CASE STUDY
How Monmouth Swimming is using CrewLAB to stay competitive in the off-season
ABOUT Monmouth College Swimming
CrewLAB Plan: Free
Monmouth College is a private liberal arts college in Monmouth, Illinois, known for its close-knit community, strong academic tradition, and commitment to student growth both in and out of the classroom. The Monmouth College Swim & Dive Program competes at the NCAA Division III level.
Under the leadership of Head Coach Jake Dacus, the team emphasizes accountability, growth mindset, and team unity—fostering not just fast swimmers, but well-rounded, high-character individuals.
Leading with Purpose: Coach Jake Dacus and the Monmouth Mindset
Jake Dacus, Head Swim Coach at Monmouth College, has spent the last four years shaping a program where performance and personal growth go hand in hand. With a 24-athlete D3 roster, his holistic coaching style empowers swimmers to take ownership of their development—both in and out of the pool. Since stepping into the role, Coach Dacus has guided the team to over 100 new top-ten times, 20+ school records, and earned recognition as the 2025 Women’s Coach of the Year.
The challenges
While the regular season was full of success, off-season accountability remained a challenge.
Before CrewLAB, managing this meant juggling GroupMe messages, spreadsheets, and emails—a patchwork solution that didn’t deliver when athletes were off-campus. There was no simple way for the team to track workouts or maintain accountability remotely.
“The athletes didn’t have a way to track their workouts and keep each other accountable in the off-season.”
Without visibility into summer training, it was hard to maintain the consistency and motivation that defined their in-season performance.
Our solution
When CrewLAB reached out about the Spring Splash Challenge, a fun, flexible off-season training campaign, Coach Dacus saw an opportunity to try something new.
Monmouth swimmers began using CrewLAB to log workouts and check in on wellness. Even from a distance, they could now see who was putting in the work and how hard they were going.
“CrewLAB has made it easier for the athletes to track their workouts in the off-season, and it allows them to stay accountable with each other. It’s helped them stay motivated because they can see what their teammates are doing. Really, they just don’t want to be behind when we come back in the fall.” Coach Dacus shared.
CrewLAB filled the gap that coaches often carry alone—accountability, motivation, and connection.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
While Monmouth Swimming is still early in their CrewLAB journey, the benefits are already clear. The app has added structure, sparked individual accountability, and introduced a new layer of consistency to the off-season.
Coach Dacus sees long-term potential: CrewLAB is helping build new habits and laying the groundwork for a more connected, more consistent team in the seasons to come.
He is excited to use it as a tool to empower his holistic work with athletes once they return to campus this fall.
“CrewLAB has allowed them to get competitive with each other to see who’s the most consistent or who’s doing hardest workouts even when they’re all off campus.”