Northwestern University Women's Swimming

Steketee returned to Evanston as head coach of the women's swimming and diving program prior to the 2015-16 season. Steketee comes to Northwestern after serving as head coach at Nevada where she rebuilt that program from the bottom of the WAC to third place in the Mountain West in just three years. Honored by her conference peers as Coach of the Year in 2015, her team broke 12 program records, set four Mountain West conference records and earned a pair of All-America honors in 2014-15 alone. In addition to Steketee's Coach of the Year award, Nevada earned Mountain West Swimmer of the Year, Diving Coach of the Year and Diver of the Year accolades last season. Her student-athletes also have excelled in the classroom, with 32 earning Mountain West Academic All-Conference awards and the team winning Scholar All-America honors for the past five semesters. Steketee is a 2003 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Northwestern with a degree in human development and psychological services. She was a four-year member of the Northwestern Crew team, earning MVP honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. While rowing competitively as an undergraduate, Steketee also served as the Head Developmental Coach for the Northwestern Aquatic Swim Association (NASA) club program, a role she held until 2004. Steketee earned a master's of public health at West Virginia in 2007, graduating Summa Cum Laude while serving as a graduate assistant with the Mountaineers from 2004-07. West Virginia produced 18 NCAA qualifiers and 23 All-Americans during that time. The men's team also won the 2007 Big East Championship and the women's team improved from 11th place to third in the Big East. Steketee then spent four years at South Carolina as an assistant coach with both the men's and women's programs, working with the individual medley and stroke groups and also serving as the team liaison with academic services. Steketee helped coach an SEC individual champion, a pair of NCAA All-Americans and four NCAA qualifiers. She also mentored six qualifiers for the 2012 Olympic Trials as well as 10 U.S. National qualifiers. Steketee is married to Steve Steketee, a 2001 Northwestern graduate and the 1998 Big Ten Champion in the 200 freestyle. Abby Steketee Head Coach Northwestern graduate and 2015 Mountain West Coach of the Year Abby Steketee returned to Evanston as head coach of the women's swimming and diving program prior to the 2015-16 season. Steketee comes to Northwestern after serving as head coach at Nevada where she rebuilt that program from the bottom of the WAC to third place in the Mountain West in just three years. Honored by her conference peers as Coach of the Year in 2015, her team broke 12 program records, set four Mountain West conference records and earned a pair of All-America honors in 2014-15 alone. In addition to Steketee's Coach of the Year award, Nevada earned Mountain West Swimmer of the Year, Diving Coach of the Year and Diver of the Year accolades last season. Her student-athletes also have excelled in the classroom, with 32 earning Mountain West Academic All-Conference awards and the team winning Scholar All-America honors for the past five semesters. Steketee is a 2003 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Northwestern with a degree in human development and psychological services. She was a four-year member of the Northwestern Crew team, earning MVP honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. While rowing competitively as an undergraduate, Steketee also served as the Head Developmental Coach for the Northwestern Aquatic Swim Association (NASA) club program, a role she held until 2004. Steketee earned a master's of public health at West Virginia in 2007, graduating Summa Cum Laude while serving as a graduate assistant with the Mountaineers from 2004-07. West Virginia produced 18 NCAA qualifiers and 23 All-Americans during that time. The men's team also won the 2007 Big East Championship and the women's team improved from 11th place to third in the Big East. Steketee then spent four years at South Carolina as an assistant coach with both the men's and women's programs, working with the individual medley and stroke groups and also serving as the team liaison with academic services. Steketee helped coach an SEC individual champion, a pair of NCAA All-Americans and four NCAA qualifiers. She also mentored six qualifiers for the 2012 Olympic Trials as well as 10 U.S. National qualifiers. Steketee is married to Steve Steketee, a 2001 Northwestern graduate and the 1998 Big Ten Champion in the 200 freestyle.

