Coach Heather Wartanyan
Head Coach
Coach Heather has been involved with Sac Synchro since 1987, when she began synchronized swimming as a young child. She was a Sac Synchro team member until 2004, and has been a Sac Synchro coach since 2001. In 2004, Heather trained with Franco Dragone in Belgium for Le Reve. She has also been a Master’s level swimmer for over 15 years. Coach Heather is a second generation Sac Synchro athlete — her mother, Coach Kathryn, started the team in 1985.
Words from Coach Heather:
“It is truly a blessing to be a teacher of what you love. To share the experience and the passion makes me grateful for this great sport, the athletes, and for Sac Synchro.”
“The water is my stage, the music is my orchestra, and synchro is the story I share with the audience.”
Coach Mackenzie Schoel
Assistant Coach
Mackenzie Schoel has been involved with synchro most of her life. She started swimming for Sac Synchro in 2009 when she was six years old. She then began coaching for Sac Synchro in 2018, while she was still competing as an athlete. She has experience competing at the national level all over the United States. She loves to see young swimmers blossom into strong, well-rounded athletes who thrive in a positive team environment.
Coach Kara Rex
Assistant Coach
Kara Rex swam on Fulton El Camino (FEC) Synchronized Swim Team from 1987-97. She competed with Sac Synchro Masters in 2006 at the XI FINA World Masters Championships, as well as the Masters National Championships in 2005, 2008 and 2011. She has been the assistant coach and a volunteer for FEC Synchronized swim team, helping swimmers with figures, routines and choreography. Synchro has always been a huge part of her life.
Coach Katie Roth
Assistant Coach
Coach Katie has been involved in artistic swimming since the age of eight, and swam for the Serinas in Tallahassee Florida. She continued her artistic swimming career at Stanford University from 2000-2005. She was a member of the US Junior National Team for 2 years, and the US Senior National team for 4 years. Coach Katie competed at multiple FINA World Championships alongside her teammate and fellow SAS member, Coach Lauren!
Although Coach Katie is new to SAS, she is excited to work with the athletes and help them achieve their goals. She believes hard work and passion for the sport is a winning combination.
Coach Lauren Gardner
Assistant Coach
Coach Lauren was team captain of the 2004 Olympic Synchronized Swimming team where she and her teammates earned a bronze medal. She was also a member of the Santa Clara Aquamaids for 16 years earning 10 national championship titles (team and individual) during her tenure there. Since her Olympic medal win she has been headlining synchro clinics and motivational speaking engagements around the world while navigating a Wall Street career in financial services and the chaos of having 4 kids. After a long break from coaching, she has returned to the sport with Sac Artistic Swimming which was inspired by her daughter’s love of the sport, and her longtime friendship with Head Coach Heather Freer (Wartanyan).
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed coming back to coaching. I love helping young athletes further develop their natural persistence, determination, dedication, heart and leadership skills, with respect for others not only through sport, but also in life.
“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves” - Steven Spielberg
Click to watch some of her video highlights:
Coach Laura Trejio
Assistant Coach
Coach Laura began her artistic swimming career in 1993 with the FEC Stingrays Synchronized Swim Team and continued to swim with them each summer until 2005. She then joined Sac Synchro Masters and competed with them at the XI FINA World Masters Championships in 2006 and at the Masters National Championships in 2008, 2011 and 2012. Laura coached the FEC Stingrays from 2004 through 2011 as both an assistant and head coach. She continued to volunteer as a choreographer for FEC for their 2012 through 2015 seasons. This is her first season coaching with SAS.
"This sport has been such a huge part of my life and I am excited to be back at the pool, teaching what I love. I look forward to seeing how much our athletes grow throughout the season."