Queens University of Charlotte Athletics

USA National Team Coach / Nine-Time CSCAA Coach of the Year / 12-Time Bluegrass Mountain Conference Coach of the Year/ 2019 Jimi Flowers Coach of the Year / 2025 ASUN Men's Swimming Coach of the Year

U.S. Marine Corp Commerical featuring Jeff Dugdale
Human Touch featuring Jeff Dugdale
Going D1 featuring Jeff Dugdale
Royals Rise Announcement on WCNC Charlotte featuring Jeff Dugdale
The American Dream: Charlotte, N.C. featuring Jeff Dugdale

Jeff Dugdale is in his 15th year in charge of the Queens University of Charlotte men's and women's swimming programs in 2024-25. His accolades include:

• 14 Team NCAA Championships
• 124 Individual NCAA Championships
• 735 All-American Swims (351 Men; 384 Women)
• 142 Scholar-Americans
• 6 NCAA DII Honda Award Athlete of the Year Finalist
• 3 Elite 90 Award Winner
• CCSA Conference Champion (Men)
• CCSA Coach of the Meet Men’s
• CCSA Swimmer of the Meet Men and Women
• CSCAA National Invitational Champions (Men)
• CSCAA N.I.C Coach of the Meet Men’s
• CSCAA N.I.C Male Swimmer of the Meet
• 16 BMC Championships
• 268 Individual BMC Championships
• 2025 ASUN Men's Swimming Coach of the Year
• ASUN Men's Conference Champions (2025)
• 12 NCAA Swimmer of the Meets
• 11 BMC Coach of the Year Awards
• 19 BMC Swimmer of the Year Awards
• Five athletes compete across four Olympic games (London, Rio, Tokyo, Paris)
• One athlete compete in three Paralympic Games (Rio, Tokyo, Paris)

2024-2025

• ASUN Conference Champions (Men) with 924.5 points.
• Earned Third Place (Women) in ASUN Championship with 644.5 points.
• Dugdale named ASUN Men's Swimming Coach of the Year
• Abigail Zboran named Most Outsnading Swimmer of the Meet
• Matheus Przewalla named Most Outstanding Freshman of the Meet
• Matej Dusa, Nien Levy, Conner Wang, and Daniel Meszaros broke an ASUN Championship record in the 200 Free Relay (1:17.55) 
• Maren Patterson, Annika Huber, Maddie Foster, and Ryley Heck broke a school record in the 200 Medley Relay (1:37.87)
• Saw Matej Dusa break an ASUN Championship record in the 50 Free (19.11)
• Saw Matej Dusa break an ASUN Championship record in the 100 Free (42.25)
• Led Abigail Zboran to an ASUN Championship record in the 200 IM (1:56.06)
• Had 17 podium appearances in the ASUN Championships
• Saw five swimmers accumulate six ASUN Swimmer of the Week awards.
• Saw Jacob Roberts earn the program's first-ever ASUN Diver of the Week award.

