HCA Coaches
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Doug Gjertsen
HEAD COACH
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Jamie Peterkin
HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH
& ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH -
Chris Fay
HEAD AGE GROUP COACH
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Alison Soelter, CMPC
DIRECTOR OF MENTAL PERFORMANCE
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Zach Snyder
HIGH PERFORMANCE GROUPS COACH
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Sadie Runeman
LEAD CHALLENGER GROUP COACH &
AGE GROUP COACH -
Khadin Soto
AGE GROUP DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
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Millie Sicko
LEAD SENIOR GROUP COACH &
AGE GROUP COACH -
Jack Laughlin
LEAD ADVENTURER GROUP COACH &
AGE GROUP COACH
Doug Gjertsen
Head Coach
Hill Country Aquatics is thrilled to welcome Head Coach Doug Gjersten back to Austin, where he spent his college years swimming under legendary coach Eddie Reese.
During his career as a University of Texas Longhorn, Doug earned 12 NCAA National Titles, including three individual titles, and nine for relay teams that he anchored. Coach Doug is also a two-time Olympian, winning two gold medals and a bronze medal while competing for Team USA.
Coach Doug’s love of swimming kept him on the pool deck after he retired from competition, and he has spent more than 30 years training swimmers at every level of the sport — from young athletes discovering their potential to Olympians competing on the world stage. Over the course of his career as Head Coach, Doug has guided swimmers to Olympic Trial qualifying meets in 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021, and 2024, including some who went on to compete at the Olympics. Also during that time, more than 200 of his swimmers have continued their swimming careers in college.
Doug coached for more than two decades at SwimAtlanta, a national powerhouse and frequent Gold Medal Club Recognition-winning program. Most recently, Coach Doug spent seven years as the Head Coach of AAAA Northeast and produced many highly ranked swimmers, including 37 USA Swimming Scholastic All Americans in just the past three years.
Just as important, Coach Doug is known as a swimmer-first coach who cares deeply about helping athletes reach their potential with a well-rounded approach to training. In Coach Doug’s words: “The daily pursuit for swimmers to become the best as an athlete and as a person is the guiding force behind my swimming philosophy. Athletes need to have fun while training and participating in competition in and out of the water, whether they are a 6 year old or an 18 year old.”
Coach Doug’s wife Sandy is a former swimmer herself, and they have three adult children — Alaina, Alyssa, and Avery — who also were swimmers, which means that in addition to coaching swimming, Doug is also a retired swim parent. The Gjertsen family also includes five dogs: a British lab, a Moyen Poodle, and three miniature Golden Doodles.
Email Coach Doug at doug@hillcountryaquatics.com.
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Head Coach, Alamo Area Aquatics Association Northeast, San Antonio, TX, 2019-2026
Head Coach, SwimAtlanta, Atlanta, GA, 1993-2019
USA National Team Coach, 2016-2018
Coached Olympic Trial Qualifiers in 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021, and 2024
USA Swimming Select Camp Coach 2023
Coached multiple Junior National top 3 individual scorers, both male and female
Coached Olympian Amanda Weir to a Silver Medal in 2016
Georgia Senior Coach of the Year 2016
Coached Carli Cronk to a record-setting 12 Gold Medals at the Deaflympics in 2022
Coached 37 USA Swimming Scholastic All Americans, 2022-2025
Coached multiple Age Group and Senior State Champions
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Nine-time Relay NCAA champion and three-time NCAA Individual champion at the University of Texas; Team Captain Senior year
Olympic Gold medalist in 4x100 Freestyle Relay and 4x200 Freestyle Relay
Bronze medalist in 4x200 Freestyle Relay
Former World Record Holder in 4x200 Freestyle Relay
Longhorn Hall of Fame Inductee
Texas Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame Inductee
Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame Inductee
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University of Texas, 1986-1991
Jamie Peterkin
High Performance Coach
& Associate Head Coach
We are thrilled to have Coach Jamie Peterkin join HCA as our new High Performance Track Lead Coach! Coach Jamie is excited to share his passion for swimming and technique-driven coaching with the swimmers of Hill Country Aquatics. He has almost 20 years of coaching experience, leading swimmers ranging from learn-to-swim athletes to elite international competitors.
