Indiana State University Athletics

Josh Christensen enters his eighth season coaching the Sycamore swimming and diving team heading into the 2025-26 year.

Under Christensen's leadership, Indiana State just recorded one of its most successful seasons in program history over 2024-25. The Sycamores won the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championships scoring a program-record 1,440.5 points in claiming the first MVC Championship in program history. The Sycamores trailed by 10 points heading into the conference final day, but strong performances in all events, including five individual event winners and the 400-yard Freestyle Relay title guided the Sycamores to the 109.5-point win over Southern Illinois (1331) to take the team title.
 
The Sycamores continued their postseason success this spring as Indiana State posted its highest finish in program history at the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA)'s National Invitational Championship. Indiana State finished ninth overall at the CSCAA NIC accumulating 334 points. A program-record 14 Sycamores finished inside the Top 20, advancing to either the A-Final or B-Finals over the three days including Top Five finishes in the 1000 Free (Erin Cummins), 1650 Free (Claire Parsons), and 400 Free Relay.

Christensen and the Sycamores had another solid year over the 2023-24 season as Indiana State finished second overall at the 2024 MVC Championships. The Sycamores scored 1294.5 total points highlighted by Claire Parsons being named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. Indiana State had 14 athletes earn All-Conference recognition over the four-day event. The season was highlighted by Indiana State sending two divers to the NCAA Zone C Qualifiers including Zoe Smith and Bailey Betzer, while four different athletes advanced to CSCAA event finals with Dorotea Bukvic (200 Breast), Ali Pearson (50 Breast), Kaleigh Kelley (100 IM, 50 Fly), and Alexandria Cotter (400 IM) all qualified.
 
The Sycamores took the program to new heights in the 2022-23 season as the Indiana State finished an ISU-best second overall at the 2023 MVC Championships to remain one of the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference. Indiana State continues to rewrite the record book as the Sycamores set 13 new records over the course of the season, while ISU had 16 All-Conference recognitions at the MVC Championships. The season was highlighted by the first ISU diver (Zoe Smith) to ever compete at the NCAA Zones, while Marni Gray became the first ISU swimmer to advance to three different CSCAA National Invitational event finals.

Christensen guided the Sycamores to their fourth consecutive top-three finish during his tenure at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships this past spring as Indiana State continues to sit among the conference's top teams in the pool. ISU rewrote the record book throughout the year with 14 records falling throughout the entirety of the 2021-22 season, including four coming at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships.

The Sycamores were again in the top-three in the shortened 2020-21 season at the MVC Championships. The Sycamores were paced by a trio of All-Conference selections, while nine additional players earned MVC Honorable Mention honors.

Indiana State boasted 13 All-Conference performers in another top-three showing at the 2020 MVC Championships. The Sycamores were paced by four athletes finishing in the top-three in their events to highlight the year.

ISU finished in the top-three in Christensen's first season with the Sycamores. Indiana State boasted 12 All-Conference performers in the 2019-20 year with seven athletes finishing in the top three in their respective events.

Over his coaching career at Indiana State, Christensen boasts a 35-17 overall record in dual meet competition and a 13-7 mark in MVC competition during the regular season. The Sycamores have garnered 50 All-Conference accolades with 12 coming this past season.

Christensen came to Indiana State from Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, Calif., following a national search. Christensen oversaw the men's and women's swimming and diving teams while at Fresno Pacific, turning the programs into national contenders in NCAA Division II.

While in college, Christensen married his wife Jenny, an NCAA All-American swimmer at Ouachita Baptist University who was part of an NCAA-record setting relay team and still owns the OBU school record in the 100 breaststroke. Jenny was also an Indiana age group state champion. The couple has three sons named Levi (5), Finn (2) and Axel (1).

During the 2017-18 season, Christensen led the women to a fourth place finish and the men to an eighth place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships, the highest-ever result for both teams. The women were the highest finisher of all West Region teams, and it was the second consecutive season both teams finished in the NCAA top-10. Fresno Pacific athletes earned 42 All-American honors at the NCAA Championships. Both teams also placed second at the Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference Championships.

In 2016-17, Christensen led the men and women to ninth and 10th place finishes at the NCAA Division II Championships, while both programs were also the top finishers out of all West Region schools and were one of six programs in the nation to both achieve top-10 finishes. During the meet, the team produced 27 All-Americans and 11 school records while each FPU student-athlete scored points. The Sunbirds also took second at the PCSC Championships.

At the end of the season, Christensen was named the PCSC Men's and Women's Coach of the Year. Under his leadership, Laura Fornshell was tabbed the PCSC Women's Swimmer of the Year, while Duston Gragg earned Diver of the Year. Fornshell was also awarded the FPU Freshman of the Year award, Matlyn Morris earned Sunbird of the Year honors and the men's and women's teams received the Team of the Year award by the department.

The 2015-16 season saw Christensen elevate the Fresno Pacific swimming and diving program, as FPU qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history, sending seven athletes to compete. All seven athletes scored points for the Sunbirds as well.

Outside of the pool, FPU received CSCAA Scholar All-America Teams on both the men's and women's sides. The Sunbirds also had seven individuals named Scholar All-Americans.

Led by Christensen, the Sunbirds broke several school records and earned many program firsts in 2014-15. The men placed third at the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference, while the women finished fifth and Christensen earned Co-Coach of the Meet. The FPU program also excelled in the classroom under Christensen, as the men earned CSCAA All-Academic and ranked 25th in Division II with a 3.39 team GPA.

Several members of the 2014-15 teams earned individual honors under Christensen's leadership. Alex Hussain was named FPU's Scholar of the Year and earned Capital One Academic All-American honors, while diver Duston Gragg was named the PCSC men's Diver of the Meet. Wesley Coles qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100 butterfly (54.58), while Daria Belova won the 100 (1:14.16) and the 200 (2:40.43) breaststroke at the FINA Masters World Championships. Christensen also help bring media attention to record-setting swimmer Kendall Swanson, who ranked first in NCAA Division II in the 100 and 200 breaststroke during the regular season.

Christensen earned his first PCSC men's Coach of the Meet award in 2013-14 after leading the men to a third place finish. The Sunbirds also ranked fifth in all of Division II with a 3.35 team GPA, while the women ranked 14th with a 3.40 team GPA as both teams earned CSCAA All-Academic under Christensen.

In his first year at the helm, Christensen had the Sunbirds ranked eighth in the nation and the women No. 12 in their first year at the NCAA Division II level in 2012-13. Christensen led FPU to a second-place finish at the PCSC Championships, while the women took home third. In the classroom under his leadership, the men held a 3.01 cumulative GPA to earn the CSCAA All-Academic Team honor.

Before his time at Fresno Pacific Christensen spent two seasons at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix as the head assistant and recruiting coordinator for one of the top swimming programs in NCAA Division II.

Under Christensen, the GCU men's team, which had finished 16th the year before he arrived, put together two consecutive NCAA top-five finishes and was ranked #1 in the nation in January 2011. He took the women's team from a 27th place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2010 to an eighth place finish in 2011.

Originally from Mesa, Ariz., Christensen swam at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas as a student-athlete before joining the OBU coaching staff during his junior year of college.

He was an assistant coach from 2007-2010 and during that span the men's team never finished lower than fifth and the women's team never lower than 10th at the NCAA Division II national championships.

In the summer of 2011 he coached Team Canyon of USA Swimming Club at the USA Swimming National Championships hosted by Stanford with one of his athletes qualifying for the Olympic Trials in two different events.

He holds a bachelor's degree in history & political science from Ouachita Baptist, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude, and a Master's degree in Business Administration, with a leadership emphasis, from Grand Canyon.