2023-2024

• Finished in second place as a team at the ASUN Conference Championships with 699 points.
• Saw Matej Dusa win the ASUN Title in the 50 Free (19.35).
• Saw Caden Fritz win the ASUN Title in the 100 Backstroke (47.15).
• Saw five swimmers accumulate six ASUN Swimmer of the Week.
• · Frantisek Jablcnik was named the ASUN Swimmer of the Week on December 12.
• Led the overall team to a fourth-place finish with 438 points and the men’s team to a runner-up finish at the National Invitational Championship with 621.5 points.
• Saw Matej Dusa, Frantisek Jablcnik, and Daniel Meszaros represented Slovakia and Hungary at the World Aquatic Championships.
• Saw Dusa and Jablcnik set a new Slovakian record in the 400 Free Relay (3:24.70).
• Saw Keegan McKenney, Yannick Plasil, and Conner Wang be awarded ASUN All-Academic Honors.
• Saw Keegan McKenney, Yannick Plasil, Conner Wang and Balazs Berecz be named to the CSC Academic All-District.
• Saw Danielle Melilli set the program’s 50 Freestyle record (22.07) and 50 Breaststroke record (27.76) at the ASun Conference Championships and the National Invitational Championship, respectively.
• Saw Maddie Foster, Danielle Melilli, Sophie Lange, and Abigail Zboran set the program’s record in the 800 Freestyle Relay at the ASUN Championships.
• Saw Danielle Melilli, Maddie Foster, Abigail Zboran, and Ryley Heck set the program’s record in the 400 Freestyle Relay (3:16.80) at the ASUN Championships.
• Saw Maddie Foster set the program’s 50 Butterfly record (23.73) at the National Invitational Championship.
• Saw Danielle Melilli be named the Swimmer of the Meet at the ASUN Championships after winning the 50 Freestyle (22.07) and 100 Freestyle (48.44).
• Saw Sophie Lange win the ASUN Title in the Women’s 500 Yd Freestyle (4:48.12) and 1650 Freestyle (16:24.06).
• Saw Annika Huber won the ASUN Title in the 200 Breaststroke (2:12.09).
• Saw Abigail Zboran be named the Co-Freshman of the Meet after winning the 200 IM (1:58.39) and 400 IM (4:14.36).
• Saw the 200 Free Relay team of Ryley Heck, Maren Patterson, Danielle Melilli, and Abigail Zboran win the ASUN Title (1:29.98).
• Saw the 200 Yard Medley Relay team of Maren Patterson, Annika Huber, Maddie Foster, and Ryley Heck win the ASUN Title (1:38.86).
• Saw the 400 Medley Relay team of Annika Huber, Maren Patterson, Danielle Melilli, and Maddie Foster win the ASUN Title (3:36.93).
• Saw Melilli (x3), Zboran, Sophie Lange (x2), and Katherine Bailey be named the ASUN Swimmer of the Week over the course of the season.
• Saw Melilli (x2) and Sophie Lange be named Female Royal of the Month over the course of the year.
• Saw Melilli, Lange, Annika Huber, and Tova Andersson be named to the CSC Academic All-District.
• Saw Sophie Lange be named the Atlantic Sun Women’s Scholar Athlete of the Year.
• Saw Melilli qualify for the Olympic Trials in the 50 Meter Freestyle at the U.S. Open with a time of 25.55.
• Recognized that Daniel Meszaros (Hungary), Frantisek Jablcnik (Slovakia), Matej Dusa (Slovakia), and Danielle Melilli (USA) will be considered 2024 Olympic hopefuls for their respective countries.

 
2022-23

• Coached the men’s team to a win with 933.5 points.
• Named Coach of the Meet.
• Saw Alex Kunert receive Most Outstanding Men's Swimmer of the Championship award.
• Saw Daniel Meszaros receive Most Outstanding Men's Freshman Performer award.
• Coached the women's team to a third-place finish at the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Championships with 1,119 points.
• Saw Danielle Melilli receive the Most Outstanding Women's Swimmer of the Championship award.
• Saw Annika Huber receive the Most Outstanding Women's Freshman Performer award.
• Saw swimmers break 12 conference records and 3 school records throughout the championships.
• Sent a combined 21 swimmers to the National Invitational Championship.
• Coached the men's team to a win with 674 points.
• Saw Alexander Bauch earn seven first-place finishes and break four records to receive the Swimmer of the Meet award.
• Saw the Royals break an astounding 14 N.I.C. records and six school records during the competition.
• Saw Jan Delkeskamp receive a Walter Byers Post-Graduate Finalist award for a second-consecutive year.
• Saw Matej Dusa finish as a semifinalist at the short course World Championships in Melbourne, Australia,
• Saw alumnus Kayla Tennant earn a spot as an NCAA Woman of the Year finalist and finish within in the top-nine.

2021-22

• Coached the men's and women's to victories at the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships, their seventh straight title each.
• Saw Queens posted a combined 84 All-American swims, including 50 All-Americans and 34 Honorable Mention All-Americans at the Championships.
• Swept the Men's and Women's CSCAA Coach of the Year honors for the third time.
• Produced a pair of CSCAA Swimmers of the Year: Danielle Melilli on the women’s side, who was awarded the praise for the second straight year, and Alex Kunert on the men’s side.
• Swept the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships for the eighth straight year.
• Saw Alex Kunert and Danielle Melilli receive BMC Male and Female Swimmer of the Year awards.
• Saw both programs be named CSCAA Scholar All-America.
• Saw Jan Delkeskamp and Kayla Tennant be awarded the Elite 90 award, given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA competing at the Championships. The honor is just the third and fourth time a Royal has received the honor, and Delkeskamp becomes the first male athlete at Queens to be given the praise.

