Coach Jessica Stoddard, a former 6-time NCAA All-American and 7-time High School All-American, is entering her 21st year of high school coaching and her 9th season leading the Detroit Catholic Central Swimming & Diving program. Since joining the Shamrocks in 2017, she has elevated CC into one of Michigan’s premier programs.
Under her leadership, the Shamrocks captured four consecutive CHSL Championships, three Oakland County Championships, and achieved the program’s highest-ever finish at the MHSAA State Finals—2nd place in 2019. CC was also poised for a state title in 2020 before the season was cut short. The team has remained among the state’s elite, finishing 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 standout athletes is Mario McDonald, a state champion and All-American who went on to become the first Michigander to break 19 seconds in the 50 freestyle and an NCAA All-American at The Ohio State University. Other notable Shamrocks include Luke Mychalowych (University of Minnesota) and Camren Turowski (Ohio State commit), earning Dream Team honors in the 50 and 100 freestyle. In total, 18 of her athletes have advanced to compete at the collegiate level.
Her teams are just as successful academically, earning 8 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 CC, Stoddard served as the head coach for the Walled Lake Northern girls’ program beginning in 2006, leading the Lady Knights to 11 City Championships, six straight KLAA North Division titles, and a runner-up finish in the Lakes Valley Conference. Her swimmers earned 11 Academic All-State and 7 Academic All-American team honors, with 17 moving on to collegiate programs and multiple achieving All-State and All-American honors.
A Pennsylvania native, Stoddard was a standout sprint freestyler, winning a PIAA state title in the 50-yard freestyle, placing 4th at Nationals twice, and earning 8 All-State, 7 All-American, and 6 NCAA All-American honors. A former Michigan State and Clarion University swimmer, she was also a Big Ten finalist, U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, and U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete recipient.
With more than two decades of experience, Coach Stoddard has devoted her life to developing scholar-athletes both in and out of the pool. She currently serves on the MHSAA Swimming & Diving Executive Committee and continues to be a model of championship character, leadership, and excellence for the Detroit Catholic Central community.
