University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Elizabeth Lykins Among Nation's Top 50 in Longest-Tenured Head Coaches in Division I Women's Swimming and Diving
07.09.2026 | Women's Swimming & Diving
FULL NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING TENURE LIST
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ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville Women's Swimming and Diving head coach Elizabeth Lykins is among the nation's top 50 longest-tenured head coaches in the sport at one school.
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Lykins will begin her 15th season at the helm of the UNC Asheville women's swimming and diving team in 2026-27. Lykins, who has guided the program since its inception in 2012, has made incredible strides with the program instituting a culture of personal growth, exceptional academics, fast swimming and high level competition.
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"Building a program from inception has been a labor of love for these last 14 years," said Lykins. "Being recognized for this longevity is truly humbling. Coaching has never simply been a career—it's been about building relationships, a lot of hard learned lessons, experiencing opportunities and overcoming challenges, and countless moments that have shaped both me and our program. One of the greatest sense of accomplishment doesn't come from the years or the recognition—it comes from watching team members, both current and former, succeed in their careers, communities and lives. Their achievements are the true measure of this journey, and I am grateful to every student-athlete, assistant coach, colleague and supporter who has been part of it."
The Bulldogs have also been named a College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team all 28 semesters the program has been in existence. To earn Scholar All-America Team honors, a team must have achieved a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher for the semester. The team's highest GPA of 3.76 was recorded in the Fall 2024 term.
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Lykins first built the program into a consistent contender in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association, before helping guide the program through a transition to the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2023-24 where they remain a competitive program.
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Under Lykins' leadership, the swimming & diving program has produced four recipients of the Janice Brumit Rising Star award at UNC Asheville's Our Turn To Play event. This award is presented annually to one female student-athlete to honor and recognize excellence in leadership within their sport as well as in the UNC Asheville Community. The four team members to earn the award have been Elizabeth Conte in 2018, Katie Brown in 2019, Nora Segurola Larrinaga in 2023 and Riley Edmundson in 2025.
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From Oct. 2020-Jan. 2026, the Bulldogs posted a 16-dual meet home winning streak inside the Justice Center including a pair of unbeaten seasons in 2021-22 (8-0) and 2022-23 (9-0) in dual meet action. In total, Lykins has led the Bulldogs to a 68-52-1 record in dual meets in her tenure including a mark of 32-13-1 in dual meets inside the Justice Center. Lykins has coached one NCAA qualifier, 18 individual podium finishers at conference championships, and 11 podium relay teams. The Bulldogs have also earned numerous weekly Swimmer and Diver of the Week honors within the conferences, while the program has collected numerous individual accolades. The program has also produced a pair of Big South Conference Christenberry Award winners, presented to the student-athletes with the highest grade point average in the conference. Alum Adee Weller, PhD was the first to win the award in 2020, followed by recent graduate Tess Peny in the class of 2026.
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Lykins is also a four-time CCSA Coach of the Year.
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"Congratulations to Coach Elizabeth Lykins for this honor and being recognized for her tenure with our Women's Swimming and Diving program," said Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. "She has grown this program from the start and done a phenomenal job recruiting quality student-athletes to UNC Asheville. We hope she will guide our program for at least another 15 years!"
About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.1 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 113 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina and a nationwide SBA platform. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
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ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville Women's Swimming and Diving head coach Elizabeth Lykins is among the nation's top 50 longest-tenured head coaches in the sport at one school.
Â
Lykins will begin her 15th season at the helm of the UNC Asheville women's swimming and diving team in 2026-27. Lykins, who has guided the program since its inception in 2012, has made incredible strides with the program instituting a culture of personal growth, exceptional academics, fast swimming and high level competition.
Â
"Building a program from inception has been a labor of love for these last 14 years," said Lykins. "Being recognized for this longevity is truly humbling. Coaching has never simply been a career—it's been about building relationships, a lot of hard learned lessons, experiencing opportunities and overcoming challenges, and countless moments that have shaped both me and our program. One of the greatest sense of accomplishment doesn't come from the years or the recognition—it comes from watching team members, both current and former, succeed in their careers, communities and lives. Their achievements are the true measure of this journey, and I am grateful to every student-athlete, assistant coach, colleague and supporter who has been part of it."
The Bulldogs have also been named a College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team all 28 semesters the program has been in existence. To earn Scholar All-America Team honors, a team must have achieved a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher for the semester. The team's highest GPA of 3.76 was recorded in the Fall 2024 term.
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Lykins first built the program into a consistent contender in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association, before helping guide the program through a transition to the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2023-24 where they remain a competitive program.
Â
Under Lykins' leadership, the swimming & diving program has produced four recipients of the Janice Brumit Rising Star award at UNC Asheville's Our Turn To Play event. This award is presented annually to one female student-athlete to honor and recognize excellence in leadership within their sport as well as in the UNC Asheville Community. The four team members to earn the award have been Elizabeth Conte in 2018, Katie Brown in 2019, Nora Segurola Larrinaga in 2023 and Riley Edmundson in 2025.
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From Oct. 2020-Jan. 2026, the Bulldogs posted a 16-dual meet home winning streak inside the Justice Center including a pair of unbeaten seasons in 2021-22 (8-0) and 2022-23 (9-0) in dual meet action. In total, Lykins has led the Bulldogs to a 68-52-1 record in dual meets in her tenure including a mark of 32-13-1 in dual meets inside the Justice Center. Lykins has coached one NCAA qualifier, 18 individual podium finishers at conference championships, and 11 podium relay teams. The Bulldogs have also earned numerous weekly Swimmer and Diver of the Week honors within the conferences, while the program has collected numerous individual accolades. The program has also produced a pair of Big South Conference Christenberry Award winners, presented to the student-athletes with the highest grade point average in the conference. Alum Adee Weller, PhD was the first to win the award in 2020, followed by recent graduate Tess Peny in the class of 2026.
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Lykins is also a four-time CCSA Coach of the Year.
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"Congratulations to Coach Elizabeth Lykins for this honor and being recognized for her tenure with our Women's Swimming and Diving program," said Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. "She has grown this program from the start and done a phenomenal job recruiting quality student-athletes to UNC Asheville. We hope she will guide our program for at least another 15 years!"
About Women's Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank
First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.1 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 113 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina and a nationwide SBA platform. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC." Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
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Players Mentioned
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