Spencer Walker was announced Oct. 12 as Fenwick High School’s new boys’ swimming and diving head coach.
Walker comes from Riverside-Brookfield High School, where he was an assistant on the girls’ team. Moreover, he has led two club programs: Academy Bullets Swim Club and Butterfield Country Club.
Walker replaces Joseph Waldorf, who resigned for personal reasons. Waldorf had been hired in August in place of Steve Thompson, who stepped down after two seasons.
“Spencer comes to us with an impressive background and a growing track record of success in Illinois swimming,” said Fenwick aquatics director Beto Garcia in a news release issued by the school. “His passion for the sport and commitment to swimmer development align perfectly with our values and goals for the future of this program.”
A 2018 graduate of Lyons Township High School, Walker helped lead the Lions to back-to-back IHSA state championships in 2016 and 2017. He holds the state record in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 47.22 seconds in the 2018 preliminaries.
Walker also won consecutive individual state titles in the 100 backstroke in 2017 with a time of 48.70 and in 2018 with a time of 48.11. He was named Breakthrough Athlete of the Year by Illinois Swimming in 2017.
Walker swam collegiately at the University of Alabama and qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the backstroke and freestyle.
While at LTHS, Walker was coached by his father, Scott. Scott Walker served as the Lions’ coach for 24 seasons, winning the two aforementioned state championships and coaching seven state championship swimmers before his retirement in 2018.
Scott Walker will join Spencer’s Fenwick staff as an assistant, and Garcia is excited to have him aboard.
“(Scott) Walker’s accolades are tremendous and his reputation as an excellent coach and motivator precede him,” he said. “Together we all will embark on this journey and achieve new heights as a team.”