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We are here to support your needs. If your questions are related to workouts, meets, events, goal setting, and other swimming related needs, please contact one of the coaches. For all questions related to administrative, such as dues, safety, or policy issues, please contact Julia Warnken Warnkenj@bolles.org.

Coaching Staff

Lopez Sergio

Head Coach / Head Aquatics Director

Sergio Lopez was named Head Swimming Coach and Aquatics Director at The Bolles School in 2007. Lopez guides both the upper school swimming and diving teams and the Bolles Sharks club program.

In the Summer of 2008, Lopez headed the Curacao National Swim team to the 2008 Beijing Olympic games.

Lopez, a native of Barcelona, Spain, and a 1988 Olympic bronze medalist in the 200 meter breast stroke, came to Bolles from West Virginia University where he served as head coach of the Mountaineers’ men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams since April 2004.

In Lopez’s three seasons at WVU, both the men’s and women’s team continually improved. He guided the men’s team to its first-ever Big East Championship in 2007 and was named Big East Men’s Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2007. The women’s team had the highest placing in program history at the Big East Championships in 2007, finishing third. Under Lopez, West Virginia’s swimming and diving honors improved from zero to 18 All-American honors, zero to 31 individual and relay Big East champions (27 men, 4 women), two Big East men’s swimmers of the year, and 11 Big East records (8 men, 3 women). During Lopez’s tenure, West Virginia swimmers have also competed at the World Championships, U.S. Nationals, European Championships, World University Games, Mediterranean Games, and Central American Games. Lopez served as coach of the Mexican national team at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

During his time in Morgantown, Lopez also founded and directed West Virginia Aquatics, a USA swim club. Lopez hired and oversaw a staff of a head coach and five assistants to guide over 100 registered USA Swimming members. He also organized swim meets and coordinated fundraising efforts, helping to foster interest and awareness of swimming in the community and state.

Prior to West Virginia, Lopez served as associate head coach of the Northwestern University swim program in 2003 and an NU assistant from 2000-03. While at Northwestern, Lopez helped the Wildcats’ program produce seven All-Americans, eight Big Ten champions, eight Big Ten championship meet records, a Big Ten swimmer of the year and a Big Ten freshman of the year. Under Lopez’s guidance, 43 of the school’s 56 records were broken over four seasons.

While at Northwestern, Lopez also served as head coach of Wildcat Aquatics and Northwestern Aquatic Swimming Association. He hired and oversaw the head coach of the program and coached the men and women during the summer season. He took five swimmers to the 2004 Olympic Trials and 11 swimmers to the 2002 USA World Swimming Trials.

From 1997-2000, Lopez was head coach at Hillenbrand Aquatics in Tucson, Arizona, where his responsibilities included coaching the senior national training group. He grew the senior-high school program from 12 swimmers in 1997 to over 100 in the 2000 season.

Lopez was the technical director at the Cantabric Swimming Federation in Santander, Spain from 1996-97. In 1995-96, he served as a volunteer coach at Arizona and in 1994-95 he was also a volunteer coach at the Honved Swim Club in Budapest, Hungary.

Lopez earned a National Coaches Title from the Spanish Swimming Coaches Association in 1995. He holds a bachelor’s degree in independent studies in kinesiology from American University, graduating in 1992.

Lopez was a member of the Spanish national team from 1984-96, joined by Bolles assistant coach Martin Zubero on the squad. In addition to an Olympic medal, Lopez won a silver medal in the 1993 world championships in the 400 medley, has held European and U.S. Open records in the 200 breast and has held or currently holds 14 records in Spain, two at Indiana University where he began his collegiate career, and eight at American University. Lopez earned nine All-American honors in the breast, 500 free and intermediate medley at Indiana and American.

There have only been three people from Spain winning Olympic medals in swimming and all three are now employed at The Bolles School. Joining Lopez in this honor are Martin Zubero, who won the Gold medal in the 1992 Olympics and his brother, David, who brought home the Bronze medal for Spain in 1980.

Lopez is married to the former Sandy Carlos and they have two children, Harley (10) and Cobi (8).

Jon Sakovich

Assistant Head Coach-Camp Director

Jon Sakovich started coaching in Gainesville with Florida Aquatics before becoming Head Age Group coach at Clearwater Aquatic Team for 4 years. He moved to Jacksonville to coach at Bolles in August of 2000. He has coached swimmers to numerous NAG Top 16, Junior National, and Senior National Qualifying times.

Sakovich grew up training in a hotel pool and the ocean while swimming for the Saipan Swim Club in the Northern Marinas Islands. He participated in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea for Guam where he was introduced to the Head Coach at the University of Florida by Gregg Troy. He then swam at UF for 4 years alongside Martin Zubero.

