Chris Burle Named Colonels Swim Coach

Missouri Military Academy has named Chris Burle as the new head coach of the Colonels varsity swim team and program, bringing a strong background in competitive swimming, athlete development and community leadership to the Academy. Burle will begin her coaching tenure at MMA in the fall of 2026.

A resident of Mexico, Missouri, Burle is a USA Swimming-certified coach with the Mexico YMCA Mid MO Marlins, where she serves as one of the program’s three coaches. In spring 2026, the Marlins finished second overall in the Heartland Area Championships small-team division. The Marlins men’s team also captured a first-place finish and outscored several larger programs at the championship meet.

Burle said she plans to build on the same technical instruction and training approach at MMA that helped the Mid MO Marlins earn Heartland championships in two of the last four seasons.

Burle and her family are longtime supporters of Missouri Military Academy and the Colonels swim program. She and her husband Ken own Burle Chiropractic in Mexico and are parents to five children. Their son, Cadet Trey Burle, a rising junior at MMA, has become one of the Academy’s top swimmers, breaking two school records and qualifying for the MSHSAA State Swimming Championships in each of the past two seasons. Her younger son, Chase Burle, will also compete for the Colonels this year.

“I am excited to be part of the MMA team,” Burle said. “The motto ‘Love, Honor, Truth’ resonates with me and I look forward to promoting those traits in a team environment. My goal for the swim team is to help swimmers become the best version of themselves both outside and inside the pool.”

“This is personal for me,” Burle said. “I look forward to coaching this team, helping cadets achieve their personal goals outside the pool and maximizing their potential in competition.”

MMA President Brigadier General Richard V. Geraci, USA (Ret), said Burle’s swim program experience, commitment to youth development and strong understanding of the Missouri Military Academy experience as an MMA parent make her an exceptional fit to lead the program.

"Coach Burle understands how to build successful swimmers and successful teams through discipline, accountability and encouragement," Geraci said. "We are excited to welcome her as the next leader of our swim program and look forward to the positive impact she will have on our cadets.”

Burle takes over an MMA program that continues to build momentum at the state level. At the 2025 MSHSAA state competition, Cadet Trey Burle placed 13th in the 200 individual medley, clocking a 2:02.57, and finished 15th in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:01.92.

During the 2024 season, MMA swimmers also delivered strong performances at the MSHSAA Class 1 State Swimming Championships.

Cadet Burle posted two top-15 finishes in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke, earning personal records in both events. Cadet Batbileg Bataa, Class of ’25, from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, placed 14th in the individual freestyle and helped lead the 200-yard freestyle relay team to a top-15 finish alongside Cadet Burle; Cadet Clayton Reich, Class of ’26, from Phoenix, Arizona; and Cadet Ethan Prentiss, Class of ’27, from Grand Junction, Colorado.

Two recent MMA swim program graduates are currently swimming at the NCAA Division-II level. Tiago Deluca Ruas and Batbileg Bataa from the Class of 2025 are swimming for Rockhurst University.

With a growing roster of talented swimmers and a coach committed to leadership, discipline and development, MMA looks forward to continuing the tradition of success for the Colonels swim program under Burle’s leadership.