STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford head coach Megan Abarca is set to join the coaching staff ahead of the 2024 Olympics, USA Artistic Swimming announced on Wednesday. Abarca's appointment as assistant coach with the USA Artistic Swimming senior team will begin following the conclusion of the 2024 collegiate artistic swimming season.
Abarca, alongside fellow newly-appointed coach Hiea-Yoon Kang will work directly with the senior national team head coach Andrea Fuentes, high performance director and assistant coach, Lara Teixeira, acrobatics coach Victor Cano and the support staff at USAAS training facilities in Los Angeles, CA.
"I'm thrilled to welcome our new assistant coaches, Megan and Hiea-Yoon, to the team," said USA Artistic Swimming head coach Andrea Fuentes. "Megan's remarkable professionalism from Stanford University has already earned my respect, and I can't wait to have such a professional person who genuinely cares about our journey by our side. Equally exciting is Hiea-Yoon's technical expertise; I anticipate a significant improvement in our execution under her guidance. I value unity in a team, and it all begins with the coaching staff. Bringing on coaches born and raised in the United States adds an extra layer of excitement, contributing to the team's culture and strength. It's an exciting phase ahead, and I can't wait to witness the positive impact they'll make!"
Outside of her career at Stanford, Abarca has most recently served USAAS as the junior national team head coach. In 2022 she lead the team to a very strong showing at world championships. She has also served as the head and assistant coach on multiple age group national teams.
On The Farm, Abarca has built Stanford into a premier university for Artistic Swimming. Over the last three seasons, Stanford has claimed one national championship and two runner-up finishes under her leadership. She's also helped produce national team member Jacklyn Luu, who will be competing with team USA this summer.
Abarca will serve as an assistant coach with USA Artistic Swimming through the conclusion of the senior team's season, at which point she will return to Stanford.