2020-21

• Coached men's and women's swimming teams each to their sixth straight NCAA Division II Swimming Championship following the cancellation of the 2020 Championships due to COVID-19.
• Tallied a combined 84 All-American swims, including 61 All-Americans and 23 Honorable Mention All-Americans.
• Swept the Men's and Women's CSCAA Team Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his career,
• Saw Danielle Melilli receive CSCAA Female Swimmer of the Year honors.
• Swept the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships for the seventh consecutive year.
• Saw Alex Kunert and Melilli be named BMC Male and Female Swimmer of the Year.
• Received BMC Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year honors.
• Saw both teams be named CSCAA Scholar All-American teams
• Saw 21 individuals be named CSCAA Scholar All-Americans.
• Saw Jan Delkeskamp be named Pamela Davies Scholar Athlete of the Year.
• Saw Marius Kush (Germany) and Felix Duchampt (Romania) represent Queens at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in swimming and triathlon, respectively.
• Saw Hanna Aspden qualify for the Tokyo Paralympic Games, the second time she has competed in a Paralympic Games.

2019-20

• Was poised to win yet another National Championship on both the men's and women's sides before the Championships were cut short due to COVID-19.
• Collected sixth consecutive men's and women's Bluegrass Mountain Championship titles
• Saw 18 women combined for 60 All-American honors
• Saw 12 men collect a combined 41 All-American awards.
• Dugdale was named the BMC Women's Head Coach of the Year for the third straight season and fifth time overall.
• Led Polina Lapshina to her second straight BMC Female Swimmer of the Year honor.
• Led Alex Kunert to BMC Men's Swimmer of the Year title.

2018-19

• Won men's and women's NCAA Division II National Championships for the fifth straight year.
• Honored as CSCAA Women's Swimming Coach of the Year for the second straight season and sixth total time.
• Received the men's and women's Bluegrass Mountain Conference Coach of the Year honors.
• Saw Senior Marius Kusch be selected as the CSCAA Male Swimmer of the Meet for the third straight year after winning a total of seven event championships, four of which were individual events and three of which were relay races.
• Saw Kusch be part of four NCAA record swims:
  • 100-Yard Backstroke (44.09)
  • 100-Yard Butterfly (44.32)
  • 100-Yard Freestyle (41.73)
  • 400-Yard Freestyle Relay (2:49.98) swimming the first leg
• Saw Junior Polina Lapshina be named the CSCAA Female Swimmer of the Meet, the first such award for a Queens swimmer since Patricia Ortega won the award in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.
• Saw Lapshina win four individual events and be a member of three relay wins.
• Saw Lapshina be part of five NCAA record swims:
  • 100-Yard Backstroke (52.07)
  • 100-Yard Butterfly (52.16)
  • 100-Yard Freestyle (48.16)
  • 400-Yard Freestyle Relay (3:18.04) swimming the first leg
  • 400-Yard Medley Relay (3:35.70) swimming the first leg
• Led the Royals to collect 23 event crowns and set 11 NCAA Division II records during the four-day meet. The women's team held a total of 14 NCAA Division II records, and the men held 14 of the 19 NCAA Division II top marks after the meet.
• Tallied 83 All-American swims, including 60 All-Americans and 23 Honorable Mention All-Americans to set a new program benchmark.
• Saw Kusch, Alex Kunert, Bobbie Gichard, and Erico Cuna compete at the 2019 FINA World Championships for their home countries.
• Saw Hannah Aspden and Carson Sanocki compete for Team USA at the Parapan American Games Lima 2019.
• Led the men's and women's teams to win BMC titles for a fifth consecutive year.
• Saw Kusch and Polina win their respective Swimmer of the Year awards from the conference.

2017-18

• Led the men's and women's swimming teams were crown NCAA Division II Champions for the fourth consecutive season.
• Received the recipient of the Women's Swimming Coach of the Year, his fourth Coach of the Year award and his fifth national coaching award.
• Saw Marius Kusch be selected as the NCAA Male Swimmer of the Year for the second straight season.
• Saw Kusch win a total of seven event championships, four of which were individual events and three of which being relay races.
• Saw Kusch be a part of two NCAA record swims:
  • 200-Yard I.M. (1:41.61)
  • 200-Yard Medley Relay (1:24.83) swimming the third leg
• Led the Royals to 17 event crowns and to set seven NCAA Division II records during the four-day meet. The women's team held a total of 10 NCAA Division II records, while the men held 13 of the 19 NCAA Division II top marks after the meet.
• Three of the 10 total marks for the women’s team were reached during the NCAAs and four top times were set during the 2017-18 season.
• Saw McKenzie Stevens set a record in the 200-Yard Butterfly at the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships, and then break her own record in the NCAA Championships.
• Led the men’s team to register four NCAA record swims during the meet.
• Tallied 73 All-American swims, including 51 All-Americans and 22 Honorable Mention All-Americans to set a new program benchmark.
• Led the Royals to win the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Champions for the fourth year in a row
• Received both the men's and women's BMC Coach of the Year awards after the meet, his third such award from the conference.

