Coach Emma’s relationship with competitive swimming began at Ballard Pool when she was seven years old. She then began swimming club as a member of GPAC, HLA, and then briefly with GNST as the club made its way to Lincoln. Emma recently completed her 16th season coaching with the Lincoln Shooting Stars Special Olympics Swim Team. In 2010 she was an assistant swim coach for Special Olympics Nebraska’s National Team. In July, she wrapped her ninth season as Coordinator of the Lincoln Parks & Recreation Swim & Dive League; which serves around 800 athletes. 

Emma became the Head Age Group Coach at GNST in the fall of 2017. She has had athletes qualify and compete at both Short & Long Course Midwestern Championships, Central Zones, and Sectionals. Emma has been an assistant coach for Team Midwestern at Central Zones (2018-2019) and Midwestern All Stars (2019). She currently acts as the Age Group Chair for Midwestern Swimming, and is excited to help keep our age group athletes connected with opportunities within Midwestern Swimming. During the school year, Emma works as a paraeducator in Special Education at Humann Elementary School and is a Head Coach for Lincoln East Swimming & Diving.

Coach Heather began her coaching career in 1999 in North Platte, NE as an assistant coach for North Platte Swim Team.  As part of this role, she learned the ropes and handled the "dry" side of the sport with team administration duties while also assisting on the deck with the wet side.  Over the years, Coach Heather also assisted with summer-only GNST club teams in Cozad and Valentine, NE, sharing her roles with both the administrative and coaching duties.  In 2005, Coach Heather and her late husband, Archie, started the Greater Nebraska Swim Team with its first satellite locations in North Platte and Kearney.  In 2012, she took on the role of head coach for the North Platte GNST team.  In addition, she served as an assistant coach for the North Platte High School swim team from 2015-2019 and provided over 15 years of private and group lessons and clinics for hundreds of athletes in the North Platte area. During the winter of 2020, Coach Heather began her "PRN" status in helping cover all levels for GNST in Lincoln and continues in this capacity today.

With two children in college who have been involved with swimming from a very young age, she is also very familiar with the swim parent role as well.  

She first began her "career" as a stay-at-home and homeschool parent for over 14 years and has since transitioned into outside employment, working primarily in public schools and early childhood education programs. While Coach Heather is still refining her future vision and goals, she hopes it will always include sharing the sport of swimming with others.

Coach Bentz has more than 50 years of coaching experience including 24 years as Head Coach of Swimming and Diving at the University of Nebraska; and 22 years as a high school coach, club coach and teacher.  His collegiate men’s teams produced more than 100 NCAA All Americans and the women’s program produced more than 80 NCAA All Americans.  Under Coach Bentz, Nebraska teams won 16 men’s conference titles and 5 women’s conference titles in swimming and diving.  More than 20 Olympians from all over the world competed for Nebraska under Coach Bentz.

During his tenure at Omaha Westside High School, Coach Bentz’ boys and girls teams won 16 state championship titles.  In 1976, the Omaha World Herald named Coach Bentz, “Nebraska High School Coach of the Year.”  He was a long time member and past president of the Nebraska High School Coaches’ Association and in 1997 was inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame.  In 2005, he was inducted into the Westside High School’s Coaches’ Night of Distinction.  In November 2008, he was inducted into the Midwestern Swimming Hall of Fame.

Coach Bentz was a four year letterman in swimming, team captain his junior and senior years and graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1955.  While coaching at Nebraska he was honored as an Alumnus of the Year and in 1992 he was presented the UNL Parents Association Recognition Award for Contribution to Students.  Coach Bentz has coached and taught, provided competitive swimming camps and clinics in Nebraska and the Midwest for 54 years.  He has worked extensively in fundamental swimming skill development, dry-land and core body strength development and seasonal, periodic and daily workout design.  He has also served as a volunteer coach for the Kearney, Nebraska High School Swimming Team.

Cal Bentz passed away July 4th, 2017. He will always be in our hearts.