Coach Sakovich graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in Recreation. He and his wife Angele, have two sons John 11, Joseph 6, Avery 4 and two West Highland Terriers.

Jason Calanog

Coach / Head Late Night

Jason Calanog joined The Bolles School swimming staff as a senior assistant coach in August 2007. In the summer of 2009, Coach Calanog was named the Head Coach of the Philippine National Team for the World Championships in Rome. His swimmers went on to break several National records. In 2008, Calanog was invited to serve as an assistant coach for the Philippines National Team at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. In the Fall of 2008, he was named the Head Late Night Coach.

In Dec 2007, Coach Calanog served as a Assistant Coach for the Philippines National Team at the South East Asian Games in Thailand. Two of his swimmers went on to win numerous Gold Medals and set National Records.

Prior to Bolles, Calanog served as a student assistant coach at West Virginia University, his alma mater. He helped coach the men’s team to the program’s first Big East Championship title and the women’s team to that squad’s highest finish. Calanog coached numerous All-Americans, Olympic trials qualifiers, Big East champions, and senior national swimmers while at West Virginia University. Under his tutelage, numerous swimmers have competed for their native countries at various international meets.

Calanog swam for the Mountaineers in 2000, competing in the butterfly and freestyle and also trained for the Philippine National Team.

He has coached the Whalers Swim Club in West Windsor, New Jersey, and West Virginia Aquatics Club in Morgantown, West Virginia. He coached age group to senior swimmers at West Virginia Aquatics.

He is now married to the former Tracey Mascola and currently lives in Jacksonville, Fl.

Mike Crabtree

Assistant Coach / Late Night

Mike Crabtree is the Assistant Late Night Coach after swimming for 16 years. He lettered at his Alma Mater, West Virginia University , four years consecutively (2002-2006) in backstroke, IM, and distance swimming. He was honored with the WVU Athletic Honor Roll stature until graduating in December 2006 with a degree in Business. He swam until Bolles current Head Coach and Aquatics Director, Sergio Lopez; as well as Julia Warnken, Bolles Assistant Coach, for all four years of college.

Mike is currently working for John Hancock Financial in Jacksonville as a Financial Advisor.

Christian Bahr

Coach / Head Sectionals - Hammerheads

Christian Bahr is a 1993 graduate of The Bolles School, where he boarded for his final two high school years. After leaving Bolles Christian went on to Southern Methodist University, where he graduated in 1998 with a degree in English Literature and Medieval Studies. During his SMU swimming career Christian earned 9 NCAA All-American honors and was named Team Captain his senior year. Christian is a former member of the U.S. National Team and represented the United States at the 1997 World University Games in Sicily, Italy. He placed 9th at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Christian joined the Bolles coaching staff in 1999, working with swimmers at every level of the program. Christian moved on to become a producer for First Coast News, spending five years producing every program the station offers. He has had other jobs that were not nearly as much fun as either producing or coaching, none of which he feels are worth mentioning. Christian returned to Bolles one year ago as a part-time coach, working with the Tiger Shark group in the Age-Group program. Now a full-time coach, Christian is the Assistant Age Group Swimming Coach having taken over the Hammerheads group. Christian also assists coaching the senior swimmers in the high school program.

His hobbies include reading, writing, and surfing.

Kate Skaggs

Assistant Coach / Senior Group

Kate Skaggs is a 2004 Bolles Graduate. Her junior year she captured the state title in the 100 backstroke. In her senior year she helped the team capture the 2003 national championship title. She was a recipient for the Van Etten Bent Award for two years in a row and all four years she helped the team bring home state titles.

After graduating from Bolles she attended and graduated from Florida State University in 2008 where she excelled not only as a swimmer but also as a student earning a degree in Sport Management, She was a four time member of the ACC honor roll and Dean’s List. She was also a member of the Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership and Honors Association. Her senior year she made the All ACC Academic Team. Her success in the classroom also carried to the pool. After recovering from a surgery in the fall of 2006, she helped the Seminoles capture the ACC Championship title her sophomore year in 2006. Because of her performance she was award the Seminole Warrior award (a swimmer that over comes adversity). She capped off her swimming career with a top 8 finish at ACC’s in the 200 backstroke and a personal best in the 100 back.

Kate joined the Bolles Swimming coaching staff part time in the spring of 2008 where she assisted Coach Martin Zubero with the Great Whites. She also coached the early practice for the makos. During that time she worked for Open Road Bicycles. She is currently assisting Coach Sakovich and Coach Lopez with the Senior Group.

Julie Obrien

Assistant Coach / Senior Developmental

Julie O’Brien started coaching seven years ago for a local summer league swim team. Since then she has been a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Maryland and the co-head coach of the Terrapin Masters for two and a half years. She has coached ACC top eight finishers and finalists at Masters Nationals. She has worked with all ages and ability ranging from age two to over seventy years old.

