PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Victor Penaloza has been named the new head coach of Pace University's men's and women's swimming and diving programs, Director of Athletics Mark Brown announced on Tuesday.

"I am very happy to announce that Victor will become our new full-time swimming and diving coach here at Pace University," said Brown. "Victor has been a part-time assistant coach here for a few years now and I'm excited to expand his responsibility to the leadership role in this program. His technique work with our current swimmers has been a significant benefit to the student-athletes, and his connections to the local swimming community made him stand out in a very strong pool of candidates."

After serving as a volunteer coach for the Setters for four years, Penaloza was made an assistant coach this past season, and now fully takes the reins of both squads.

"My journey as a Setter started in 2017 as a volunteer coach," said Penaloza. "I never imagined how much I would fall in love with this program. Now, as the new head coach, I am deeply honored and humbled to begin this new chapter with Pace swimming and diving. I am excited to see how far we can go as a team. The best is yet to come."

Penaloza has led young men and women in the pool since his days as a lifeguard instructor at the YMCA back in 2000, where he worked his way into becoming the head swim instructor, then the manager on duty, and finally the head coach of the swim team which he helped to co-found.

A molder of more than 30 national-level swimmers, Penaloza helped guide both Pace squads to sixth-place finishes at the NE10 championships this past season. He was also a member of the Setters' coaching staff during the men's team's best-ever finish of third place at the 2019 NE10 Championships.  

Just as important as his Pace student-athletes' successes in the water, a Setter swimmer or diver has won the NE10 Elite 24 Award for the highest GPA in the conference every season that Penaloza has been with the program.

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