Born in Barbados and raised in St. Lucia, Jamie was a cornerstone of the Caribbean competitive swimming community — both as an accomplished athlete and a creative and forward-thinking coach — before bringing his extensive expertise to Florida and, ultimately, to Austin, Texas.
Known for his ability to connect with his swimmers, Coach Jamie has made an impact wherever he has coached, and not just with fast swimming. Described as “an incredibly human-first focused coach,” Jamie is able to convey challenging swim concepts with his “super down-to-earth, funny, and great communicator” style. One coach from a national powerhouse team said that “Jamie would be the first coach I would hire if I were starting a new swim team today.”
At the heart of his philosophy is the concept of continuous improvement. Coach Jamie believes that greatness is built on incremental gains and that a foundation of strong technique is the essential element for every swimmer’s success.
When not on the pool deck, Coach Jamie enjoys spending time with his partner Shelly and their goldendoodle Polly, playing sports, and being active. Jamie loves reading, surfing, and pickleball.
Email Coach Jamie at jamie@hillcountryaquatics.com.
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Head Coach for Blue Wave Swimming in Brandon, FL
Head Age Group Coach for Blue Wave Swimming
National Team Head Coach for St. Lucia Aquatics Federation
Head Coach for Sharks Swim Club in St. Lucia
National Team Manager for St. Lucia Aquatics Federation
National Coach for St. Lucia swimmers in the Olympic Games, SC and LC World Championships, Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympic Games, Commonwealth Youth Games, CCCAN, CISC, CARIFTA Aquatics Championships and the OECS Swimming Championships.
Awarded Coach of the Year for all sports by the Ministry of Youth and Sport of St. Lucia
FINA/World Aquatics Certified Coach, Levels 1, 2, and 3
Head Coach, 2025 and 2026 Florida Swimming Open Water Zone Team
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St. Lucia National Team Member Sydney Olympic Games
St. Lucia National Team Member LC World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games
8-time Male Swimmer of the Year by the Ministry of Youth and Sport Development
University of Kentucky Men’s Swimming and Diving Team, Conference Championship Team Member
University of Tampa, 2-time NCAA All-American
Pine Crest School, Olympic Solidarity Scholarship Recipient
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University of Kentucky
B.S. in Marketing, University of Tampa
Chris Fay
Head Age Group Coach
We are thrilled to welcome Coach Chris Fay to Hill Country Aquatics and Austin, Texas! Chris brings a deep passion for building strong team cultures and helping young athletes reach their full potential. Whether developing a future Junior National qualifier or helping a swimmer achieve their personal best, Coach Chris is driven by the reward of watching young athletes grow in and out of the water.
Coach Chris joins HCA after an impressive run as Head Age Group Coach of the Northern Kentucky Clippers, a USA Swimming-recognized Silver Medal Club just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. At the Clippers, Chris led the development of roughly 170 swimmers and a staff of 12 coaches. He also served as the Kentucky LSC Age Group Chair and has been selected multiple times to lead regional championship teams at Zones and All-Star meets.
His dedication to the sport has earned national recognition, including being named a 2025 ASCA Top 5 National Finalist for Age Group Coach of the Year and the Kentucky LSC Coach of the Year in 2025.
Before joining the Clippers, Chris served as the Head Age Group Coach for the storied Pine Crest Swim Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There, he successfully revitalized the team culture while guiding athletes to numerous state championships and Futures cuts. In just one year, Coach Chris increased Pine Crest’s number of Junior Olympic qualifiers from 6 to 26.
