Julio Zarate ’04
Inducted: 2012
Sport: Swimming
Position: Backstroke, Butterfly, IndividualMedley, Medley Relay
Career Highlights:
Julio graduated as St. Mary’s most decorated male swimmerto ever pass through the Seahawk men’s swimming program; arecord he still held when inducted. As a freshman, hereceived the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) 2001 Rookie of theYear award. He also received the Dave Hayes’98 Team Award twice. This award, named after aformer swimmer and assistant coach, is given to a swimmer whodemonstrates a high-level of commitment at the personal, team andschool levels and possesses traits in and out of the water that thecoaching staff strives to include on Seahawk swim teams. He wouldgo on to be a four-year letter winner and team captain in hisjunior and senior years for the men’s swimming program duringsome of the program’s toughest years when the Seahawks werewithout a pool.
He began his coaching career in high school as an assistantcoach for Curl-Burke Swim Club and Flower Hill Dolphins. In 2003,while still swimming for the Seahawks, he began his collegiatecoaching career as an assistant coach for the Seahawk men’sand women’s swimming team.
Athletic Accomplishments:
At one point during his Seahawk career, Julio owned seven schoolrecords including five he held when he graduated in 2004; 200individual medley, 200 backstroke, 100 butterfly, 200 medley relayand 400 medley relay. He also received the team Most ValuablePlayer honors two times.
He earned eight All-CAC honors including the individual titlefor the 100 and 200 backstroke events in 2001, his freshman year,and his successful defense of the 200 backstroke title in 2002.
Most Memorable Sports Experience at St.Mary’s:
"When our team with 6 scoring members got 2nd overall at the CACChampionship meet. Mary Washington may have won the meet that yearbut they knew who the best team was. They had 18 scoring membersvs. our 6."
Most Missed about Swimming/Coaching for St.Mary’s:
"The relationships. I miss my team tons. Most of my fondestmemories of College revolve around the pool or my team. As forbeing on deck as a coach I miss my daily communication withathletes whose shoes I have been in. Seeing team after team comethrough and watching them grow from freshman to seniors."
Words of Advice for Today’s SeahawkAthlete:
"Enjoy every moment. It ends quickly so learn and grow from thepeople around you. The bonds you make with your teammates are onesthat can last a life time so cherish and cultivate them. As forpractical advice, GO TO CLASS!"
Since St. Mary’s:
After graduation, he continued as the assistant coach for theSeahawk men’s and women’s swimming teams. During thesummers of 2006, 2007 and 2008, he was a member of the LonghornsSwim Camp staff at the University of Texas at Austin. This camp isconsidered by many to be one of the best swim camps in the world.Julio worked alongside the eight-time NCAA Division I Coach of theYear and three-time U.S. Men’s Olympic Team head coach, EddieReese.
In 2007, he took over as head coach with the Chesapeake BayAquatics Club, a USA Swimming year-round competitive swim team.Julio received a fellowship with the American Swim CoachesAssociation in 2008. This fellowship was a year-long mentorship incoaching, aimed at developing the future coaching leaders ofswimming. Each fellow has a year to complete a project designed toadvance the knowledge of the swimming body. Julio’s projectfocused on NCAA swimming and what steps could be taken to protectand preserve college swim programs across the country.
He continued as the assistant coach for Seahawk swimming and thehead coach of the Chesapeake Bay Aquatics Club (CBAC) until summer2014. During his 10-year tenure as a Seahawk assistant swimmingcoach, Julio helped guide the men’s swimming team to sixtop-three finishes at CAC Championship meets including threestraight second-place finishes from 2012-2014 and the women’sswimming team to eight top-three finishes which included sevenconsecutive runner-up titles since 2008. During his final coachingseason with CBAC, his team was the only team with less than 100members to score in the top 10 in total points at the Maryland LSCChampionship meet including a 1-2 finish in the open women’s‘100 fly.’ CBAC women’s 17-18 year old 400 medleyrelay team also broke the Maryland State resident record of3:49.33, a goal the four relay swimmers had been training to beatfor the previous three years.
Involvement in Your Sport Today:
In summer 2014, Julio joined SwimMac Carolina, a Charlotte, N.C.based swimming “center of excellence as the lead senior IIcoach. He works with swimmers ages 15-18. An art major at St.Mary’s, he also is actively pursuing his second passion as anartist.
Other Thoughts/Memories:
"In my senior year we only had 4 men on the team just enough fora relay. It was the lowest point in St. Mary's Swimming history. Wewere at the verge of collapse and if it were notfor Chris Goodman ’04, MattNewcomer ’05, and Tom Lindsay’06 I know I wouldn't have made it through thatyear and who knows if St. Mary's Men's Swimming would still bearound. Those three guys may be the most important members in thehistory of our program. One day SMCM Men will win the conferenceand those athletes will owe so much to the efforts of the Men'steam of 2003-2004. I think people remember that we were without apool for three years but I don't think they remember the peoplethat persevered through it. Chris Goodman, Matt Newcomer, andTom Lindsey should be remembered."
Current as of 9/22/2014
