SWAM History
This swim team was founded in 1984 by Jay Caldwell as the the "Goose Lake Trout Swim Club." Goose Lake is a small lake next to the UAA campus where Jay used to hold annual triathlons. The Goose Lake Triathlon was famous for the "Caldwell bonuses" tossed into its middle. Sometimes Jay had the athletes perform 10 push-ups in the Goose Lake parking lot between laps of the run course -- much to the frustration of the participants but continually entertaining to the spectators. Original members of this team included George Stranksy, Daniel Blake, David Smith, and George Etsell.
In 1985 the group obtained the sponsorship of Sports West, an athletic store located in the Northway Mall. For that reason, the name of the group was changed to "Sports West Athletic Masters" -- or S.W.A.M.
SWAM is a 401(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Download the SWAM Constitution and By-laws for more information.
For an easier way to present the history of SWAM since its beginning, we list its major events by year below:
- 1984
- Coach: Dick Jabs
- President: Monte Lyons
- 1985-1988
- Morning Coach: John Zell
- Evening Coach: Mark Meisner
- President: Monte Lyons
- 1989
- Morning Coach: John Zell
- Evening Coach: Henry _____
- President: Monte Lyons
- 1990-1991
- Morning Coach: John Zell
- Evening Coach: Gloria Tevenner
- President: Monte Lyons
- 1992
- Morning Coach: John Zell
- Evening Coach: Robin Murphy
- President: Monte Lyons
- 1993-1995
- Morning Coach: Steve Conniaris
- Evening Coach: Steve Conniaris
- President: Monte Lyons
- 1996
- Morning Coach: Steve Conniaris
- Evening Coach: Steve Conniaris
- President: Rick Abbott
- Memorable Events: Roque Santos clinic; drop of Sports West as a sponsor; SWAM adopted its current name - Swimming With Alaska Masters; SWAM logo created
- 1997
- Morning Coach: Steve Conniaris
- Evening Coach: Steve Conniaris
- President: Rick Abbott
- Memorable Events: SWAM's first marriage -- Duane Millsap, Jr. and Lupe Marroquin; seven babies born to SWAM members!
- 1998
- Morning Coach: Steve Conniaris
- Evening Coach: Steve Conniaris
- President: Tom Schmid
- Memorable Events: SWAM's first loss of an active member -- Duane Millsap, Jr.
- 1999
- Morning Coach: Andrew Billings
- Evening Coach: Andrew Billings
- President: Ruth Carter
- Memorable Events: SWAM's Articles of Incorporation written; Not-for-Profit status achieved; By-laws updated; Duane Millsap memorial bench made by Rick Abbott
- 2000
- Morning Coach: Andrew Billings
- Evening Coach: Andrew Billings
- President: Peggy Brannon
- Memorable Events: SWAM's second marriage -- Ruth Carter and Stan Steck; SWAM web site created and maintained by Ken Winterberger
- 2001
- Morning Coach: Andrew Billings
- Evening Coach: Andrew Billings
- President: Ruth Carter
- Memorable Events: New Swimmer packets created; hosted October meet at UAA; first T-shirts created
- 2002
- Morning Coach: Andrew Billings
- Evening Coach: Andrew Billings
- President: Alice Stacey
- Memorable Events: Roll Call / Spreadsheet began
- 2003
- Morning Coach: Dave Snyder
- Evening Coach: Shea Winterberger
- Additional Coaches: Rick Abbott, Stan Steck, Ruth Carter, Paula Smith, Kim Olmsted
- President: Alice Stacey
- Memorable Events: SWAM's third marriage -- Andrew Billings & Mia Costello; Coaching changes
- 2004
- Morning Coach: Dave Snyder
- Evening Coach: Shea Winterberger
- President: Alice Stacey / Ken Winterberger
- Memorable Events:
- 2005
- Morning Coach: Scott Thomas
- Evening Coaches: Shea Winterberger, Shawana Kinzer
- President: Ken Winterberger / Matt Dixon
- Memorable Events: Role keeper and Treasurer positions created; color coded membership levels created
- 2006
- Morning Coaches: Rick Abbott, Ruth Carter, Stan Steck
- Evening Coach: Paula Smith
- President: Matt Dixon / Ruth Carter
- Memorable Events: Creativity getting team back in the black; morning and evening coaches coached gratis during the summer months to help SWAM financially; coaching guidelines pdf; coach evaluations initiated
- 2007
- Morning Coach: Dave Snyder
- Evening Coach: Paula Smith
- President: Ruth Carter / Monique Lussier
- Memorable Events: Dave Snyder returned from Iraq & was rehired; lane etiquette written
- 2008
- Morning Coaches: Dave Snyder, Stan Steck
- Evening Coach: Paula Smith
- President: Monique Lussier / Chanda Driscoll
- Memorable Events: Morning coaching change; grievance procedure written and instituted; suspension policy clarified
- 2009
- Morning Coach: Stan Steck
- Evening Coach: Paula Smith
- President: Chanda Driscoll / Kim Olmsted
- Memorable Events: By-laws updated; Sunday trial practices begun; team numbers & economic health improved; 3 SWAM babies born!
