both Boulder City High School and the Desert Storm Swim Team.
One year later, he began his collegiate coaching career at the United States Military Academy, where he served as both assistant coach and director of recruiting. He brought in the program's first Olympic Trials qualifier in more than a decade and helped the Black Knights break two dozen school records during his three years.
Lundgaard earned Pac-10 All-Academic honors all four years of his Washington career. He earned his bachelor's degree in Journalism while also earning a Certificate of Business & Marketing. He earned a master's degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Psychology and Motor Behavior from the University of Tennessee.
Both Lundgaard and his wife, Jessica Lundgaard (Milicic), hail from Boulder City, Nevada. In June of 2015 the couple welcomed their first child, Isabella. In October of 2019 they had their second child, Soleil, and their third daughter, Layla, was born in January of 2022.
Ivy League Coach of the Year in 2022-23, Lundgaard led Princeton to the Ivy Team Championship for the second time in three seasons at a meet where the Tigers won 12 out of 20 events, and saw Nikki Venema win High Point Swimmer of the Meet and Charlotte Martinkus High Point Diver. Venema went on to get invited to the NCAA Championships in three events; the 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle. Lundgaard also helped guide 20 swimmers to over 150 lifetime best times, and the Tigers to NCAA “B” cuts in four out of the five relays, becoming the only non-power five school to have more than two. The Tigers also broke eight school records and two Ivy records (200 Medley Relay and 200 Free Relay) in 2022-23.
In 2019-20, Lundgaard guided the Tigers to an Ivy League Championship and the No. 22 ranking in the nation. Princeton went 9-1 overall and a perfect 7-0 in Ivy League meets. The Tigers won both the dual meet and championship meet titles, collecting seven event championships. Under Lundgaard's tutelage, first-year swimmers, Nicole Venema and Ellie Marquardt, were both honored as High Point Swimmers of the Meet. Marquardt earned CSCAA All-American status as her 500 freestyle and 1650 freestyle ranked seventh and 22nd nationally. Throughout the season, the Tigers broke eight school records, including four of the five relays. The Tigers enjoyed strong contributions from their first year student-athletes, the ninth-ranked class in the country (according to swimswam), as the class earned an impressive 45 personal best times in their first season at Princeton.
In the 2021-22 season, a young Princeton team saw Nikki Venema win the Ivy League title in the 100 butterfly, and the team of Alexas Pappas, Vivian Wang, Nikki Venema, and Christina Bradley win the 200 medley relay. Ten Tigers earned All-Ivy League honors, and Princeton went 8-1 in dual meets, and 5-1 in Ivy League meets, including a win over Big Ten opponent Rutgers.
Lundgaard made an immediate impact on the Princeton squad, as was shown at the 2018 Ivy League Championships. The Tigers won two individual titles, as well as a dramatic comeback in the 400 free relay, and the team improved by more than 270 points from the previous season; the next closest team improvement was only 117 points. Princeton also broke two school relay records (200 medley/800 free) during the championship weekend.
That capped a 9-3 season overall, and a 6-1 mark in the Ivy League, including a win over the eventual Ivy champion Crimson in Boston.
Lundgaard, who is also currently a USA Swimming National Team Coach, had a remarkable five-year impact at Tennessee on both the individual and team levels prior to his arrival to Princeton. He was responsible for all training components for 2016 U.S. Olympian Molly Hannis, a four-year member of the US National Team who competed in Rio in the 200 breaststroke. Hannis was part of a 2013 Tennessee squad that placed third at the NCAA Championships, the best finish in program history.
"Bret Lundgaard has been a huge influence on my swimming career," Hannis said. "His ability to learn and evolve my breaststroke, and breaststroke in general, has rivaled some of the best coaches in the world. Princeton has found one of the most talented and quickly rising innovators in the sport. I will truly miss Bret and I will always be thankful for his contribution to my growth and success as both a person and as an athlete."
Tennessee had multiple SEC champions and NCAA All-America honorees during Lundgaard's five years on staff, and the Volunteers were fewer than 30 points away from their first SEC team title in 2016. He was the primary breaststroke and butterfly coach in Knoxville, and he helped Brad Craig and Peter John Stevens earn silver medals at top international events over the last three years, including an NCAA runner-up finish for Stevens in 2016.
While Tennessee flourished in the water, it did not come at the expense of academic success. In 2013, the Volunteers had the highest team GPA for a Top-10 program, and the 2015-16 teams had the best GPAs in both women's and men's program history.
Lundgaard also served as the Director of Recruiting at Tennessee, and he helped recruit five Top-10 classes between the women's and men's teams, including the No. 2 women's class in 2013. In 2016, both of his classes earned Top 10 ranks from swimswam.com, including the No. 6 class for the women.
Following a successful swim career at the University of Washington, where he was a two-year captain and 2008 Olympic Trials qualifier (100 butterfly), Lundgaard began his coaching career at both Boulder City High School and the Desert Storm Swim Team.
One year later, he began his collegiate coaching career at the United States Military Academy, where he served as both assistant coach and director of recruiting. He brought in the program's first Olympic Trials qualifier in more than a decade and helped the Black Knights break two dozen school records during his three years.
Lundgaard earned Pac-10 All-Academic honors all four years of his Washington career. He earned his bachelor's degree in Journalism while also earning a Certificate of Business & Marketing. He earned a master's degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Psychology and Motor Behavior from the University of Tennessee.
Both Lundgaard and his wife, Jessica Lundgaard (Milicic), hail from Boulder City, Nevada. In June of 2015 the couple welcomed their first child, Isabella. In October of 2019 they had their second child, Soleil, and their third daughter, Layla, was born in January of 2022.
| Year | Overall | Ivy | Team Finish | Ivy Champs | All-Ivy League |
| 2017-18 | 9-3 | 6-1 | 3rd | Barney (400 IM)/Curry (200 fly)/400 free relay | 11 (6 first-team) |
| 2018-19 | 8-4 | 4-3 | 3rd | Barney (400 IM) | 2 (1 first-team) |
| 2019-20 | 9-1 | 7-0 | 1st | Venema (50, 100, 200 free)/Marquardt, (500, 1000, 1650 free)/200 free relay | 16 (7 first-team) |
| 2021-22 | 8-1 | 5-1 | 4th | Venema (100 butterfly), 200 medley relay | 10 (2 first-team) |
| 2022-23 | 8-3 | 4-3 | 1st | Venema (100 butterfly, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Ellie Marquardt (400 IM), Margaux McDonald (200 breast), Eliza Brown (200 IM), 200 free relay, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay, 800 free relay | 18 (12 1st-team) |
| Totals | 42-12 | 27-8 | 1st | 21 (16 individual/7relay) | 57 (28 first-team) |
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