2016-17

• Led the men’s and women’s teams to the program’s NCAA Division ll Swimming Championship for the third consecutive season.
• Saw the men break five NCAA records at the championship meet.
• Saw the women win their first Medley Relay NCAA Championship.
• Saw Marius Kusch be named NCAA Swimmer of the Year.
• Awarded NCAA Coach of the Year.
• Saw Hannah Peiffer become the first female to win a different event each year at the championships.
  • Freshman year - 100 Butterfly (Broke NCAA record)
  • Sophomore year - 200 Butterfly (Broke NCAA record)
  • Junior year - 100 Backstroke
  • Senior year - 200 Backstroke (Broke NCAA record)
• Led the men’s and women’s teams to become Bluegrass Mountain Conference Champions for the third year running.
• Named BMC Coach of the Year and
• Saw Kusch receive BMC Swimmer of the Year awards.
• Saw both teams be named Scholar All-American Teams
• Saw Dion Dreesen and McKensie Stevens both be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams.
• Saw Dreesen and Peiffer both be honored as Queens Best Male and Female Senior Student-Athletes of the Year.
• Saw several Kusch come in eighth place in the 100-meter freestyle, Dreesens compete in the 800-freestyle relay, and Dasha Talianov competed in both the 100-meter and 200-meter breastroke. at the Short Course World Championships in Windsor, Canada.

2015-16

• Saw the men’s and women’s teams win NCAA Division II Swimming Champions for the second consecutive season.
• Saw the men’s team break three NCAA records and the women break four at the meet.
• Saw Patri Castro Ortega and Dion Dreesens win the NCAA Swimmers of the Meet awards.
• Saw Ortega receive a Honda Award, an Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar Award, and a NCAA Athlete of the Year Nominee award.
• Led the Royals to repeat as Bluegrass Mountain Conference Champions on the men’s and women’s side.
• Saw Castro Ortega and Dreesens win BMC Swimmer of the Year honors.
• Named BMC Coaches of the Year along with his staff.
• Saw seven conference and seven national records get shattered at the meet seven national records.
• Saw Nic Erikson, Nick Arakelian and Caroline Arakelian all made the USA Olympic Trials, with former Queens swimmer Matthew Josa making it to the finals of the 100-meter fly at the USA Olympic Trials.
• Saw 6 Queens athletes represent their countries in the 2016 Rio Olympics:
  • Hector Tricas (Spain)
  • Marias Kusch (Germany)
  • Paul Pujlet (France)
  • Sude Ozgen (Turkey)
  • Dreesens (Netherlands) 200 free and the 4x200 relay
  • Castro Ortega (Spain) 200 free, 4x100 relay and 4x200 relay 
• Saw the women’s team earn the department’s highest GPA award.
• Saw twelve women and seven men be named academic all-Americans, capping 12 consecutive semesters that Royals have earned the recognition.
• Saw Ben Taylor and Caroline Arakelian be named Queens Best Male and Female Senior Student-Athletes of the Year.

2014-15

• Led the men’s and women’s teams to NCAA National Championship trophies, marking the first NCAA championship for both the school and the city of Charlotte.
• Claimed both the men’s and the women’s NCAA Division II Coach of the Meet award
• Saw athletes from the Men’s and Women’s teams receive NCAA Division II Swimmer of the Meet awards.
• Coached six female and six male student athletes to an NCAA title in 17 different events, 12 of which would qualify for national records.
• Claimed the Bluegrass Mountain Conference for the first time since the programs development.
• Secured the Men’s and Women’s swimmer of the year awards
• Took coach of the year for both sides.
• Finished the year with a total of 25 new school records and 15 new NCAA records.
• Saw both programs reach academic all-America with the women holding a GPA of 3.62 and the men holding a GPA of 3.13.
• Saw an athlete on the men’s and women’s teams be named Queens Student-Athlete of the Year.

2013-14
Throughout the 2013-2014 season, the Royals men and women ranked second in the nation based on schedule strength and performance. Both teams once again claimed mid-season academic all-America status continuing the streak.

• Led both the men’s and women’s team to second-place finishes at the conference meet.
• Saw Matthew Josa be named Swimmer of the Meet in the BMC.
• Accepted the Bob Busby Award for Men's Coach of the Year in the BMC.
• Saw the men sweep all relays and the women’s team’s win their first two in Royals history.
• Saw twenty-two student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships
• Led the men’s and women’s teamd to third and fourth place in the NCAA Championships, respectively.
• Saw Kristin Diemer win the Elite 89, the first to do so at Queens.
• Saw Diemer receive Second CoSIDA All American and All District honors. 
• Saw Matthew Josa win three individual events, be a member of two winning relays, and set four national records to earn NCAA DII Swimmer of the Meet and NCAA (All Divisions) Breakout Swimmer of the Year. 
• Coached the Royals to claim five records on the national stage.
• Finished the season with nine national champions, eight national records, 19 school records, 15 academic scholar all-Americas, and two academic all-America programs.

