Varsity Girls Swimming & Diving

Jeff Thompson has developed a simple, four-word motto over nearly two decades as a swimming coach: Grit. Resilience. Reliability. Ownership. These simple but powerful words guide Thompson’s vision as a swimmer, coach, teacher, and administrator.

Thompson wrapped his ninth year at the helm in 2022-23. During his time at GA, Thompson was helped produce 31 All-Americans.

In 2022-23, GA repeated as undefeated Inter-Ac champions and Easterns champions. In addition Taylor Grimley '24 was named league MVP and Easterns' Outstanding Female Swimmer of the Meet.

2021-22 was his eighth season at the helm for Germantown Academy. During the season, Thompson helped lead the girls swimming & diving team to a first-place finish at Easterns, the teams first since 2015. GA also won the combined team title in 2022, the school's first title since Easterns started presenting the award in 2019. Thompson also guided the Patriots to an undefeated record in dual meets and an Inter-Ac League Championship.

In 2019-20, Thompson helped lead GA to a 6th place finish at Easterns. The team went 5-3 in dual meets and had four swimmers and one diver named to the All-League Team.

During the 2018-19 season, Thompson led GA to a third-place finish at Easterns and a 7-2 dual meet record. The Patriots had two First-Team All-League swimmers and four athletes on the Second-Team.

In the 2017-18 season, Thompson helped the GA girls swimming team to a fifth-place finish at Easterns. He coached five All-League Swimmers, four Easterns champions, two Inter-Ac League champions and one All-American during the year.

Thompson led GA to a 7-2 overall record and a third-place finish at Easterns in 2016-17. The Patriots had seven representatives on the All-League team.

In 2015-16, his second year in Fort Washington, Thompson guided the Patriots to a 7-1 dual meet record and a third-place finish at Easterns. Five swimmers were named to the All-League team.

In his first season at the helm, Thompson helped the Patriots win the Inter-Ac League and Easterns, their fifth consecutive title. GA had eight athletes named to the All-League team.

Before coming to GA in fall 2014, Thompson spent 17 years as a USA Swimming Coach for the Terre Haute Torpedoes (IN) and 15 years as the head coach of the Terre Haute South Vigo High School boys’ and girls’ swim teams. With the Torpedoes, Thompson helped grow the club from 60 to 300 swimmers of all ages, as well as developed a learn-to-swim program and a Masters’ swim team. He has developed and mentored state champions, junior and senior national qualifiers, and sent swimmers to compete successfully at Division I colleges and universities. As the head coach of Vigo High School, Thompson led the team to its first boys’ sectional title in February 2010, while the girls’ team enjoyed 15 consecutive winning seasons. He also has experience in the planning, financing and building of two new pools in the Terre Haute area.

Thompson earned his Master of Science degree in coaching from Indiana State University and a bachelor’s degree in math education from the same school. Thompson, who swam competitively at University of Illinois, Urbana, also earned a bachelor’s degree from the school in civil engineering.

In addition to his posts as Director of Aquatics and Head Coach for the GA varsity swim program and the Germantown Academy Aquatic Club (GAAC), Thompson also teaches 5th Grade math in GA’s Lower School.

(Updated: March 2023)

Matthew Cox knows GA's swimming tradition well. He joined GAAC in 2002 and swam GA Varsity for four years. Cox was a member of two Easterns Championship teams (2005 and 2006). As a senior, Matt was Easterns champion in the 200 IM, placed second in the 500 and was part of GA's winning 200 freestyle relay team. Cox was a nine-time All-American and a two-time winner of the Luis B. Spealer MVP award. He qualified for Senior Nationals in the 200 IM. Matt went on to swim varsity at Penn State University, specializing in the butterfly and IM events. He currently has the sixth fastest time in Penn State history for the 400 IM.

After completing a B.S. in Kinesiology, Cox coached at Upper Merion Aquatic Club (where he started his swimming career) before joining GA as an assistant coach in 2013. He coached stroke mechanics and dryland training with the senior group athletes as well as the water polo team. As Head Age Group Coach, Matt designs and oversees the training and competitions of the age group program, ensuring that the needs of all athletes are met. He has ASCA Level 2 certification. Matt has coached over 15 Junior Olympic qualifiers and two age group swimmers ranked in the top 10 in the nation.

Henninger is the Head Diving Coach at his alma mater, Germantown Academy. After graduating in 2007, he competed for the University of California, Berkeley where he helped the Bears win the NCAA Division I Team Title in 2011.

Henninger's accomplishments include being a Junior Olympic and Senior National Qualifier, PAC 10 Finalist, GA Record Holder, NCAA Qualifier, Inter-Academic League Record Holder. He also has five years of Junior Olympic coaching experience (Centennial Diving) and has spent two summers working with John Wingfield (2008 Olympic Head Diving Coach) along with various Olympic, collegiate, and international coaches at Ripfest Diving Camp in Indiana. Tom is fully certified and safety trained through USA Diving, USA Swimming, American Red Cross, and Amateur Athletic Union.