Coach David Maker took the helm as head coach in July 2022. He is an ASCA Level IV Certified coach (Level V educated) with more than 30 years of coaching experience, 20 of those years in head coaching positions. He has also held positions as head age group coach, assistant coach, pool manager, and swim dad. His coaching background includes developing swimmers and leading them to excellence at the summer league, club, high school, and collegiate levels. Coach Maker’s enthusiasm, strong work ethic, and dedication to the swimmers are certain to make a positive impact on all members of Las Cruces Aquatic Team. Coach Maker holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Mathematics. He recently retired from a 28 year career as a high school math and science teacher. He, his wife Marge, and their demanding French Bulldogs Zoey and Sophie are excited to make Las Cruces their new home.

Chris Chavez joined the LCAT coaching staff at the beginning of the 2018 short course season. He quickly became a valued member by coaching multiple groups throughout the year. Prior to LCAT, Chris was an assistant coach and later head coach for the Aggie Outlaws swim team in Las Cruces from 2015-2018. Chris grew up in Roswell, NM and was a competitive swimmer from ages 8 through 13. He later renewed his passion for being in the pool and began swimming again in 2018, learning from and being motivated by New Mexico State University Head Coach Rick Pratt. Chris graduated from NMSU with a Bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and agricultural business. He stays connected to his hometown by raising fish in Roswell and using their droppings to fertilize some fantastic greens and herbs.

Elijah Myers is a U.S. Naval Veteran with over 11 years of competitive swimming experience, and over 2 years of coaching experience. Born and raised in Las Cruces, NM, he began competitive swimming at the age of 11. His swimming career includes multiple state-championship first places, including the 50m and 100m Freestyle, 200m and 400m IM, and 100m and 200m Butterfly. He also has several Sectional time cuts in the 200m and 100m Butterfly, as well as the 2017 NM Long Course State Championship High Point award. Coach Elijah combines his military training and competitive swimming experience for a fun and more grounded training environment, focused on growing swimmers morally, mentally, and physically.

Philip McLaughlin is a student at NMSU (class of ‘26), and former competitive swimmer. He calls Rio Rancho home, which is where he began his swimming career at age ten. By the end of high school, Philip had eight years of experience, and many amazing friends to prove it. He had accrued several Sectionals times, including the 1500 and 100 free. At St. Olaf College, Philip continued as a sprinter, and swam Breaststroke and Freestyle at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships. He retired from swimming after his freshman year, and transferred to NMSU where he now majors in Biology, minors in Chemistry, and is building his application for dental school. The summer between leaving St. Olaf and starting at NMSU, he served as head coach of the Midtown Marlins, a summer league team in ABQ. There, he learned all aspects of being a head coach, managing a team, hosting meets, and much more. Always believing that the sport is about more than swimming fast, Coach Philip teaches teamwork, sportsmanship, integrity, and morals in a fun way.

Bella Schultz has been competitively swimming for decade now and is continuing her swimming career here in las cruces for the NMSU swim and dive team. Bella is a long distance freestyler and strives to emulate all of the qualities of a strong athlete inside and outside of the pool deck. As a student Bella is majoring in criminal justice and minoring in psychology working towards applying to grad school to pursue her passion of working with children in the criminal justice system. The sport of swimming has brought Bella more than grit or discipline but lifelong friends and a drive for excellence. Her goal as a coach is to ignite the same love for swimming in all the kiddos she gets to coach! 

Emma Bacon is currently a student at New Mexico State University and a member of the NMSU Swim and Dive Team. She is from Colorado where she started swimming at the age of 5. Emma had many years of USA swimming where she earned many sectional times standards and futures standards in her age group career. She now swims at the New Mexico State University where she is a mid-distance butterflier. With the 200 fly and 100 fly being her best events, she secured a spot on the travel team and scoring team at the WAC Conference Championships. She is studying biochemistry with a minor in biology and Spanish at University, and hopes to apply for grad school in the last years of her collegiate career. Emma is a big believer in cultivating an encouraging, supportive, and welcoming environment where kids can not only grow as swimmers but as people. She is very excited to join the LCAT team and watch their swimmers grow into their careers.