- 2010
- Morning Coach: Stan Steck
- Evening Coach: Paula Smith
- Sunday Coach: Jenny Richardson-Rossbach
- President: Kim Olmsted / Rick Abbott
- Memorable Events: we added Sunday swims at UAA to our practice schedule; second SWAM T-shirts printed; SWAM brochures printed and circulated
- 2011
- Morning Coach: Stan Steck
- Evening Coach: Paula Smith
- Sunday Coaches: Jenny Richardson-Rossbach, Stephanie Kuhns
- President: Rick Abbott / Ray Hamilton
- Memorable Events: Coaches Smith and Steck attained the Levels I and II USMS Coach certifications.
- 2012
- Morning Coach: Stan Steck
- Evening Coach: Paula Smith
- Sunday Coach: Stephanie Kuhns
- President: Ray Hamilton / Maura Shea
- Memorable Events: SWAM founder and honorary lifetime member Monte Lyons passes away in March; two babies born to SWAM members!
- 2013
- Morning Coach: Stan Steck
- Evening Coach: Paula Smith
- Sunday Coaches: Stephanie Kuhns, Kinsey Appersen
- President: Maura Shea / Ben Harris
- Memorable Events: Alaska hosted the Short Course Meters Zone Championship meet in December. Coach Smith attained the Level III USMS Coach certification (the first Alaska masters' coach to do so).
- 2014
- Morning Coach: Stan Steck, Matt Williams, Leslie Rawson
- Evening Coach: Paula Smith
- Sunday Coach: Kinsey Appersen, Courtney Miller
- President: Ben Harris / Michael Bakker / Ben Harris / Meredyth Richards
- Memorable Events: hired two new coaches; updated By-laws and created Coaches' Guidelines; added a successful Introduction to Masters class; offered workouts seven days a week; Stan Steck and Paula Smith retired from coaching.
- 2015
- Morning Coach: Matt Williams
- Evening Coach: Courtney Miller, Matt Williams, Chris Taylor
- Sunday Coach: Courtney Miller, Matt Williams, Leslie Rawson
- President: Ben Harris / Meredyth Richards / Stan Steck
- Memorable Events: continued with two successful Introductions to Masters class; SWAM's second loss of an active member -- Sandy Mjolsnes; joined Active.com to handle registration for trimester memberships; thanked Kathy Dale for her twelve years of service as our Treasurer with a celebration in her honor; hired new evening coach Chris Taylor; Bylaws updated; Dropped Active.com and changed our registration to Team Unify; spent fall semester swimming at East High and Bartlett High while APU pool was refurbished
- 2016
- Morning Coach: Matt Williams
- Evening Coach: Chris Taylor, Kaili Martin
- Sunday Coach: Leslie Rawson
- President: Stan Steck / Ed Mjolsnes
- Memorable Events: returned to refurbished APU pool in January. Stan Steck attained the Level III USMS Coach certification.
- 2017
- Morning Coach: Matt Williams
- Evening Coach: Signe Pignalberi
- Sunday Coach: Matt Williams
- President: Ed Mjolsnes / Lyn Clark
- Memorable Events: Coach Matt and sub coach Ruth Carter attained her Level III USMS Coach Certifications; Coach Signe achieved her Level II USMS Coach Certification.
- 2018
- Morning Coach: Matt Williams
- Evening Coach: Signe Pignalberi, Matt Williams
- Sunday Coach: Matt Williams
- Summer Gratis Guest Coaches: Matt Williams, Signe Pignalberi, Kim Olmsted, Ruth Carter, Ray Hamilton, Ken Wiinterberger
- President: Lyn Clark
- Memorable Events: Long time SWAM member Annie Nevaldine passes away in January. In a dire fianncial situation, SWAM launches a GoFundMe page in a plea to the community to help.
- SWAM hosts its first Swim Training for Triathlon Clinic
- Board votes to reduce practice times to one hour; institutes a flat fee of $99 for September, adds Saturday practices back in for September, agrees to sign a month-by-month contract with APU, and plans to reasses the financial situation in mid-September
- Measures taken above allow SWAM to continue through 2018. SWAM votes to change management software from Team Unify to Club Assistant beginning in 2019.
- 2019
- Morning Coaches: Matt Williams / Bethany Walter
- Evening Coaches: Bethany Walter, Micah Stocker, Sam Horning
- President: Lyn Clark / Ruth Carter / Maddy Ramugulia
- Memorable Events: SWAM hosts its second Swim Training for Triathlon Clinic; SWAM shares Wednesday morning summer practices with lap swimmers
- 2020
- SWAM reinstitutes the Bronze level fee for 8 swims per month.
- On March 12th APU, like other exercise facilities, closes Moseley Gym to help slow the spread of COVID-19, a world-wide pandemic. SWAM suspends practices.
- October 1: SWAM resumes practices at APU with pandemic protocols in place. SWAM holds practices through the end of December successfully -- with no Covid-19 health issues arrising from practices.
- 2021
- APU closes while a new pool liner, UV filter system, gutters, and lane lines are installed. SWAM goes on hiatus once again. Members swim informally at various Anchorage high schools.
- President: Maddy Ramuglia / Michelle Trowbridge
- October 2, 2021: SWAM resumes practices at APU
- Evening and Saturday Morning Coach: Michele Cateson
If you know of a memorable event or missing name which should be listed above, please contact the historian and we will add to this ongoing history of SWAM. Thanks!
