GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado University athletic department hired Vickie Fellows earlier this week as the Mountaineers' head women's swimming and diving coach.
 
Fellows comes to Gunnison after living in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she owned, managed and coached the Vipers of Albuquerque Swim Team since 2009. She coaches over 150 athletes in a complex range of strokes and abilities. Ninety-eight percent of her graduates went on and swam at the collegiate level spanning every division all across the country.
 
"Mountaineer Athletics is excited to announce Vickie Fellows as our next head women's swimming and diving coach," Western Colorado University Director of Athletics Miles Van Hee said. "Vickie stood out among the other candidates with her diverse background and skill set that will allow her to succeed here at Western. Vickie's experience that she brings to Western and the relationships she has built in the swimming community with will give her an upper hand in recruiting, allowing her to elevate our swimming and diving program in both the pool and community. We are confident she's going to be an outstanding fit for our department and leader for our Mountaineer swimming and diving program."

On top of owning, managing and coaching the Vipers of Albuquerque Swim Team, she was also the head coach of the Cibola High School swim team for the past three years. Vickie also owns multiple businesses in Albuquerque and Taos Ski Valley.
 
"I am humbled to have been selected for the position of head coach for the Western Colorado Women's Swim & Dive program," Fellows said. "I am excited to be a part of such a prestigious athletic program and University. I bring a very diversified background and knowledge of the sport and can't wait to add to the success of the team."
 
The Western Colorado swimming and diving season is scheduled to officially start on Oct. 9, as the Mountaineers will travel to CSU Pueblo to compete against the Thunderwolves of CSU Pueblo and the Grizzlies of Adams State.