2012-13

• Set 26 new school records between the men and women
• Achieved 1st CoSIDA First Team All-America at large swimmer and All-America District swimmer.
• Led the Royals to the first men’s and women’s NCAA championship wins.
• Saw athletes receive 59 all-America honors, including honorable mentions.
• Led athletes to achieve the program’s first Bluegrass Mountain Conference Swimmer of the Meet for both programs
• Led athletes to achieve the program’s first Bluegrass Mountain Swimmer of the Year on both sides.
• Led the men’s and women’s teams to a top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships.

2011-12

• Coached athletes to attain 42 school record swims, six conference records, 54 all-conference swims, 15 all-America swims and 25 all-America honorable mention swims.
• Saw John Long be named the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Co-Swimmer of the Year.
• Saw Long, Joe Skuba and Nic Eriksson qualify for the 2012 Olympic Trials.
• Was voted by his peers to serve as President of the Bluegrass Mountain Conference.

2010-11

• Saw Caitlin Seed earn Bluegrass Mountain Conference Swimmer of the Week
• Finished 28th (women) in the NCAA Championships, finished 21st (men) in the NCAA Championships
• For the men, saw Jeremy Gregory (200 I.M.) and Austin Hughey (100 Backstroke) as individual Bluegrass Mountain Conference Champions
• Saw Jeremy Gregory earn All-American (first Queens Swimming All-American) in 200 IM (1:48.03); 100 Fly (48.81); 200 Fly (1:45.13)
• Led five Bluegrass Mountain Conference selections (Christian Yeatts, Jeremy Gregory, Austin Hughey, Daniel Bowden, Troy Cisneros

Other Coaching Experience
SwimMAC TeamElite - Director of High Performance (2012, 2016)

• 2012: Started as the Director of High Performance for SwimMAC Team Elite.
  • Assisted in placing five athletes on the U.S. Olympic Team that returned to Charlotte with three gold medals and three silver.
• 2016: Helped place six swimmers (Katie Meili, Kathleen Baker, Anthony Ervin, Jimmy Feigen and Ryan Locte) on the USA Olympic Team.
  • The group totaled six gold, one silver and one bronze medals at the games.
  • Was named one of USA Swimming’s National Team Coaches following the Games.

SwimMAC TeamElite - Assistant Coach

• Assisted Head Coach David Marsh in all aspects of running Team Elite
• Members included Olympian Cullen Jones and record holders Nick Brunelli, Nick Thoman and Josh Schneider.

Duke University – Assistant Coach

• Helped lead recruiting and leadership development.
• Had a hand in seeing both the men and women break all but three school records while moving up the ACC and NCAA ranks.
• Spearheaded the merger of two club programs, Tar Heel Aquatic Team and Blue Devil Aquatic, into Duke Aquatics in 2008, currently a Silver Medal program.

Auburn University – Recruiting Coordinator

• Hired as David Marsh’s first recruiting coordinator as a Junior at Auburn (1992)
• Helped Marsh recruit the university’s first SEC and NCAA Championship Team.
• Assisted in coaching 218 All-American honorees, 16 Academic All-Americans, and one Olympian, Yoav Bruck of Israel.

Athletic Career
Auburn University Swim Team

• Became a three-year letter-winner (1989-1991)

Personal
A native of Kenosha, Wis., Dugdale earned a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance at Auburn in 1995.  Dugdale has two children, Sydney and Colby, and resides in Charlotte, N.C. with his wife Christine. 
Quotes:
“Jeff is not only an exceptional on-deck coach, but a dynamic individual with a wealth of knowledge in how to develop and grow a program to an elite level,” said Dan Colella, head men’s and women’s coach at Duke. “He is a great recruiter of not only potential student athletes, but supporters for the program.  He knows how to inspire and bring out the best in everyone, swimmers, alumni, and staff.  We miss having him with us here at Duke, but Queens is fortunate to have one of the best as a member of their staff.”
 
David Marsh has worked with Dugdale for more than 20 years, dating back to the time when both were at Auburn University together. “His enthusiasm and passion coupled with his desire to make a positive impact in the sport of swimming make him a tremendous leader.”