Alto Coaching Staff

Joey Sementelli is the Head Coach of Alto Swim Club and Lead Coach for the National Group. Joey has been instrumental in developing Alto into one of the best club teams in the country. In 2019, Alto won 1st place at the USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championship. Under Joey’s guidance, Alto swimmers rank among the best nationwide each seaosn and have represented the team at the highest level meets locally and internationally, including Olympic Team Trials and the Olympic Games.

Learn More about Coach Joey Here

Laura Mitchell is the Head Coach of Alto Swim Club and Lead Coach for Senior 1. Laura has worked to elevate the team's performance and drive significant growth and success. In 2019, Alto won 1st place at the USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championship. In local championship meets, Laura has coached Far Western and Junior Olympic champions and Far Western and Pacific Swimming record holders. Prior to Alto, Laura spent 8 years with Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics as Head Coach and Owner of PASA (Stanford Site).

Learn More about Coach Laura Here

Dan Schemmel works primarily with the collegiate & post-graduate swimmers. Dan is the Head Coach of Stanford Men’s Swimming. Dan has led Stanford to multiple top 10 NCAA Championships and 2 Stanford swimmers competed at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

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Richie Barth - Head Age Group Coach
Richie Barth joined the Alto staff in 2022 as Alto's Head Age Group Coach and the Lead Coach for Age Group Gold and Age Group Silver. He has over 13 years of coaching experience internationally in Austria, Switzerland and California. Before moving out to California, Richie was a Senior coach at Bern Swimming Club (Switzerland), the Team Leader of Education and Training at Campus Sursee Sports Arena and Head Coach at Swim Team Lucerne. He has coached athletes to 22 Top 3 finishes at the Swiss Junior Age-Group Championships, 4 Top 3 finishes at Swiss Championships, and one Swiss National Single-Age Record (50 Freestyle, Womens 16-year-old). In the spring of 2022, Richie fulfilled a dream of his by traveling around California for 3 months, visiting swim teams from San Diego all the way up to the Bay Area. He loved having the chance to visit and observe more than twenty club and college programs and interact and learn from coaches at every level!

Alec Scott - National
Alec Scott has been with Alto since 2018 and is one of the Lead Coaches for the National Group. He was also an Assistant with the Stanford Men's Swimming & Diving team from 2019-2024, helping guide the team to three top-10 NCAA finishes and coaching three Olympians. At Alto, Alec has coached swimmers to over 100 Junior National cuts and 5 Olympic Trials qualifications. The team has earned 8 Sectional titles and won the 2019 USA Swimming National Championship. During his time with the Stanford men’s team, Alec helped coach 3 Olympians, Andrei Minakov, Ron Polosnky and Jonathan Tan. In NCAA competition, he helped Stanford to over 50 All-America honors and three top ten NCAA team finishes in 2022, 2023 and 2024. He also helped coach Andrei Minakov to the NCAA title in the 100 Butterfly in 2022. Alec holds a degree in Journalism and brings a thoughtful, competitive approach to coaching.

Dustin Fukuda - Senior
Dustin Fukuda is in his fourth year coaching with Alto as the Lead Coach of Senior 2 and assisting in all aspects of the team development. Dustin joined the Alto coaching staff with 12 years of coaching experience, most recently a Senior coach at Punahou Aquatics in Hawaii. In 5 years with Punahou Aquatics, Dustin developed multiple Junior National and National level qualifiers, Future's finalists and a USA Swimming Scholastic All American. Multiple swimmers ranked top 10 in the United States in their respective age groups. Additionally, Dustin served as a physical education teacher for Punahou School. Prior to coaching with Punahou Aquatics, Dustin was a Senior Coach at Kamehameha Swim Club for 5 years. Kamehameha won every Age Group and Senior Championship meet in Hawaii during his time with the team. Swimmers set a National Age Group record for a 15-16 year old boys relay and posted multiple nationally ranked swims. The club ranked as a United States Silver medal throughout the course of his tenure. Dustin competed at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He competed four years at Conference USA Championships and qualified for USA Swimming Nationals.

