Sigitas Rudokas enters his 17th season as head men’s and women’s swimming coach at SUNY Old Westbury. During his tenure, the Panthers have set nine Skyline Conference records while advancing to compete in the NCAA and ECAC Championships. Rudokas’ swimmers have earned three SUNY Chancellor’s Scholar Athlete awards, an honor given for combined academic excellence and outstanding athletic achievement.
The 2013-14 season was highlighted by the programs second-consecutive Skyline Conference Swimmer of the Year honors (Bryan Woodhead). Old Westbury totaled three first place finishes and three second-place finishes at the Skyline Conference Championships. Old Westbury claimed the Skyline Conference men's swimming record in the 100-yard breaststroke event.
In 2012-13, Old Westbury made a return trip to the ECAC Championships, where the Panthers competed in four events (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard medley relay). At the Skyline Conference Championships, Old Westbury combined to rack up victories in five races to earn All-Skyline Conference First-Team honors and finishing second in one event to claim Second-Team laurels. Sophomore Bryan Woodhead collected Skyline Conference Co-Men's Swimmer of the Year.
Old Westbury placed second in the 2011-12 Skyline Conference Men's Swimming Championships, highlighted by four All-Skyline Conference First-Team selections to go along with one Second-Team honor. Woodhead was named Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year, Old Westbury's second straight honor. Old Westbury also made their second straight trip to the ECAC Championships, where they placed 20th. On the women's side, Old Westbury earned a trio of All-Skyline Conference Second-Team laurels as the team placed fifth at the Skyline Conference Championships.
The 2010-11 season in the Skyline Conference marked a milestone for both the Panthers and Rudokas. Rudokas was named the Skyline Conference Men’s Coach of the Year in 2010-11 for his efforts in guiding the squad to a second-place finish in the Skyline Conference Championships. In 2010-11, Rudokas made postseason trips to the ECAC and NCAA Championships, where Old Westbury finished in 15th and 35th place, respectively. The Skyline Conference named 14 members of both squads to the 2010-11 Academic Honor Roll.
Rudokas also helped develop newcomer Michael Gavrilchin, who was named 2010-11 Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year and went on to earn All-American status in four events. Gavrilchin also captured the ECAC Championship in the 100 Butterfly and finished second in the 100 Backstroke.
Old Westbury currently holds Skyline Conference records for men’s swimming in the 50-yard freestyle (21.28), 100-yard freestyle (47.15), 100-yard breaststroke (59.24), 100-yard backstroke (50.58), 100-yard butterfly (50.12), 50-yard backstroke (23.37) and 50-yard butterfly (24.13) events.
Coach Rudokas arrived with an impressive list of athletic and coaching achievements to Old Westbury, his first collegiate coaching assignment.
During his international athletic career, Rudokas was Breaststroke Champion of the Soviet Union (1966, 1967), held numerous Lithuanian National Breastroke Records (1964-1968) and was named European Swimmer of the Year in 1967.
Rudokas was also head coach of the national swim team of Lithuania and an assistant for the national team of the Soviet Union. During eight years as Aquatics Club Team Coach at Christopher Morley Swimming Facility in Roslyn, New York, Rudokas trained Senior National and Olympic qualifying swimmers as well as Special Olympic athletes.
Coach Rudokas is a graduate of the Central Moscow Institute of Physical Culture and Sports Training (Masters Degree Equivalent). He is certified by American Swimming Coach Association, United States Swimming (Level 4), United States Masters Swimming and is trained and certified in CPR.
