Girls’ Swimming

Program Overview

In 1977, the Poly Prep Girls’ Swim team began competing for the first time. From the home base of their historic pool, the Poly girls have had an impact in the Ivy Prep League, Easterns Championships, and NYSAIS competitions over the years. Fiona Greig ’97 established records that stood for years before heading off to Stanford, while Courtney Nolan ’08 pushed the team to an Ivy Prep League title with a thrilling last-second victory as a senior. In recent years, the program has been led by former international medalists Nikolay Shevchenko (Russia) and Alexander Protsenko (Ukraine). Coming off the girls’ second-place showing in the Ivy Prep League in 2020, the coaches will continue  to implement rigorous and progressive training protocols. 

• Mary Quin Roller ‘22 – Double Champion in the 50 and 100 Freestyle. Mary Quin set up a new Poly Prep record on 100 Freestyle as well
• Samantha Chan ‘21, Malia Freedhand ‘20, Olivia Harrison ‘21, and Mary Quin Roller ‘22 – 3rd place in the 200 Medley Relay
• Elektra Urbatsch ‘23 – Finalist in the 100 Free in the final and finals in 50 Free
• Maia Steiner ‘24 – Finalist in the 50 Free and the 100 Fly Final
• Naomi Levey ‘20 -3rd Place in the 500 Free
• Max Coplin ‘20 – Finalists in the 500 Free
• Bess Hort ‘23 – Finalists in the 500 Free
• Emily Fountaine ‘20 and Darby Steininger ‘21 – Finalist in the 100 Back Final
• Malia Freedhand ’20 – Finalist on 200 IM and 100 Breaststroke
• Eliza Manny ’23 – Finalist in the 200 Free

Girls’ Swimming Coaches

Nikolay Shevchenko
Co-Head Coach

Business Phone: (347) 927-7722
Education: The City University of New York, College of Staten Island, BS; Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University “V. P. Astafyev”

Nikolay Shevchenko found his athletic calling upon being introduced to swimming before he could walk. He became a junior nationals finalist in Russia and, tempted by the idea of life in the United States, embarked on an All-American career at the CUNY College of Staten Island. Following through on another dream, Shevchenko in 2009 founded Avantis Swimming Academy (later Freedom Aquatics), an instructional school that grew to include a USA swimming competitive club team and multiple facilities in the NY-NJ area, while bringing fellow swim coach Alexander Protsenko into his life. The duo arrived at Poly together in 2018, and have since set about imparting their methodology on the student-athletes that Shevchenko describes as “getting better and better every year.” 

Coaching Career Highlights:

• Selected Coach for 2019 USA Swimming Leadership Summit at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO
• Metropolitan Swimming’s Must Watch Age Group Coach of the Year (2016 – 2017 Season)
• Active Member of Metropolitan Swimming Strategic Planning Committee
• Riverbank Redtails International Invitational Coach Award 2014
• Honorable Mention Leadership Award 2015
• Trained and prepared numerous athletes who qualified for Division I, II  and III Colleges NCAA championships. Junior and Senior National Championships

Coaching Experience:

• USA Swimming Certified Coach Since 2012
• Member of American Swimming Coaches Association
• Selected Metro Zone Team Coach of 2014, 2015, 2016
• Selected Coach for Metro All Stars Training Camp 2014 under the guidance of Olympic Coach Sergio Lopez Miro and Olympic Swimmer Peter VanderKaay
• Selected Coach for Metro Annual Outreach Swimming Clinic 2014 with Olympic Swimmers Doug Lennox and Brett Fraiser
• Selected Coach for Brackin Elite Training Best Swim Camp 2015 under the guidance of Olympic Coaches Dave Durden and Kim Brackin
• Selected Coach for 4UElite Swimming Clinic with Megan Romano 2018

Swimming Achievements as an athlete:

• NCAA All – American (2007 – 2011),
• ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference): Champion and Records Holder (2008 – 2009)
• CUNY (City University of New York): Nominated CUNY Scholar-Athlete of the year (2011), Athlete of the Year in the sport of Men’s Swimming (2009 – 2011)
• Russian Junior Nationals Finalist
• US and Russian Nationals Qualifier

Alexander Protsenko
Co-Head Coach

Business Phone: (917) 983-3777
Education: Drury University, MS; University of Ukraine, MS

Picking up swimming at the age of seven, the Ukrainian-born Protsenko soon began excelling in the pool. He became a three-time Ukranian national champion, earning a silver medal at the 2007 European championships, before carrying that excellence to a record-setting run at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. From a volunteer coaching position at his alma mater, Protsenko continued his coaching pursuits at the Boys’ Club of New York in Flushing, Queens, until joining Nikolay Shevchenko at Avantis Swimming Academy (now Freedom Aquatics) in 2011.

Career Highlights:

• 12х NCAA All American
• 5x NCAA Division II Champion
• NCAA Division II team and individual and relay record holder
• 3x Ukrainian National Champion
• Silver Medal European Championships
• Olympic Candidate 2008 Ukrainian National Swim Team

Swimming Facilities

The Poly Prep Boys’ and Girls’ Swim teams train in our on-campus pool.