Kara Guenther - Lead Coach, Alpine Pool

Kara Guenther is the Lead Age Group Coach at the Alpine Pool. She was previously the Lead Coach for Alto’s Age Group Bronze and Age Group 2. She has been instrumental in developing Alto into one of the top Age Group programs in Pacific Swimming. Prior to Alto, Kara coached at Lakeside Aquatic Club where she coached multiple 12 & Under Groups. While at Lakeside, Kara excelled in coaching and developing multiple groups with Age Group Program at The Colony, Texas site. Lakeside has been recognized as a USA Swimming Gold Medal club. Kara grew up in the Dallas Metroplex and swam with Lakeside Aquatic Club. Kara had a successful swimming career with Lakeside Aquatic Club and competed at multiple Junior National Championship Meets. She continued her swimming success at the University of Wyoming where she was a finalist at the Mountain West Conference in 2017. Kara graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition.

Logan McLaughlin - Lead Coach, Greene Pool

Logan McLaughlin joined Alto from Indiana Swim Club, where he served as Head Coach and led the team to significant growth, including a top-three finish at the Indiana Senior State Championships and the development of the club’s first national team. He brings experience across all age levels. Prior to Indiana, Logan served as an Assistant Coach at Lawrence Swim Team, where he led the 10 and Under program with creativity and a focus on engagement. He also coached both the girls’ and boys’ swim teams at Hudson High School in Wisconsin, guiding varsity and JV athletes. His coaching journey began with Mako Aquatics, where he coached middle school athletes. Logan swam collegiately at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, where he was a four-time conference champion. He holds degrees in Mathematics and Civil Engineering, and applies a strong analytical approach to athlete development and season planning.

Melina Gold - Age Group
Melina Gold is in her second year coaching with Alto as the Lead Coach for Discovery 2 and Discovery 3. Melina joined Alto with over 10 years of experience teaching and coaching swimming. Most recently, Melina was Head Coach of the Mavericks Swim Club and the Half Moon Bay High School swim team for 2 years. During her time with the Mavericks, she coached athletes ages 6 -18 and helped athletes achieve multiple Junior Olympics and Far Western qualifying times. Melina also led the Half Moon Bay High School Cougars to winning two consecutive PAL - Ocean Division Championships. Prior to coaching with the Mavericks, Melina coached at the Bulldogs Swim Club for 5 years and helped grow the team's 12 and under developmental and competitive age groups. Melina’s love for swimming began at the age of 6. She was the age group national record holder in the 100m and 200m breaststroke for 6 consecutive years in her native country Bulgaria. She became an Olympic hopeful at the age of 14 with strong focus toward the Seoul 1988 Olympics. Melina is an American Swim Coaches Association member. In her spare time, Melina has been practicing real estate as a licensed realtor since 2015.

Michael Sheppard - Age Group
Michael Sheppard is in his second year with Alto Swim Club, serving as Lead Coach for Age Group 3 and Co-Lead for Age Group 1. He brings over a decade of coaching and competitive experience, most recently as Head Age Group Coach at North Coast Aquatics (2021–2024), where his athletes set team records and won the 2024 SDI Age Group Championships. Michael previously coached at Roadrunner Aquatics, CSU Bakersfield, Rhodes College, and Tucson Ford Aquatics, working with swimmers of all ages and levels. A former NCAA All-American at the University of Arizona, he also represented the U.S. on the Junior National and World Youth Teams. He holds a B.A. in History from Arizona and is passionate about inspiring young athletes to reach their potential.

Michael Skarzyske - Age Group
Michael Skarzyske brings over 20 years of experience teaching and coaching swimmers of all ages. Before joining Alto, he led the youth swim team at Flying Fish Swim School and helped develop the program’s instructional philosophy and technical standards. He played a key role in training and mentoring swim instructors at all levels. Michael is passionate about building confidence, teaching strong fundamentals, and helping athletes foster a lifelong love for the sport. He has also served in youth education and community engagement roles at Belle Haven Elementary School.

Michael Hung - Age Group
Michael Hung comes to Alto with 7 years of coaching experience. He works primarily with Age Group 3 and Age Group 1 and he assists with all levels of the Age Group Program. Michael started his coaching career with Kaneohe Swim Association in Hawaii, where he worked with athletes of all ages and levels including Hawaii Age Group Long Course State Championships qualifiers. From 2018 to 2022, he assisted with the Age Group and Senior programs at Punahou Aquatics. Michael is a current member of the American Swimming Coaches Association and he is involved in local swimming governance and organization.

