The Eastside Catholic Crusaders girls swim team will have new leader in the pool during the 2018-19 school year.

Gabby Lindblad, who coached the Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School swim team in San Luis Obispo, California, for the past two years, will lead the Crusaders girls swim squad. Eastside Catholic School announced the hiring of Lindblad in a press release on Aug. 10.

Lindlbad, who graduated from Kennedy Catholic High School, attended college at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where she was on a swim scholarship. During her collegiate career, she was a top-eight finalist every year in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference and had top-eight finishes in the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the Arena Invitational.

Lindblad was also a team captain during her junior and senior seasons. She graduated from Cal Poly with a bachelor of science degree in applied nutrition.

“We are thrilled to have Gabby Lindblad join our EC family,” Eastside Catholic Athletic Director Jeremy Thielbahr said in a press release. “She has clearly had success as an athlete herself and is passionate about growing her sport. We are confident she will do a great job of building our swim program and will have our team competing at a very high level.”

Lindblad is thrilled to become part of the Crusaders family.

“I am excited to continue my coaching career at Eastside Catholic. I look forward to working with great student-athletes and coaching them not only to be better swimmers, but also better teammates and leaders,” Lindblad said in a press release.