She graduated from the University of Maryland in Jan. 2009 with a BS in family sciences where she swam for three years before an injury took her out of the water. She was a National Qualifier and participated in international chapionships.

She is currently married to Mark Ruhsam and they are looking for a toy-poodle to add to their family.

Steve Lazaraton

Assistant Coach / Senior Group

Martin Zubero

Head Age Group Coach / Great Whites

Coach Zubero, a 1987 Bolles alumnus, has been an Assistant Senior Coach since September 2002. Prior to Bolles, Martin was the Head Age Group Coach at Patriot Aquatics in Orlando from 1998 to 2002. He coached the team to the Florida Junior Olympic long course team title in 2000 and was named Florida Swimming Age Group Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2000.

Competitively, Zubero is the former short course and long course world record holder for the 200 meter backstroke. His most memorable moment came when he won the Olympic gold medal in the 200 meter backstroke at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. He also was the World Champion in the 200 backstroke in 1991 and in the 100 backstroke in 1994.

Zubero is a 2004 inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as well as member of the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.

Martin is a graduate of the University of Florida where he received his BS in Recreation. He lives with his wife, Loretta, and their little girl, Lily, who was born in February 2004.

Jessica Schacht

Assistant Coach/ Hammerheads

Jessica Schacht is an Jacksonville native. She began here swimming career at the JCA, swimming under Coach Kathy. That love for swimming transcended into her swimming for Nease High School where she was a distance freestyler and a breaststroker. She was co-captain for the team here senior year.

Jessi went to college at the University of North Florida . In 2001, Jessi joined the Bolles Sharks as the Tiger Sharks coach. The strain of the UNF Sport Medicine and Athletic Training program and being the athletic trainer for the UNF Women’s Basketball team forced her to leave the Sharks. Jessi attained her Bachelor’s of Science degree in 2002 and became a Certified Athletic Trainer. She then continued her love for school and in 2005 attained her Master’s of Business Administration degree with a concentration in International Business specifically in Chinese business studies.

In 2006, Jessi rejoined the Sharks as the Assistant Hammerhead coach where she currently coaches. Her real job allows her the opportunity to travel around the country with some of the worlds best golfers. Jessi’s “real job” is working as a Sales and Marketing Manager for a local sports technology company with a specialty in golf services. However, her true love is coaching her Hammerhead athletes.

In her spare time she loves to cook, attend sporting events, and participate in any activities that involve water.

Julia Warnken

Age Group Coach/ Tigers

Julia Warnken is currently the Director of The Bolles Sharks Swim Lesson Program and coaches the Tiger Sharks for the Age Group Program. Julia swam for South Bend Dolphins and Irish Aquatics while growing up until attending West Virginia University (2002-2006). She was honored as the Team Captain, swimming under current Bolles Head Coach and Aquatics Director, Sergio Lopez, from 2004-2006. Julia was a Big East qualifier and achieved WVU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll from 2002 to 2006. While attending West Virginia University she was Vice President of SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) from 2004 to 2006, before graduating in the summer of 2006 with her Bachelors Degree in Communication Studies.

“I love the opportunity that I get to spend time with children and teach them about swimming and more!” – Coach Julia

Kathy Steele

Age Group Coach/ Makos

Bio Coming Soon!

Gustavo Calado

Age Group Coach / Great Whites

A native of Brazil, Coach Gus has been living in the U.S for the past 7 years. In 2001 when he first came he was living in Roanoke, VA while swimming for the Virginia Gators. While swimming for the Gators, Gus accumulated a few YMCA national titles and 2 YMCA national age group records on the 50m and 200m butterfly. In 2003, Coach Gus started his collegiate career at Virginia Tech. At Tech, Gus earned the 2003/2004 Big East Swimmer of the Year award and was elected Virginia Tech MPV twice on his swimming career. As a member of the Brazilian National Team, Gus participated in many international meets including the 2004 Short Course Swimming World Championship, where he finished 9^th place in the 200m butterfly. Later that year, Gus was the Latin Cup champion in the 200m butterfly and runner-up in the 400m freestyle while representing his native country. In 2006, After becoming the first Virginia Tech All-American with a 4^th place finish at the NCAA championship, Gus received the National swimmer of the Week award presented by the NCAA and CSCAA.

In 2007, after graduating from VT, Gus started his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at the Virginia Gators under the tutorial of Coach Doug Fonder. In 2008, Gus moved to Myrtle Beach, SC where he was an assistant coach during the inaugural season at the Costal Aquatic Club, during his short stay Gus helped the CAC to develop state champions and a few top 16 swimmers.