It may have just been a happy coincidence that
Jerry Hammaker moved back to his hometown of Williamsport just weeks before the swimming coach at Lycoming College resigned, but it may also have just a touch of fate to the story as well.
After a year as an assistant coach, Hammaker took over the reins in 2001 and in the ensuing 16 years, the swim team has reached levels of unprecedented success in the Warriors’ annals, with the men’s team winning 65 percent of its dual meets and the women winning 67 percent. Along the way, 23 individuals or relay teams earned Middle Atlantic Conference titles and he has coached 230 individual All-MAC honorees and 131 All-MAC relay teams.
Hammaker, who also serves as the school's director of aquatics, has rewritten the school's record book. Entering his 17th year at the College in 2015-16 he already holds the program record for overall career dual meet wins (210), most wins with the men's program (102) and most wins with the women’s program (108).
The high-water mark for Hammaker and the swim program, though, may have come in 2009-10 when a young Lady Warriors squad took the school’s first team title since 1997 and Lindsay Hunsicker was named the first MAC Swimmer of the Year in school history. Academic success has also been paramount for the swimmers, as four of Hammaker’s student-athletes have earned CSCAA Scholar All-American status and two others were Capital One Academic All-Americans.
He has drastically increased both the talent and depth of the teams. Lycoming swimmers have set 90 new school records over the past 15 years, including marks dating back to the early-1980s. Outside the pool, the women’s swim team has won CSCAA Scholar All-American Team honors for posting a team GPA better than 3.0 in at least one semester in each of the last 13 years. The men’s swim team has earned the honor in eight of the last 12 seasons.
Lycoming has also been represented at the NCAA Championships with swimmers placing as high as second at the national meet.
In 2016-17, Hammaker won his 100th dual meet with the men's program, a 170-88 win over Wilkes, and he helped the team break three school records during the season.
In 2015-16, Hammaker reached a pair of milestones, winning his 100th dual meet with the women's program in a 129-102 win over Stevenson and then reached 200 combined dual meet wins with a double-dual meet sweep of King's and FDU-Florham. Lycoming set two school records throughout the season.
The 2014-15 Warriors set five school records at the MAC Championships. Dan Woods won his second straight MAC title in the 100-yard butterfly and Danielle Loiseau won both the college's Female Athlete of the Year and MAC's Giant Steps Award.
In 2013-14, the Warriors finished the season by setting eight school records at the MAC Championships, tied for the most in Hammaker's tenure, as the squad also set eight records at the 2013 championships. Dan Woods capped the season for the Warriors by winning the first men's conference title since 2006, setting the school record in the 100-yard butterfly in the process.
The program enjoyed another banner year in 2012-13, as the program tied the best mark in Hammaker's tenure by breaking eight school records at the MAC Championships. The men's team enjoyed one of the finest seasons in program history, posting an 8-1 dual meet record, including an eight-meet winning streak, both the best marks since the 1964-65 team went 11-1. The team also tied its high-water mark by finishing third at the conference meet thanks to 14 all-conference selections. The women's program, meanwhile, won its final four dual meets to finish 7-3.
The 2011-12 Warriors, despite relying heavily on youth, still managed to post 14 individual all-conference efforts at the MAC Championships. Freshmen also knocked down four school records, with Dan Woods setting the 100-yard butterfly mark, T.J. Guminski setting the 100-yard breaststroke record and BethAnn Schwoyer breaking the 100- and 200-yard backstroke marks. The women's team also posted its 11th straight winning season, notching a 6-4 mark. On the men's side, Joe Andrie became the second Warrior to earn the MAC Scholar Athlete award and he also earned the school's highest honor, the Chieftain Award, for his impact on the College during his four years.
In 2010-11, with an extremely young men's team, he still guided the group to a 6-3 overall dual meet record. In addition, Andrie earned two All-MAC nods while setting school records in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke and all five relay teams also earned All-MAC accolades at the conference meet.
On the women's side, Stacy Flick wrapped up her career by winning two MAC titles in the breaststroke and setting school records in each as well. The Warriors finished 6-3-1 in dual meet action and 12 individual All-MAC honors and five relay All-MAC honors at the conference meet.
In 2009-10, the Warrior women’s swimmers had a breakthrough year, winning their first MAC title sinc 1997. The team won four individual titles and one relay race at the MAC Championships and Flick earned Scholar All-American honors at the end of the year.
In 2008-09, Hammaker coached the teams to one of thier best seasons of his career. At the Middle Atlantic Conference meet, two female swimmers finished their careers atop the podium, as the women’s team finished third in the conference and the men took fourth.
In 2007, senior Jessica Gough was given Lycoming’s highest honor, the Chieftain Award, at the College’s honors convocation. Lycoming swimmers have been represented at Lycoming’s commencement by a class valedictorian, a class speaker, and by numerous academic and athletic award honorees.
Hammaker came to Lycoming College with over 18 years of coaching experience. He served as an interim assistant coach for the Lycoming swim teams during the 2000-01 season. In that season, he headed up the recruiting program and the sprint-training group while assisting with all other coaching duties. He was named the head coach of men’s and women’s swimming at the conclusion of 2000-01.
