2025 will be the fifth season at the helm for Coach Montenegro.
In 2023, Montenegro and the Water Polo program hosted the first official NCAA contest at the state-of-the art VMI Aquatic Center, which took place on April 1-2 as the Keydets hosted conference foes for a weekend showcase. VMI officially made their Aquatic Center
debut on April 1 against Marist.
Formerly the head mentor at Urbana University (Ohio), Montenegro was hired in July of 2020 as the head coach of the VMI women's water polo team.
In her first season, she led the Keydets to the first MAAC Championship game in program history, and VMI trailed by just one goal with three minutes to play against Marist in the finals. In her second season, Montenegro had six of her 11 players earn All-MAAC Academic Team honors.
Montenegro, a native of Rowland Heights, California, came to Urbana last fall after serving as head coach of the water polo program at Crafton Hills College. She also spent three years as assistant coach at Mt. San Antonio College.
Since 2008, Montenegro has coached and instructed at various high schools and clubs in Southern California, including Kennedy High School, Diamond Bar High School, Rowland and Nogales High School, Rose Bowl Aquatics and Rancho Tsunami Water Polo Club.
A standout water polo athlete, Montenegro earned NCAA Division III All-American status all four years at Occidental College (Calif.). She was named Team MVP as a sophomore and was twice voted a team captain. Prior to college, Montenegro led Rowland high school team to a pair of league championships while earning league MVP and Player of the Year awards. She was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.
Montenegro earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Occidental and obtained her master's degree from Concordia University in applied exercise science, with an emphasis in strength and conditioning. She's also a certified strength and conditioning specialist and certified physical therapist assistant.
