“I was eager for an opportunity to lead a program,” said Jornd. “Not having a personal connection to Fenwick and being daunted by its storied history of swimming and diving excellence, I was apprehensive to apply. However, after meeting with [athletic director] Scott Thies and [aquatics director] Beto Garcia, I felt it was the perfect […]
“I was eager for an opportunity to lead a program,” said Jornd. “Not having a personal connection to Fenwick and being daunted by its storied history of swimming and diving excellence, I was apprehensive to apply. However, after meeting with [athletic director] Scott Thies and [aquatics director] Beto Garcia, I felt it was the perfect fit. Our goals aligned, and I knew Fenwick was where I wanted to be.”
Jornd, who brings 13 years of coaching experience to Fenwick, spent the previous five seasons at Glenbrook North as an assistant coach for the Spartans’ boys team. A native of Sevierville, Tennessee, he swam for Sevier County High School, then joined the swimming club at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
For the second consecutive season, the Fenwick High School boys swimming and diving team is under the guidance of a new head coach. Justin Jornd is in his debut season. He is the program’s third head coach in as many seasons. Jornd replaced Spencer Walker who replaced former coach Steve Thompson, who led Fenwick the previous three seasons.
Upon graduation from Tennessee in 2012, he coached at the Tennessee School for the Deaf for four years, then moved to the Chicago area in 2017 and served an assistant age group and senior coach for two years. In addition to his coaching duties at Fenwick, Jornd is a volunteer coach at the University of Illinois Chicago.
With all the transitions the Friars have been through, Jornd was concerned about how well the program’s veterans would respond to another coaching change. But he says they have been accepting.
“I worried that the lack of stability might have discouraged the team,” Jornd said, “but they welcomed me with open arms and embraced the new training philosophy — especially the weight room. The veteran varsity swimmers played a critical role in helping the team buy into the program, and I’m incredibly grateful for their leadership.”
Fenwick has nine seniors: George Grant, Thomas Helt, Jack Kupiec, Miguel Mendez, Eddy Miljanovic, Matteo Morelli, Finnbar Munley, Thaddeus Turek, and Mark Yungerman. Juniors Michael Neumann, Jack Posluszny, and Patrick Rhatigan, in Jornd’s words, “lead by example in practices and meets, consistently working hard and motivating their teammates.”
The Friars have received valuable contributions from freshmen Aaron Diaz, Hugo Gibson, and Sean Soriano.
“They’ve earned spots on the varsity and have stepped up to fill the gaps left by last year’s seniors,” Jornd said.
Fenwick is 2-0 in dual meets, including an 100-80 victory over Oak Park and River Forest High on Dec. 10.
“We’ve also had strong performances at several invites, and are excited to tackle the rest of the schedule with the same gusto,” said Jornd.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the program’s postseason expectations. The Friars anticipate competing for the Metro Catholic Aquatic Conference championship next month and being one of the favorites at a sectional they’ll host.
“Our primary goal is to swim as fast as possible,” Jornd said. “We’re positioned for a strong finish, aiming for an undefeated dual meet record and impressive showings at conference and sectionals. The key to success lies in maintaining the grit and determination that have defined this team all season.”