Prior to his time at Pine Crest, Chris spent five years as a Lead Group Coach and National Team Assistant for the prestigious Long Island Aquatic Club (LIAC) in New York, a USA Swimming Gold Medal club ranked in the top 10 nationally. At LIAC, Chris was instrumental in managing a 500-swimmer pipeline and developing elite national-level talent while coaching every level from learn-to-swim groups to senior competitors.
Email Coach Chris at chris@hillcountryaquatics.com.
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Head Age Group Coach, Northern Kentucky Clippers, Erlanger, KY
Developed multiple age group (13-14 year old) Futures Qualifiers, USA Swimming Zone Select Camp Attendees, and age group Summer Junior Nationals Qualifiers
Multiple Top 10 National rankings in multiple events
Coached a 14-year-old swimmer to a Kentucky High School State Championship
2025 ASCA Top 5 Age Group Coach of the Year
2025 Kentucky LSC Coach of the Year
Head Age Group Coach, Pine Crest Swim Team, Fort Lauderdale, FL
3x Head Coach of the Central Zone Open Water Team
2x Mid-State All-Star Coach
1x Southern Zone Team Coach
ASCA Level 3 Certified
NCAA D1 Scholarship Swimmer at Marist University
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B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Virginia
Alison Soelter, CMPC
Director of Mental Performance
Hill Country Aquatics is excited to have Coach Alison join our coaching staff as HCA’s dedicated Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). Alison brings a unique combination of experience as an elite swimmer at the University of Texas, coupled with her expertise in both mental and nutrition-based strategies, to support HCA’s athletes. Coach Alison will be assisting coaches on deck weekly to help our swimmers to build a sound mental performance foundation from which they can perform with joy and confidence to achieve their goals.
Alison’s swimming journey began in a small town in southwest Kansas, where a summer swim team sparked a lifelong passion for the sport, eventually leading to qualifying for the USA Olympic Trials as a high school junior. Coach Alison went on to swim at the University of Texas, contributing to the Longhorns’ 2008 NCAA Division I National Championship team, and continued competing on a national level through 2011.
Like many athletes, Alison experienced the challenges of injuries, competition anxiety, burnout, and the pressures of elite competition. Those experiences ultimately inspired her passion for helping swimmers develop the mental skills needed to perform with confidence and resilience.
For the past six years, Alison has integrated mental performance training into her coaching, helping swimmers overcome self-doubt, manage pressure, improve focus, and rediscover joy in the sport. Today, she works with swimmers of all ages and levels, from age-group athletes to those pursuing collegiate, national, and Olympic-level goals. By combining mental performance training with sports nutrition coaching, Alison helps athletes build sustainable habits that support both performance and overall well-being.
Coach Alison believes swimming is about more than times and results. Her mission is to help athletes develop the mental skills, nutritional habits, and personal confidence needed to pursue their excellence with purpose, compete with freedom, and enjoy the journey.
Email Coach Alison at alison@hillcountryaquatics.com.
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Westlake High School Head Girls Swim and Dive Coach
State Championships: 2015, 2016
State Top 5 Finishes: 2017, 2018, 2021-2024
Regional Championships: 2015-2018, 2020-2024
District Championships: 2015-2018, 2020-2024
6A Girls State Coach of the Year: 2015, 2016
Regional Girls Coach of the Year: 2016, 2019, 2021-2024
Regional Girls Dive Coach of the Year: 2021
Regional Boys Dive Coach of the Year: 2024
Girls District Coach of the Year: 2015, 2017, 2020, 2022-2024
65 NISCA High School All-American Swimmers
90 All-State Team Swimmers
Summer League Swimming Coach, 2011-2026
WETT Swim Club
Senior Squad Assistant Coach
Winter Junior National Coach
TAGS Coach
Olympic Trial Swimming Qualifier, 2004 and 2012
NCAA University of Texas Championship Team member
3-time All-Big XII Conference Honors
12-time Big VII Conference Medalist
USA Senior National Qualifier and Finalist
5-time Kansas State Champion
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B.A. in Exercise Science, University of Texas
M.S. in Exercise Science, American Public University
Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) with Association for Applied Sport
Psychology (AASP)
NASM Sport Nutrition Coach
NASM Performance Specialist Coach
Zach Snyder
High Performance Groups Coach
Hill Country Aquatics is excited to introduce another talented coach to our growing coaching team! Zach Snyder will bring his extensive technical knowledge — developed both as an elite swimmer and as a coach — to HCA’s High Performance Groups.
