Coach Jessica Stoddard is entering her 21st year of high school coaching and her 9th season leading the Detroit Catholic Central Swimming & Diving program. A former 6-time NCAA All-American and 7-time High School All-American, Stoddard has elevated CC into one of Michigan’s premier programs since her arrival in 2017.
Under her leadership, the Shamrocks have captured four consecutive CHSL Championships and four Oakland County Championships, while achieving the program’s highest-ever finish at the MHSAA State Finals (2nd in 2019). Catholic Central entered the 2020 postseason in state title contention before the season ended early. The team has remained among the state’s elite, placing 4th in 2021, 8th in both 2022 and 2023, 3rd in 2024, and 5th in 2025.
A recognized sprint specialist, Stoddard has coached some of the fastest athletes in Michigan history. Her teams have broken 8 school records, 8 CHSL records, and 2 Oakland County records while producing 22 State Champions, 141 All-State honors, and 46 All-American recognitions.
Among her standouts is Mario McDonald ’20, a state champion and 9-time High School All-American who went on to become the first Michigander to break 19.00 in the 50 freestyle and earned 4-time NCAA All-American honors at The Ohio State University.
Other notable Shamrocks include:
• Luke Mychalowych ’24 (University of Minnesota), a 3-time MHSAA State Champion and 5-time All-American.
• Camren Turowski ’27 (Ohio State commit), who earned Dream Team honors in the 50 and 100 freestyle and became the youngest Shamrock to earn High School All-American status. By the conclusion of his sophomore season in 2025, he had earned 5 High School All-American recognitions.
In total, 18 of Stoddard’s athletes have continued on to compete at the collegiate level.
Her teams have been just as successful academically, earning eight consecutive Academic All-State and Academic All-American Team honors, highlighted by a 2021 team GPA of 3.92. She was named the Boys Zone 2 Coach of the Year in 2020.
Before joining Catholic Central, Stoddard served as the head coach for the Walled Lake Northern girls’ program beginning in 2006. She led the Lady Knights to 11 City Championships, six straight KLAA North Division titles, and a Lakes Valley Conference runner-up finish. Her swimmers earned 11 Academic All-State and 7 Academic All-American team honors, with 17 advancing to collegiate programs.
A Pennsylvania native, Stoddard was a standout sprint freestyler, winning a PIAA state title in the 50 freestyle, placing 4th at Nationals twice, and earning 8 All-State, 7 High School All-American, and 6 NCAA Division II All-American honors. She was a Big Ten finalist, U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, and a U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete recipient.
With more than two decades of coaching experience, Stoddard is dedicated to developing scholar-athletes both in and out of the pool. She has served on the MHSAA Swimming & Diving Executive Committee and continues to be a model of championship culture, leadership, and excellence within the Detroit Catholic Central community.
