Savannah College of Art and Design men's and women's swimming coach Scott Rabalais announced Leah Martindale has been named an assistant coach for the Bees.

Martindale comes to SCAD after serving one season as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Florida men's and women's swimming teams last season. Martindale was a four-year standout for the Gators during her career from 1998-2002. She was twice named the co-captain of the swim team at Florida, including the 2002 squad that won the Southeastern Conference. Martindale was named an NCAA All-American 12 times and was named to the SEC Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll four times.

"We are privileged to hire Leah Martindale, who will bring innumerable assets to our men's and women's swimming teams," said Rabalais, who was named the NAIA Women's National Coach of the Year in 2005. "Not only was Leah among the top swimmers in the world in recent years, she has won several leadership awards while serving as captain of one of the nation's top swimming teams. Her strong background in mental training and stroke technique, along with her positive influence, are going to propel our team to even greater heights."

Martindale is no stranger to international competition as she represented Barbados in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. She finished fifth in the women's 50-yard freestyle at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. As a member of the Barbados National Team from 1994-2002, she competed in four World Championships, three Commonwealth Games, two Pan American Games and in one Pan Pacific Games. She was named the Barbados Female Sportsperson of the Year three times from 1995-97 and the Caribbean Sports Personality of the Year in 1997.

Martindale earned her bachelor's degree in psychology in 2002 and her master's degree in sports psychology in 2005 from Florida.