It is with great sadness that Xavier College Preparatory announces the passing of the school’s beloved varsity swim coach, Maureen Rankin, after her valiant battle with cancer.
“Coach Mo” began her Xavier coaching career in August of 2016, immediately posting outstanding results and an impressive record. A year later, as she commenced her second season as Xavier’s swim coach, she also joined the school’s finance office.
Coach Rankin was a four-time high school state champion swimmer at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Oregon, where she was awarded Oregon Swimming’s “Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the Year” honors. A nine-time All-American and member of the U.S. Swimming Junior National Team, she attended the University of Arizona on a swimming scholarship. She held multiple national championship titles and numerous state records as a U.S. Masters Swimmer.
Throughout her 20-year coaching career, Coach Rankin coached developmental, age group, high school, and masters swimming levels. She also spent 13 years on the Brophy East Swim Team / Phoenix Swim Club coaching staff and coached some of Arizona’s top swimmers to state championship titles, national accolades, college scholarships, and U.S. Swimming National Team berths. Coach Rankin was the Age Group Chair for Arizona Swimming, a member of the USA Swimming Western Zone Board, and the Director of Marketing for Swimming World Magazine.
“Coach Mo excelled in every aspect of her life,” said Sr. Lynn Winsor, BVM, Vice Principal for Activities and Athletic Director at Xavier College Preparatory, “and the Xavier community is most grateful for all that she did for Xavier. She was a fabulous swimming coach and a wonderful person. Her two favorite things in life were her family and her swimmers, and she was deeply proud of all of them. She will be missed tremendously.”
Coach Rankin is survived by her husband, Mark, and her two children, Mia (a Xavier freshman) and Luke (11).
