Started swimming at the age of 4 thru his Grandmother. During the summer months of his adolescence he lived in Long Beach, California where he found his love of water. He loved surfing, boogie boarding, and playing volleyball during those summer months.

He was a member of the High School Swim Team in California where he placed at State in the Breaststroke. He didn’t have the opportunity to swim on a club team due to financial situations his mother experienced due to raising three children on her own. That didn’t stop him from training on the local school swim team and participating in lifeguarding in Long Beach. He lived in Japan where he learned to read, write, and speak the language. He also was able to participate in several Japanese experiences that taught him respect and dedication. Upon his return from Japan, he attended college in California where he swam and played little Water Polo and continued his dedication to swimming.

Shortly after college, he moved to Cedar City, Utah and attended Southern Utah University. Mike currently reside in Murray. He has two older children, Garrett(29) and Zaxton(25). Mike has coached both his sons in swimming, and, with the help of other coaches, both made it to several state championship meets where each one podiumed. Garrett went on to swim in college at Whitworth University in the Pacific Northwest. He is now working on his graduate degree and is now an Assistant Swim Coach for the college. Zaxton attended Western Wyoming Community College where he played soccer. He now is working full time for a local car dealership.

Coach Mike has coached for the last few decades and has had several swimmers participate at the sectional level. His passion has always been to help youths improve and achieve their goals thru passion, dedication, and desire. He loves to see the young athletes smile after they accomplish their goals.

Mike’s full-time job is with the grocery retailer Kroger, he has worked for them for the last 29 years. His dedication to his job speaks for itself with the time and energy he places on great customer service. His goals for West Valley Aquatics team is to have that same kind of dedication he has with his full-time job. He wants to help swimmers develop their swimming, help the team achieve their goals, and get them to that next level of swimming.

I started taking swimming lessons at 4 years old as a form of therapy and enjoyed it so much that I began competing at 5 years old. I continued to swim Club all throughout my youth and all 4 years of High School. During my senior year, I was voted as Captain of the team. That same year, I obtained State Champion in the 100 Breaststroke. After high school, I swam a year in College. During high school I knew that I wanted to coach swimming and help swimmers like me, who had been helped by the sport.

I first started coaching at my alma mater, Tooele High School. I was honored when I was inducted into my alma mater’s Wall of Fame. I have coached so many great swimmers over the years; 26 and counting! I have coached High School Region and State Champions, Age Group State Champions and State record holders! I have been the Utah Zone Coach on 2 different occasions. I was also privileged to take a group of swimmers to Moscow, Russia for the Utah/Moscow Youth Games. Two of my own swimmers were in attendance. During that same time, I was coaching several swimmers to Sectionals and Junior Nationals!

I hope to help the swimmers of West Valley Aquatics become better swimmers and people! 

Go Seawolves!

Contact Phone:  Call anytime.

1-435-841-1488

Email: [email protected]

ILA is the newest addition to the wonderful coaching staff of WVA, and I am so excited to coach have her on this WVA journey. ILA joined the swimming community at the age of ten through swimming lessons at her local pool. After moving up through all the learn to swim levels, she knew she wanted to continue with the sport, so ILA joined her first competitive team, and the rest is history. 

ILA stuck with the sport through her senior year at Cyprus High School balancing club swimming with WVA and school as well. Her favorite events were the 200 and 500 Freestyle. She learned the opportunity to compete at the state level with her high school team and was able to serve as a team captain in her senior year. 

Throughout this time, she began her teaching career as well. ILA started teaching lessons at the age of fourteen and she loved them from the very beginning. ILA has a goal to help the swimmers in her group be excited to practice and race as they enter the wonderful world of competitive swimming. 

Outside of coaching, she works as a lifeguard at the facility as well. In addition to work she’s also pursuing a degree in Biochemistry from Utah Valley University.

Contact Information:

(385)395-9253

[email protected]