Rose State Dives in with New Swim Program Published April 17, 2019

Raiders hire local coach Josh Everett as Head Coach for new NJCAA swim team 

After many successful years as a student club, Rose State College is diving headfirst and moving the Rose State Swim program from club to an official sport sanctioned by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Only a few years since its creation, the Raiders Swim Club has been a remarkable success. In 2018, Rose State sent six swimmers to the Collegiate Club Swimming (CCS) National Meet where they competed against larger public and private colleges and universities, such as Auburn, Duke, Florida State, and Texas A&M. Rose State was the only community college to make an appearance. 

“To think, just a few years ago this team didn’t exist, and now we’re moving to the NJCAA. We’re very excited,” said Kim Queri, Coordinator of the Rose State College Aquatics Center. “The growth of the program has been a tremendous opportunity for our students, and the community.” 

Joining the team as the new head coach is Josh Everett, a former college swimmer and Head Coach of the Senior Development program for King Marlin Swim Club (KMSC) in Oklahoma City. 

"He is a very well-respected coach in the club world and has wonderful credentials. Our goal is to produce championships, and he can do that," said Rose State College Athletic Director Joey DaVault. 

Josh Everett began swimming competitively with Kerr-McGee Swim Club at age five, continuing as a Junior National Swimmer and eventually swimming collegiately at Kenyon College. While there, Everett was a five-time All-American and a member of two NCAA Division III team championships. Everett began coaching in 2002 at KMSC, where he coached until 2008. He returned to KMSC in 2009 as Head Coach for Senior Development. Everett is known for preparing swimmers for elite-level competition and has had multiple swimmers ranked top 10 nationally. 

"His swimming background and his coaching background is incredible. He is a strong coach in the state of Oklahoma, and he has produced results,” said Queri. “He has a passion for kids and making them better swimmers. It’s a huge step not only for Rose State but for Oklahoma swimming in general.”

The Rose State College Swim Team will hold open tryouts for its upcoming season on Friday, April 26 from 3:30 pm – 5 pm. 

For more information on the Rose State College Raiders Swim Program, visit www.rscraiders.com.