Berg was named an assistant coach for the Wildcats on Monday, July 6,  after spending the last season with the men's and women's programs of Florida Atlantic.  In March 2015, the College Swimming Coaches Association of America named Berg a 2015 Jean Freeman Scholarship Recipient, given annually to a male and a female assistant coach in each NCAA Division whose exceptional contributions have brought recognition to their college or university, and whose leadership, integrity, honesty, competitive attitude and personal graciousness epitomizes those characteristics reflected by Jean Freeman.   During his season at FAU, Berg was in charge of designing and running the training programs for the sprint groups while assisting with all other group training. He was also responsible for organizing and implementing recruiting strategies, overseeing media and alumni relations and the oversight of the daily operations of the FAU Aquatic Center.   Six individuals and five relay teams broke school records during the 2014-15 campaign, while Agnes Bucz qualified and competed at the 2015 NCAA Championships in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle.   Prior to his stint at FAU, Berg coached at Kenyon College under Jim Steen and Jessen Book. During his time at Kenyon, the women's team placed 4th in 2012, 2nd in 2013 and 2014 at the NCAA Championship meet. The men's team placed 2nd and 1st winning the 2013 and 2014 NCAA National Championships. Berg also served as the recruiting coordinator for the Kenyon Lords team.   Before coaching at Kenyon, Berg was a head coach for STAR Aquatics in Greensboro, North Carolina. During his professional career, he has coached at the United States Military Academy, Harvard University, Total Performance and Michigan Wolverine swim camps. He has coached 10 NCAA Individual National Champions, eight NCAA Relay National Championship teams, six NCAA record setting performers, and 56 North Coast Athletic Conference Champions. He helped six student-athletes achieve Post-Graduate Scholarships, in addition to numerous national and regional academic honors. He was also recently selected for the 2014 ASCA Fellows class.   Berg is a 2010 graduate of Boston University, where he was a four-year athletic scholarship recipient. He specialized in the 200 Freestyle, 200 IM, 100 and 200 backstrokes, while serving as the Vice President of the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and becoming BU Athletics liaison to the Special Olympics in Massachusetts. He spent his final semester as a strength and conditioning coach at Harvard University aiding all athletic teams.   He holds a B.S. in Health Sciences from Boston University, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Berg also completed his M.S. in Sports Management from SUNY Cortland in 2013. Kyle Berg Assistant Coach Kyle Berg was named an assistant coach for the Wildcats on Monday, July 6,  after spending the last season with the men's and women's programs of Florida Atlantic.  In March 2015, the College Swimming Coaches Association of America named Berg a 2015 Jean Freeman Scholarship Recipient, given annually to a male and a female assistant coach in each NCAA Division whose exceptional contributions have brought recognition to their college or university, and whose leadership, integrity, honesty, competitive attitude and personal graciousness epitomizes those characteristics reflected by Jean Freeman.   During his season at FAU, Berg was in charge of designing and running the training programs for the sprint groups while assisting with all other group training. He was also responsible for organizing and implementing recruiting strategies, overseeing media and alumni relations and the oversight of the daily operations of the FAU Aquatic Center.   Six individuals and five relay teams broke school records during the 2014-15 campaign, while Agnes Bucz qualified and competed at the 2015 NCAA Championships in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle.   Prior to his stint at FAU, Berg coached at Kenyon College under Jim Steen and Jessen Book. During his time at Kenyon, the women's team placed 4th in 2012, 2nd in 2013 and 2014 at the NCAA Championship meet. The men's team placed 2nd and 1st winning the 2013 and 2014 NCAA National Championships. Berg also served as the recruiting coordinator for the Kenyon Lords team.   Before coaching at Kenyon, Berg was a head coach for STAR Aquatics in Greensboro, North Carolina. During his professional career, he has coached at the United States Military Academy, Harvard University, Total Performance and Michigan Wolverine swim camps. He has coached 10 NCAA Individual National Champions, eight NCAA Relay National Championship teams, six NCAA record setting performers, and 56 North Coast Athletic Conference Champions. He helped six student-athletes achieve Post-Graduate Scholarships, in addition to numerous national and regional academic honors. He was also recently selected for the 2014 ASCA Fellows class.   Berg is a 2010 graduate of Boston University, where he was a four-year athletic scholarship recipient. He specialized in the 200 Freestyle, 200 IM, 100 and 200 backstrokes, while serving as the Vice President of the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and becoming BU Athletics liaison to the Special Olympics in Massachusetts. He spent his final semester as a strength and conditioning coach at Harvard University aiding all athletic teams.   He holds a B.S. in Health Sciences from Boston University, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Berg also completed his M.S. in Sports Management from SUNY Cortland in 2013.

