In a press release, Feb. 20, Fenwick High School announced that Brigitte Kusevskis will become the new aquatics director, July 1. Moreover, Kusevskis will become assistant athletic director for girls sports.
Kusevskis, whose last name as a student was Bayster, was part of the first class of girls to enroll at Fenwick in 1992 and graduated in 1996. She was a standout in the pool for the Friars, both swimming and water polo. In swimming, she qualified for state all four years in the 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay, and 400 freestyle relay. She was a sectional champion in the 100 backstroke in 1993 and received Honorable Mention All-State honors the same year.
Her water polo accomplishments are even more impressive. She made the All-State First Team all four seasons, was a three-time First Team All-American from 1994-1996 and was named Illinois Player of the Year in 1996. For her achievements, Kusevskis was inducted into the Illinois Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2011.
Following Fenwick, she went to Villanova University. With the Wildcats, she was an Academic All-American and the program’s all-time career leader in steals. Kusevskis also ranks in the top 10 career-wise for Villanova in assists (second), points (fifth), and goals (seventh). Furthermore, she has single-season records for assists (1999) and steals (1998-2000). She starred on the international level as well on the U.S. Junior National team from 1996-1999 and competed in the Pan American Games and North American Games in 1997 and 1999.
Upon graduation, she returned to the Chicago area and began coaching. She started at Stevenson in 2001 and helped the Patriots finish fourth at state, then on to Palatine in 2002, guiding the boys water polo team to three sectional titles. Then she came back to Fenwick in 2005 and had immediate success in swimming and girls water polo. In swimming, she helped lead the boys to third place at state in 2006 and the girls to third in 2009 and runner-up in 2011.
With girls water polo as an assistant to Jack Wagner, she helped the Friars win six state titles (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014). Fenwick was state runner-up in 2007 and reached the quarterfinals in 2010.
Kusevskis returned to Stevenson in 2015 and became assistant boys water polo coach, her current coaching position. She helped steer the Patriots to two state championships (2017 and 2021) and four state runner-up finishes (2015, 2016, 2023, and 2024).
Besides her coaching accomplishments, Kusevskis has served in several teaching and school leadership positions. In her previous stay at Fenwick, she started as a social studies teacher, then became department chair, assistant dean, and Dean of Students. Since 2021, Kusevskis has been Dean of Students at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart.
Kusevskis has a bachelor’s degree in Science and Education from Villanova, a master’s in Educational Administration from Dominican University, and a PhD in Educational Leadership from Cardinal Stritch University. She and her husband Michael have two children. Son Olin attends the Air Force Academy and plays water polo for the Falcons, while daughter Elsa is a senior at Stevenson who will play water polo collegiately at Augustana College and major in accounting.