Prior to returning to his hometown of Williamsport, Hammaker served as head coach & CEO of the 100-plus member age group team, Hilton Head Aquatics Club (H2A), in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Hammaker was also head coach of the competitive adult masters swim team and the boy’s and girl’s swim teams at Hilton Head High School. He was Age Group chairperson for the South Carolina LSC, a South Carolina Zone Team coach, and was nominated for Age Group Coach of the Year twice during his tenure at H2A.
Born and raised in the Williamsport area, Hammaker began his own swimming career at the age of four in the local Williamsport area summer swim league. He continued through age group swimming at the Williamsport YMCA where he was a team, district, and state record holder. He also swam at the Williamsport Area High School, where he was a 10-time district champion and multi-event school record holder. Hammaker still holds many team and pool records throughout the Williamsport area.
Hammaker began his coaching career at age 15, as an assistant coach for the South Williamsport and then the Williamsport swim teams. He earned his first head coaching position in 1986 with the Montoursville Summer Swim Team.
While attending graduate school at Penn State, Hammaker founded and coached the XL Aquatic Club which was a USA Swimming team based in Williamsport.
Upon conclusion of his studies at Penn State, he coached at Bishop Neumann and South Williamsport High Schools, both of which practiced at Lycoming College’s pool.
Before moving to South Carolina, Hammaker was head coach of the YMCA/USS swim team at the Williamsport YMCA, where he coached numerous district, state, and national qualifiers.
In addition to his coaching experience, Hammaker is a member of the American Swim Coaches Association (Level III) and the College Swimming Coaches Association of American (CSCAA). He has worked as a swim camp coach and counselor at Clarion University of Pennsylvania and has attended the Age Group Coaches College held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He is also a Certified Aquatic Facilities Operator.
Hammaker is a 1989 graduate of The College of Wooster (Ohio), where he earned a B.A. in speech communications with a philosophy minor. He was a four-year letter winner and a school-record holder in the 400-yard individual medley for the Fighting Scots.
Â
| The Hammaker File |
| Hometown: Williamsport, Pa. |
|
|
|
Education
|
|
| 1989 |
Bachelor of Arts - Speech Communications |
College of Wooster |
|
|
|
|
Collegiate Coaching Experience |
|
| 2000-01 |
Lycoming College |
Assistant Coach |
| 2001-Pres. |
Lycoming College |
Head Coach |
|
|
|
|
Awards & Honors |
|
| 2009-10 |
Middle Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year |
Women's Swimming |
| 2010 |
Middle Atlantic Conference Champions |
Women's Swimming |
| 2012-13 |
Robert Darrow Curry Coach of the Year |
|
|
|
|
| Hammaker Year-By-Year |
|
Men |
Women |
|
| Year |
W |
L |
T |
Pct. |
MACs |
W |
L |
T |
Pct. |
MACs |
Note |
| 2001-02 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
.778 |
6th/9 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
1.000 |
2nd/10 |
Only undefeated season in women's team's history |
| 2002-03 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
.800 |
3rd/9 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
.700 |
5th/10 |
Nate DeCapria earns All-American honors in two events |
| 2003-04 |
9 |
2 |
0 |
.818 |
3rd/9 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
.700 |
5th/10 |
Three individual MAC titles, one relay team wins title |
| 2004-05 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
.727 |
4th/9 |
7 |
4 |
0 |
.636 |
4th/10 |
Three individual MAC titles |
| 2005-06 |
6 |
5 |
0 |
.545 |
4th/9 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
.727 |
4th/10 |
Two individual MAC titles |
| 2006-07 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
.500 |
6th/10 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
.600 |
4th/11 |
Jessica Gough earned College's Chieftain Award |
| 2007-08 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
.778 |
3rd/9 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
.778 |
3rd/9 |
Won 50th career dual meets on women's and men's sides |
| 2008-09 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
.700 |
4th/10 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
.800 |
3rd/10 |
Two individual MAC titles |
| 2009-10 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
.500 |
5th/10 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
.700 |
1st/10 |
MAC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year |
| 2010-11 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
.667 |
5th/10 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
.650 |
4th/9 |
Stacy Flick wins two MAC titles |
| 2011-12 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
.667 |
5th/10 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
.600 |
4th/10 |
Joe Andrie earns College's Chieftain Award |
| 2012-13 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
.889 |
3rd/11 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
.700 |
5th/11 |
Men's team had best record since 1964-65 season |
| 2013-14 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
.556 |
6th/11 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
.600 |
6th/10 |
Dan Woods wins first men's MAC title since 2006 |
| 2014-15 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
.667 |
7th/11 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
.556 |
7th/12 |
Danielle Loiseau earns MAC Giant Steps Award |
| 2015-16 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
.500 |
7th/12 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
.600 |
6th/12 |
Coached team to 12 individual All-MAC honors |
| 2016-17 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
.400 |
8th/12 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
.400 |
9th/12 |
Coached three school-record breakers |
| Total |
102 |
54 |
0 |
.654 |
|
108 |
52 |
1 |
.674 |
|
|
