Blitzshaw tapped to lead girls water polo

The Exeter Athletics Department has announced Meg Blitzshaw as the newest head coach of the girls water polo program.

“We could not be happier to welcome someone of Meg’s stature to our department,” said Big Red Athletics Director Jason Baseden. “Her combination of experience coaching in the pool and working with students is truly remarkable. She will undoubtedly make a lasting impact on our students and their experience at Exeter.”

Blitzshaw, who is currently an assistant coach with the Big Red boys water polo and boys swimming program, is no stranger to the water polo world, as she has excelled as both a player and a coach. A native of Durham, New Hampshire, Blitzshaw was a student at Phillips Academy Andover before moving on to Bucknell University, where she served as captain of the Bisons water polo team during her junior and senior seasons. While at Bucknell, Blitzshaw re-wrote the record books, setting all-time program records for goals in a season, career goals and career points.

After her illustrious playing career, Blitzshaw immediately joined the coaching ranks, spending four years at Lake Forest Academy. She was a biology and environmental science teacher in addition to coach of the boys and girls swimming program while also starting a club water polo program. After her time at LFA, Blitzshaw traveled to Australia, where she earned her master’s degree in Conservation Biology while playing and coaching with the Sydney Uni Lions team.

After returning stateside, Blitzshaw joined the faculty at Choate Rosemary Hall, where she served as coach for both the boys and girls water polo program for six years. Following her time at Choate, she moved to Georgetown Country Day as an instructor in biology, environmental science and developed a health and wellness curriculum on campus. While in D.C., she played water polo with the Washington Seahorses, a team founded as a gay men’s team that has become an open, welcoming, and inclusive program and was also able to represent the team at the 2018 Paris Gay Games.

Blitzshaw returns home to the Seacoast area with her husband, D.J, and black lab, Rigel.