Chris Pape is in his sixth season as the Lindenwood diving coach in 2018-19.
Last season, Pape coached the first conference champion diver in program history, Ashley Holloway.
In 2016-17, Pape helped one diver qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships. Shelby Werkema earned honorable mention All-American honors after finishing 11th in the one-meter dive, and she came in 20th in the three-meter event. At the conference meet, Werkema and Ashley Holloway both had a second-place and fourth-place finish in the two events. Holloway also earned a spot in the NCAA pre-qualification competition.
In 2015-16, Pape had three divers qualify for the national meet. On the women’s side, Carleen Wayne and Werkema both qualified and earned All-American honors, with Wayne coming in fourth in the one-meter dive and Werkema finishing eighth in the three-meter dive. Schlyer Hohenberger had two top-10 finishes, including being an All-American in the three-meter event by finishing fifth.
At the RMAC Championships, four women’s divers and three men’s divers scored at the meet, and three divers earned all-RMAC accolades. Hohenberger and Wayne both had a runner-up showing.
In 2014-15, Pape had three divers qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships. David Cochran just missed All-American honors by finishing ninth in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events. Hohenberger also scored for the men’s team in the one-meter event. On the women’s side, Wayne’s best finish was 18th in the one-meter dive.
At the RMAC Championships in 2014-15, Wayne was RMAC runner-up in the one-meter dive, and third in the three-meter event. Cochran led the men’s team with third-place showings in both events. Hohenberger and Werkema were also all-conference divers.
Pape led Lindenwood’s divers to great success in his first season in 2013-14. Lindenwood advanced four divers to the NCAA Division II National Championship in the program’s first season of eligibility for that event and all four earned honorable mention All-American honors. On the men’s side, Cochran finished ninth in the three-meter dive and 13th in the one-meter dive, and Hohenberger also scored in the three-meter dive. For the Lindenwood women, Werkema was tenth in the one-meter dive and 14th in the three-meter dive, and Wayne was 13th in the one-meter dive.
At the conference level, Cochran swept the diving events at the NSISC Championships. Cochran was named the Diver of the Meet and Pape was awarded the NSISC Diving Coach of the Year award. At the women’s conference championships, Wayne had top-five finishes in both diving events at the NSIC Championships.
Pape came to St. Charles after coaching one season at NCAA Division III Augsburg. He helped initiate the first official diving season in that school’s history.
Prior to Augsburg, he was a graduate assistant coach for two seasons at NCAA Division I South Dakota. Pape coached nine conference finalist at South Dakota as well as coaching numerous pool-record breaking performances.
Pape was an all-conference and national qualifying diver at St. Cloud State from 2004-08. He was a five-time conference finalist and had a best showing of 15th on the three-meter dive at the national championship.
Pape, who is originally from Bismarck, N.D., received his bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State in elective studies, and earned his master’s from South Dakota in Kinesiology and Sport Science.
