Head synchronized swimming coach Kimberly Wurzel-Lo Porto has been with the UIW program for over a decade and continues to put forth an excellent product year in and year out. Overall, she has led the Cardinals to seven South Collegiate Regional Championships.
She was named the 2012 United States Synchronized Swimming Coach of the Year and is on the ballot for the USOC Coach of the Year Award.
LoPorto has led the Cardinals to a pair of top national finishes over the past two seasons. In 2011, the squad finished third at the NCAA Collegiate National Championships. The 2012 season ended up being the best in school history with a Runner-Up finish to 26-time national champion Ohio State. Three Cardinals were named to the 2012 All-NCAA Division II/NAIA Collegiate Team.
She guided the 2010 team to a third place finish at the Collegiate and National Championships.
Lo Porto was born in Santa Clara, California, and moved to San Antonio in 2001 when UIW offered her the head coaching position in exchange for getting her education. During the time she earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology & Sociology, she also worked with Sea World as part of the VIVA show, working with beluga whales professionally.
Incarnate Word pursued Lo Porto to start its synchro program based on her excellent resume that covered her 16 year career in the pool. She is a 2000 Olympian, a five-time National champion, a six-time Senior National Team member, a two-time Junior National Team athlete, an eight-time All American and the Athlete of the Year in USA Synchro in 2000.
When she arrived at UIW, she started the new program from scratch with just three swimmers with novice to beginner levels of experience. Within four years, the Cardinals were ranked 6th in the country, collegiately, and in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 season, UIW finished third at nationals behind Stanford and Ohio State.
During her time at Incarnate Word, Lo Porto has placed six swimmers on the Senior National Team to represent the United States. Additionally, she has been the assistant coach for Senior National Team 2 in 2006 and 2008 and was the head coach for the Junior National Team in 2009 and 2010 – taking the Juniors to the Junior World Championships this past summer. Two of her former athletes are currently on the World/Pan American Senior Team in UIW alumni Lyssa Wallace and Danielle Kramer, with both ladies having a chance to represent the United State in the 2012 Olympics.
Kim is married to Brandon Lo Porto and they have three children, Jordyn, Madilynn and Brad.
