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NC State Announces Swimming Hires

Nov 29, 2000

Raleigh, N.C. - NC State announced that Alexis Keto and Chad Onken have been hired as assistant coaches for NC State's men's and women's swimming and diving squads on Monday (Nov. 27). Thus far, NC State's women have posted a 5-1 overall record, while the men have posted a 2-3 record in 2000.

Onken, an Olympic Trials qualifier, takes the position after serving as an assitant swim coach for Poseidon Swimming, Inc. since August and as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Richmond, also since August. Previously, he served as head swim coach for Maclay Aquatic Club in Tallahassee, Florida from March 2000 to July 2000 after a 10-month stint as the club's assistant coach.

A 1999 graduate of Florida State University with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Onken was a volunteer assistant coach at the school from August 1999 to March 2000. While coaching the Seminoles, Onken also served as the head swim coach for Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee from August 1999 to December 1999 where he was named Tallahassee/All-Big Bend High School Coach of the Year.

As a swimmer for Florida State, he was named All-Atlantic Coast Conference for the 1998-99 season and was a member of a squad that was ranked no worse than 12th nationally during his career. In 1997, he was the United States National 10K Open Water Team Champion.

"Chad enjoyed great success at Florida State," said NC State head choach Brooks Teal. "He exhibited strong coaching skills and brings strong recruiting contacts in Florida and Virginia. His personal qualities are what I am looking for in a coach and I'm really excited about the enthuaiasm he brings to this program."

Keto, a June 2000 graduate of Northwestern University in American Literature, previously served as the head coach of the masters program and assistant coach of the youth program at the Northwestern Aquatic Swim Association. In the summer of 1999, she was the head pool manager of Green Acres Country Club in Evanston, Illinois. From 1998-2000, Keto was a volunteer assistant student assistant coach at Northwestern after serving as assitant manager/swim coach at the Raleigh Racquet Country Club in Raleigh, NC. In 1997, she served as an administrative assistant for the Department of Public Safety at NC State University.

As a swimmer, Keto was a 7-time North Carolina high school state swimming individual champion. She swam for Northwestern from from 1996 to 1998 when she was forced to retire from competitive swimming due to a shoulder injury.

"Alexis had a very successful career at Northwestern before the injury and also enjoyed success at in the Raleigh area at the club level. She has a lot of energy and was very involved in recruiting at Northwestern. She comes very highly recommended by her swimmers and her youth is a great compliment to the an experienced staff."