Joel Wilson, Head Coach
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Head Coach Joel Wilson is a founding member of Santa Cruz Masters and has been coaching the team since 1988. A team captain and an All-American swimmer at the University of California, Berkeley, he started swimming in the Masters Program in 1974.
He has served as Meet Director for PMS Long and Short Course Championships since the mid-1990's and has been the Race Director for the Pier to Pier 10 Kilometer Swim since the early 1990's. In 2002, Joel was chosen as Pacific Masters' Coach of the Year, and in 2015 Joel was awarded USMS's Kerry O'Brien Coaches Award which recognizes coaches who are actively building strong swimming communities. He appreciates the wonderful people who swim with Santa Cruz Masters and strives to make the program meet the needs of all who participate. Says Joel, "I want more of you to participate in our pool meets and open water swims because they, too, are lots of fun - and fun people go very nicely with fun events. Let me know how I can help you take even more pleasure from our program!" |
Monica Carney
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,Monica started swimming competitively at age 14 with Gemini Aquatics in Southern California. She attended UCSC from 2000 to 2004 and swam 100 and 200 backstroke for the Slugs Division III Team.
After graduating from college, she joined Santa Cruz Masters to continue swimming. When she began to have shoulder issues in 2011, she started to coach in order to continue to be part of the team. She's continued coaching ever since then. Monica likes to incorporate kicking and stroke into her sets, and enjoys seeing Masters Swimmers achieve their personal goals - whether they be dropping times or mastering techniques to help them swim more efficiently. Monica has worked as a Registered Associate at Morgan Stanley for 12 years. She also volunteers for the Slug Aquatics age group team as their Treasurer and is the swim course coordinator for the Santa Cruz Triathlon. |
Rainey Graeven
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Rainey has been competitively swimming for most of her life, taking breaks only when necessary to recover from injuries (and even then, she finds ways to sneak into the pool for some pull or kick!).
Rainey has spent many years coaching and teaching swimming to people of all ages and abilities. She's a breast stroker who also loves swimming IM, so as a coach, her sets reflect an IM appreciation. Rainey enjoys working with people to improve their technique. She pushes people to swim their hardest and meet seemingly unattainable goals, and she's ecstatic when she helps someone make sense of a stroke or build confidence to swim challenging events like the 400 IM or 200 fly. When she's not at the pool, you'll find Rainey surfing, practicing yoga, riding her bike, or going for a walk. Monday through Friday she works for the California Coastal Commission protecting California's beloved coast. |