Coach Mike has been coaching in the Freeport area since 2013.
Mike grew up in Freeport, IL and began swimming at the age of six. As a member of FAST Mike qualified for multiple State Championships, Zones, and Sectional Swim Meets. He was a multiple time top 8 finisher and a state champion at the Illinois State Championships at both the Age Group and Senior levels. He still holds FAST team records at all age group levels. As a member of the Freeport High School Swim Team, Mike qualified for the IHSA State Championship Meet three times and was the NIC-9 All Conference MVP two years in a row. He continued his swimming career as a four year Varsity letter winner at Western Illinois University, where he was a top 8 finisher at the Summit League Championship Swim Meet.
Mike began his coaching career as a volunteer coach for FAST while he was still in high school and volunteered in the summers throughout his college swimming career. After college, Mike was the Assistant Coach for the Freeport High School Men’s Swimming Team for one year. He then continued his coaching career as a Lead Age Group Coach at DFAC swimming where he coached multiple Wisconsin Swimming top 8 finishers and a two time Wisconsin Swim State Champion. In ten years as the Head Coach FAST he coached many Regional Champions and an Illinois State Champion.
After facilitating the merger of two clubs from Freeport and Sterling, Mike is excited to have this opportunity to be the Team Director of the Wahoo Aquatic Club. Through Wahoo Aquatic Club he hopes to cultivate long-term relationships with age group swimmers as they begin to swim and grow all the way through our program. Mike is thrilled to continue the long traditional of incredible swimming in the Freeport and Sterling communities, and hopes to continue to spread that influence throughout northwest Illinois.
Maggie Wike has been coaching in the Sterling area since 1993. She was responsible for reviving a dormant Sterling Stingray program going on to win numerous Stateline Swim Conferences and advance athletes to the state, Sectional, National and Olympic Trial levels with USA Swimming. She was selected as a Zones Coach for Illinois Swimming and was chosen as Coach of the Year through Illinois Swimming (voted on by coaches in Illinois). She coached many age group athletes to collegiate levels in all 3 NCAA Divisions.
Maggie went on to coach Sterling High School Women's teams and brought her knowledge and success to win several Sectional Swim meets taking swimmers to state all of the years she coached. She also coached the first Lady Water Warriors to score at the state level. She was eventually inducted into Sterling High School Hall of Fame which she credits to her assistant coaches and the athletes who were all dedicated to the program she established.
Maggie is excited to be volunteering under Coach Mike. She loves teaching swimming and racing techniques to the athletes and having fun on the pool deck with the swimmers and fellow coaches.