Javier Gidley - Age Group
Javier Gidley joins Alto Swim Club as an Age Group Coach. He also serves as the Aquatics Development Coordinator at Alpine Hills Country Club, where he oversees all instructor lessons and schedules. In addition, Javier is the Head Coach of the Alpine Hills Manta Rays Summer Swim Team. He began teaching swim lessons in 2019 and previously coached with Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics. A former competitive swimmer, Javier competed for San Jose State University’s Club team and De Anza College’s Collegiate team. 

Tim Spurling - Age Group
Tim Spurling is an Age Group Coach at Alto Swim Club, and he assists with multiple competitive team groups at the Alpine Pool. Tim also leads the pre-competitive swim team and private lesson program at Alpine Hills Country Club. Prior to coaching with Alto, Tim taught at Menlo Swim and Sport at Burgess Park, where he discovered his passion for coaching and helping swimmers grow both in and out of the water. He grew up swimming in the Bay Area. He is committed to fostering a positive, supportive environment that empowers swimmers to build confidence, enhance their skills, and develop a lifelong love for the sport.

Audrey Hsi - Age Group
Audrey Hsi is starting her first year coaching at Alto working primarily with Age Group 1. Audrey was a student-athlete at Middlebury College as a four-year member of the Middlebury Swimming & Dive team. At Middlebury, she double majored in Biology and Anthropology. In addition to coaching at Alto, she is a PhD student in the Earth System Science Department at Stanford University.

Josh Rines - Senior and Age Group
Josh Rines joined the Alto coaching staff in 2019 and he has worked with both the Age Group and Senior programs. He currently assists at all levels of the team. Prior to coaching with Alto, Josh was an assistant coach with the Executive Swim Club in Manchester, NH. He was also involved in managing and coaching the Bates College Swim Camp in Lewiston, Maine. He has worked with swimmers of all ages and ability levels, from young age groupers to elite high schoolers. Josh graduated from Bates College where he was a student athlete and member of the swim team. During his college career, Josh was a two-year captain, school record holder, and helped lead the team into the NCAA national rankings for the first time. He graduated from Bates with a BS in mathematics and physics, and a concentration in art and visual culture. In addition to coaching, Jos is currently a PhD student at Stanford in Geophysics.

Aleksei Averchenko - Age Group
Aleksei Averchenko is an experienced swim coach and former elite swimmer with 25 years in competitive swimming. Coach Aleksei was a 12-time NCAA DII All-American, he set school records at Fresno Pacific University (FPU) and Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and was named PCSC Best Athlete in 2018-2019. He was also a member of the Russian National Junior Team (2010-2012) and a Masters Nationals multi-medalist. Coach Aleksei now focuses on developing young swimmers through technical excellence, endurance, and disciplined training.

Gaku Ito - Alto Team Manager
Gaku Ito is a Team Manager for Alto Swim Club. He brings nearly two decades of coaching and leadership experience. Gaku has coached with multiple local clubs, including Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics and the Pacifica Sea Lions. He excels in team operations, athlete development, and event coordination. With a strong background as a Head Coach, Masters Coach, Meet Director, and Zone Vice Chair, Gaku’s expertise in planning, organization, and communication supports Alto’s pursuit of becoming the premier swim team in the nation. His leadership on and off the deck ensures excellence at all levels of the club.

Thad Gunther - Alto Team Manager
Thad Gunther is a Team Manager for Alto Swim Club. Thad is a seasoned aquatics professional with over 15 years of experience in coaching, program management, and pool operations. He most recently served as Head Coach of Central Iowa Aquatics. Thad has led diverse coaching teams, secured long-term facility agreements, and managed all aspects of team operations, including budgeting, payroll, and community outreach. His career also includes leadership roles as a pool manager and head coach in Alaska and Minnesota, where he developed innovative programs and built strong swimmer development pathways. Known for fostering a positive, high-performance culture, Thad is committed to athlete growth and organizational excellence. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

Natalie Loredo - Alto Team Manager