Swimming has been a core part of Coach Zach’s life for many years. Before college, he trained at and competed for the “swim team-famous” York YMCA in Pennsylvania (back-to-back YMCA National Championships in 2016 and 2017), and was coached by Michael Brooks and John Nelson.
Zach then chose to swim in college at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was a member of Harvard’s NCAA Championship Team and four Ivy League Championship Teams. He also earned All-American Honorable Mention for a Top 16 finish at the NCAA Championships and was a two-time All-Ivy League member (1st team).
After graduation, Coach Zach began his coaching career with Quicksilver Swimming in San Jose, California, a Silver Medal USA Swimming Club. During his time there, Zach coached various groups, including serving as the Assistant Coach to the National Group and acting as the lead coach for their backstroke and distance groups.
After a few years in California, Coach Zach returned to Pennsylvania to take the Head Coach position at Emmaus (EMAC). The club experienced much success with Zach’s approach to creating a training environment focused on the technical and team aspects of swimming. The results speak for themselves: The club obtained a 500% increase in Futures qualifiers as well as EMAC’s first top-100 age group all-time ranking in 17-18 Boy’s 100 Back.
Coach Zach is also a Clinician for Fitter and Faster Swim Camps and has assisted with and led stroke-specific clinics.
Zach credits his love of swimming to his coaches for instilling in him a passion for training and fostering an enjoyment of the work that swimmers put in daily. Coach Zach enjoys being creative when explaining and teaching the technical nuances of strokes, and believes that swimmers each process information and learn differently, requiring an individualized approach. He believes that there is rarely a “quick fix,” but rather systematic technique work built into a season plan creates long-term and sustainable results.
Coach Zach is excited to return to Austin — after competing in ATX occasionally as a college athlete — and will be moving with his girlfriend Victoria, who was also a collegiate swimmer. When not coaching or thinking about swimming, Zach has a passion for music and songwriting, including writing and producing an alternative rock/pop album. He is also a Steelers and Penguins fan.
Email Coach Zach at zach@hillcountryaquatics.com.
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Head Coach, Emmaus Aquatic Club , Emmaus, PA
Led and planned all training for EMAC’s top two training groups
Coached swimmer to a top-100 all-time age group ranking
Assistant Coach, Quicksilver Swimming, San Jose, CA
Led backstroke and distance freestyle workouts for the national and sectional level groups
Assisted the national and sectional level groups under the direction of head coach
Lead Coach for 11-12 year olds group
Clinician, Fitter and Faster Swim Camps, USA
Harvard University Men’s Swimming and Diving Team
NCAA D1 Championship Team Member
All American Honorable Mention
2-time All-Ivy League (1st team)
Contributed to Harvard’s 21-0 conference duel meet record
4 Ivy League Championships
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B.A. in History of Science with Applied Mathematics, Harvard University
Sadie Runeman
Lead Challenger Group Coach & Age Group Coach
Coach Sadie brings years of competitive swim and coaching experience to Hill Country Aquatics. A product of the Austin USA Swimming scene, Sadie swam for the University of Texas Women’s Swimming and Diving team in college. It was during that time at UT that Coach Sadie discovered a passion for coaching and has been pursuing it ever since.
Email Coach Sadie at sadie@hillcountryaquatics.com.
