No stranger to Mid-American Conference swimming, Courtney Kostival is set to begin her fourth season as an assistant coach with the University at Buffalo. Kostival works closely with the distance group, helping two Buffalo swimmers break two of the oldest standing school records in the 1650 freestyle last season.

Kostival spent six seasons at fellow MAC institution Ohio University, swimming for four years and later joining the Bobcat coaching staff as a graduate assistant for the next two years. At Ohio, Kostival worked primarily with the distance swimmers. Kostival is one of three from the UB coaching staff with ties to Ohio University as head coach Andy Bashor was a graduate assistant from 1996-98 and UB assistant coach Aaron Bell served as an Ohio graduate assistant in the 2006-07 season.

While swimming for the Bobcats, the Athens, OH native helped Ohio win the 2001 MAC Championship, the last time that UB’s Alumni Arena Natatorium hosted the MAC Championships. She capped off the 2001 season by being named Ohio’s Most Improved Swimmer.

Kostival swam in the 200, 500 and 1,650-yard freestyle during her time with the Bobcats and was selected to the Academic All-MAC team following her junior season. In her junior season, she was selected to the Academic All-MAC team and earned Ohio’s Tad Potter Award for excellence in leadership following both the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Kostival ended her athletic career with championship finishes in the 500 and 1,650-yard freestyle races at the 2004 MAC Championships.

Kostival received her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Ohio in 2004 and her master’s degree in Coaching Education in 2006.