Coaches - Evanston Masters Swimming

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Craig Strong
Craig Strong has been coaching competitive swimming at various levels for over 25 years, including USA Swimming, US Masters and NCAA swimming. As well as having athletes compete at National level events, Craig has been very fortunate to have coached three athletes to successful crossings of the English Channel. Most recently, he has focused on his business, Precision Multisport, located in Evanston. Precision Multisport helps athletes of all ages and ability levels in strength and conditioning, swimming, running, Triathlon and many other sports and activities. Craig lives in Evanston with his wife and two sons, both of which swim for the McGaw YMCA swim team.

Kirk Bennewitz

Kirk attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette. He swam and played water polo there. He achieved High School All American and Illinois All State status for swimming. He was awarded a four year full scholarship for swimming at Villanova University which competed in NCAA Division One.

After two years at Villanova he transferred to Loyola University in Chicago where he was awarded a full scholarship to play NCAA D1 water polo. While at Loyola he was a member of the first water polo team outside of California to finish in the top 8 in the NCAA D1 Water Polo Championships. Loyola placed 5^th and 6^th in those championships during the two years Kirk played.

He is a local Evanston Dentist who returned to swimming in 1985 as a Masters swimmer as a member of the Evanston WildCatfish. He is in his 33^rd year as a member of the Catfish. He has participated in all but 4 CMSA/ILMSA State Championships witnessing 24 Catfish State Championship Titles.

In his time on the team Kirk has not only been a swimmer, he has held every board position at one time or another and a couple more than once. He has also stepped up to Co Head Coach in 2003 when the team’s entire coaching staff resigned suddenly. The WildCatfish handily won the ILMSA state championship that year with a record number of high point scorers.