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University of Texas Women’s Swimming and Diving Team
Member of Academic All-Big 12 First Team
Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American
Head Swim Coach of Austin Country Club
Head Swim Coach of Western Hills Athletic Club
Head Swim Coach of Lakepointe Lazers
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B.A. in Sociology and Philosophy, University of Texas
Khadin Soto
Age Group Development Director
HCA is incredibly pleased to welcome Khadin Soto as our Age Group Development Lead Coach. Coach Khadin joins HCA from Club Wolverine in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he contributed to CW’s top 15 ranking of Age Group Teams in America as compiled by ASCA.
During his time at CW, Coach Khadin worked with multiple groups, including acting as Lead Coach for their advanced 9-10 group, their advanced 11-12 group, as well as assisting with CW’s 13-14 group.
Prior to joining CW, Khadin began his coaching career as a camp counselor for Purdue Swim Camps and later coached with Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics. His coaching background is supported by years of competitive swimming experience, first with Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics and then at Purdue University, where he competed at the Big Ten Championships all four years of his collegiate career.
Khadin’s coaching philosophy centers around building strong personal relationships with each athlete. He believes that creating trust and connection allows swimmers to grow confidently as both competitors and individuals. Coach Khadin enjoys getting to know athletes throughout the entire program and is always excited to support swimmers at every level.
Email Coach Khadin at khadin@hillcountryaquatics.com.
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Swim Coach, Club Wolverine, Ann Arbor, MI
Lead Coach, Advanced 9-10 Group
Lead Coach, Advanced 11-12 Group
Assistant Coach, 13-14 Group
Senior Dryland Lead Coach
Contributed to elevating Club Wolverine’s Age Group Program to #13 in the USA as ranked by ASCA (prior ranking #44, #21 in 2026 rankings)
Coach representative at 2024 USA Swimming Zone Select Camp in Colorado Springs, CO
Lead Coach, 11-12 Mid-State All-Star Championships
Lead Coach, 10 & Under Mid-State All-Star Championships
Coach and Counselor, Purdue Swim Camp
Coach, Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics, Holland, MI
Purdue University Men’s Swimming and Diving Team, Conference Championship Team Member
Member of Academic All-Big 10 Team
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B.S. in Kinesiology, Purdue University
Millie Sicko
Lead Senior Group Coach & Age Group Coach
Coach Millie joins Hill Country Aquatics from Michigan, where she grew up competing before joining the New Mexico State University Women’s Swim team in college. Millie’s enthusiasm for both swimming and coaching make her a fantastic addition to the HCA coaching staff.
Email Coach Millie at millie@hillcountryaquatics.com.
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New Mexico State University Women’s Swimming and Diving Team
Student Assistant Coach for New Mexico State University
Head Swim Coach of Lifetime Athletic in Bloomfield, Michigan
Assistant Swim Coach of Las Cruces Aquatic Team
Assistant Swim Coach Oakhurst Golf and Country Club
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B.C.J. in Criminal Justice with Supplementary Major in Law and Society, New Mexico State University
Jack Laughlin
Lead Adventurer Group Coach & Age Group Coach
Coach Jack joins Hill Country Aquatics with a genuine love of swimming, a desire to give back to the sport, and a passion for coaching. A Wisconsin native, Jack moved to Daytona Beach, Florida as a teenager, later swimming collegiately at Loyola University New Orleans before finding his way back to the sport through coaching.
Outside the pool, Coach Jack has twice participated in the Ability Experience's Journey of Hope, a cross-country cycling fundraiser supporting people with disabilities, both as a cyclist and a project manager. He is committed to helping every athlete grow — not just as a competitor, but as a person.
Email Coach Jack at jack@hillcountryaquatics.com.
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Site Lead Coach of Swim Y'ALL, Townlake YMCA
Cyclist & Project Manager, Journey of Hope, 2021 & 2024
Loyola University-New Orleans Men’s Swimming and Diving Team
NAIA National Championship Competitor, 2018
VCBS Ocean Rescue Operations
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B.A. in Business Administration & Management, Loyola University New Orleans