Ankeny girls’ swimming coach Michelle Stout wanted to leave her program in a good place.
She has certainly done that.
The longtime coach of the Hawkettes has announced her retirement.
“I always knew I wanted to be sure I retired at a time when the team was in a position to succeed after my departure,” said Stout, who has also been an assistant for the Ankeny boys’ squad. “I didn’t want the next coach to be faced with having to rebuild. I believe with the returning talent along with the incoming freshmen that the team is set up for another great season.”
Stout was an assistant under former coach Mark Nordby before taking over the program in 2007. She guided Ankeny to 10 top-10 finishes at the state meet in her 15 seasons as head coach.
The Hawkettes own a current streak of eight straight top-10 finishes.
“One of the remarkable things about coaching is the relationships that are built with students and their families,” Stout said. “The caring and support that I’ve experienced and witnessed is outstanding. There have been a lot of changes to navigate over the years. Our move to Trail Point (Aquatic Center in 2017) brought us a great facility and the addition of a diving team that we sorely needed. Moving to a prelims/finals format for our state meet was also a big change, but one that brought more success to our program.”
Ankeny placed fourth in both 2017-18 before taking third in 2019, its highest finish under Stout. That team was led by standout sprinter Jasmine Rumley, who swept the 50 and 100 freestyle events and was named Iowa’s Swim Athlete of the Year.
During Stout’s tenure, the program produced multiple state champions–both in the individual and relay events. But she said she enjoyed coaching all of her swimmers, not just the elite ones.
“The greatest coaching moments come from seeing kids exceeding their goals,” she said. “Some of these moments came from newer swimmers crushing it at a conference meet. Others came at state meets when kids set school or state records with phenomenal races. Watching kids achieve what they once thought was an impossible dream is an amazing experience. I’ve had the opportunity to coach some of the school’s and the state’s greatest athletes.”
Stout said she plans to spend more time with her family.
“Our children are spread across the country, and my husband (Larry) retired 2 1/2 years ago,” she said. “I’m excited to begin spending more time with them and do some traveling.”
Stout added, however, that she will miss her coaching duties.
“I’ve really enjoyed the many conversations and perspectives of the kids,” she said. “They’ve kept me young, compassionate and have challenged me to grow. I’ll miss those things.”