Hanna Huston will join the University of St. Thomas-Houston Athletic Staff as the program's first-ever swim coach this July.
Huston will be responsible for building the men's and women's swim programs. In her first year, she will recruit students to join her roster before beginning NCAA competition in 2023-2024. In addition, the University of St. Thomas' NCAA provisional period ends this fall, making the Celts eligible for national tournaments immediately.
"St. Thomas is the only Division III University in Houston, which opens up many opportunities for kids that want to swim in college," Hanna Huston added. "It's a small school so it even further allows the student-athletes to be more involved on campus, get to know professors, and just be more integrated into the student body as a whole."
Huston's Background
Coach Huston is a native of Katy, Texas and brings a wealth of swimming experience to UST. She swam collegiately for the Rice Owls specializing in distance, fly, and individual medley. In tenure, she set school records in the 500, 1000, 1650 free, and 400 individual medley. Showcasing her skills in the water, she also finished top eight in the 1650 free at the CSCAA National Invitational. After graduating from Rice with a degree in kinesiology, Huston returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach, where she spent the last two seasons under head coach and father Seth Huston.
"We are so excited to welcome Coach Huston to our UST Athletic family and the St. Thomas community. Her background and experience in the Houston area Swimming community will make an immediate impact," Athletic Director Todd Smith added. "We are extremely excited to add women's and men's swimming to our department and continue to build our footprint in Houston, throughout Texas, and across the country."
Swimming is now an official part of UST athletics
Just this May, men's and women's swimming was announced as the latest sport to join UST athletics. Now with Hanna Huston at the helm, the Celts will compete in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference beginning in 2023-2024. The team will practice and hold meets at UTHealth Auxiliary Enterprises - Recreation Center, located in the middle of Houston's Medical Center.
"My swimming experience led me to find my passion- I always loved swimming but once I started coaching and giving private lessons I found a new love for it," Huston said. I hope to instill the passion and love I have for the sport of swimming in every athlete I coach."