Sarkisian was named Northwestern's head men's and women's diving coach prior to the 2006-07 season, and just completed his ninth year at the helm of the diving corps. Sarkisian joined the Wildcats after five years as the Director and Head Coach at the USA Diving Regional Training Center. In his first season at the helm, Sarkisian coached men's divers Ryan McIntosh and Alex Kiaie to scoring performances in all three diving events at the Big Ten Championships. His divers from both squads qualified for NCAA Zone Diving competition. On the women's side in 2007-08, fifth-year senior Leanne Dumais returned from a medical hardship season to reach the finals on both spring boards for the first time in her career. She became the first NU women's diver ever to finish in the top-eight in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the same Big Ten Championships. After finding success with his inherited student-athletes, Sarkisian quickly learned the recruiting ropes in his first collegiate job, as well. He signed Felicitas Lenz to the women's team for the 2009-10 season; Lenz participated in the 2009 AT&T National Diving Championship in addition to racking up three top-10 finishes at the Speedo Junior National Diving Championship during the summer of 2009. Lenz would go on to win All-Big Ten honors on the 10-meter platform in 2012, becoming the first Wildcat to do so since 2006. She qualified for NCAA Zones in all four of her seasons, racked up 30 total career event victories and was a multiple-time Big Ten Diver of the Week. Sarkisian recruited Lenz's younger sister, Cosima, to Northwestern as part of that 2010-11 class, and she immediately gave the Wildcats two scoring threats in every event. In the 2013-14 class, Sarkisian inked a trio of men's diving with impeccable credentials including Starz Diving teammates Andrew Cramer and Reed Dillon, both Junior National qualifiers. Cramer quickly broke Northwestern's diving records in the 3-meter and platform events in his freshman year. Sarkisian owns a wealth of head coaching experience. He began his coaching career as the USSR National Team coach from 1980-1990 before becoming the National Team coach in his native Armenia from 1991-93. He then moved to the United States where he was an assistant with Rose Bowl Aquatics in Pasadena, Calif., from 1993-98 before assuming the head coaching position with the Trojan Dive Club and the assistant coaching job at USC from 1998-2001. Sarkisian has earned a number of coaching accomplishments within USA and international diving, most notably serving as the USA National Team Coach for the 2003 and 2005 Pan-Am Games. He has coached at numerous FINA Grand Prix events and Olympic trials and training camps. In 1996, he was Armenia's National Team coach at the Atlanta Olympic Games.In 2008, Sarkisian served as Team USA's head coach at the Grand Prix meet in Moscow, Russia. He also was a selector at the U.S. Olympic Selection Camp for the 2008 Beijing Games and a judge at the 2008 Olympic Trials. In 2013, Sarkisian was selected as the head coach of the 12-member USA Diving contingent at the World University Games in Russia. A 13-time Armenian national champion, Sarkisian competed internationally for the USSR. He graduated in 1980 with professional level training in sports science and education from the USSR State University of Physical Education in Yerevan, Armenia. Alik Sarkisian Diving Coach Alik Sarkisian was named Northwestern's head men's and women's diving coach prior to the 2006-07 season, and just completed his ninth year at the helm of the diving corps. Sarkisian joined the Wildcats after five years as the Director and Head Coach at the USA Diving Regional Training Center. In his first season at the helm, Sarkisian coached men's divers Ryan McIntosh and Alex Kiaie to scoring performances in all three diving events at the Big Ten Championships. His divers from both squads qualified for NCAA Zone Diving competition. On the women's side in 2007-08, fifth-year senior Leanne Dumais returned from a medical hardship season to reach the finals on both spring boards for the first time in her career. She became the first NU women's diver ever to finish in the top-eight in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the same Big Ten Championships. After finding success with his inherited student-athletes, Sarkisian quickly learned the recruiting ropes in his first collegiate job, as well. He signed Felicitas Lenz to the women's team for the 2009-10 season; Lenz participated in the 2009 AT&T National Diving Championship in addition to racking up three top-10 finishes at the Speedo Junior National Diving Championship during the summer of 2009. Lenz would go on to win All-Big Ten honors on the 10-meter platform in 2012, becoming the first Wildcat to do so since 2006. She qualified for NCAA Zones in all four of her seasons, racked up 30 total career event victories and was a multiple-time Big Ten Diver of the Week. Sarkisian recruited Lenz's younger sister, Cosima, to Northwestern as part of that 2010-11 class, and she immediately gave the Wildcats two scoring threats in every event. In the 2013-14 class, Sarkisian inked a trio of men's diving with impeccable credentials including Starz Diving teammates Andrew Cramer and Reed Dillon, both Junior National qualifiers. Cramer quickly broke Northwestern's diving records in the 3-meter and platform events in his freshman year. Sarkisian owns a wealth of head coaching experience. He began his coaching career as the USSR National Team coach from 1980-1990 before becoming the National Team coach in his native Armenia from 1991-93. He then moved to the United States where he was an assistant with Rose Bowl Aquatics in Pasadena, Calif., from 1993-98 before assuming the head coaching position with the Trojan Dive Club and the assistant coaching job at USC from 1998-2001. Sarkisian has earned a number of coaching accomplishments within USA and international diving, most notably serving as the USA National Team Coach for the 2003 and 2005 Pan-Am Games. He has coached at numerous FINA Grand Prix events and Olympic trials and training camps. In 1996, he was Armenia's National Team coach at the Atlanta Olympic Games.In 2008, Sarkisian served as Team USA's head coach at the Grand Prix meet in Moscow, Russia. He also was a selector at the U.S. Olympic Selection Camp for the 2008 Beijing Games and a judge at the 2008 Olympic Trials. In 2013, Sarkisian was selected as the head coach of the 12-member USA Diving contingent at the World University Games in Russia. A 13-time Armenian national champion, Sarkisian competed internationally for the USSR. He graduated in 1980 with professional level training in sports science and education from the USSR State University of Physical Education in Yerevan, Armenia.