Sailfish Swim Club

Sean Oxner (founder, head coach, CEO) has been coaching for over 25 years. He was a high school teacher for 6 years and has been coaching swimming full-time now for 20 years. He graduated from the University of South Carolina (Philosophy) and Madonna University (Education). As a swimmer, he swam for Michigan State University. Coach Oxner has coached 4 Olympic swimmers, 2 US Olympic Trial qualifiers, several All-Americans, and several National, Junior National, and Sectional qualifiers. Many of his swimmers have gone off to swim in college and some have even been NCAA champions and World Record holders. In addition to coaching Sailfish, he is the head swim coach for Walled Lake United boys and girls high school teams as well as the middle school swim coach. He has coached swimming in Florida, South Carolina, Michigan, and Internationally in Egypt and Ireland. When coaching in Alexandria, Egypt, he had swimmers break 6 national Egyptian records. Coach Sean has two sons- Adam, who was a Michigan high school state champion in breaststroke (South Lyon) and swam for and graduated (Computer Engineering) from the National Champion University of Michigan (part of four Big Ten championship and one National champion teams), and Levi, who was a diver at South Lyon East High School and graduated from Michigan Tech University with two engineering degrees. As the head swim coach at Walled Lake United HS teams, the boys swim team broke 11 new school records, had had several All-State swimmers, All-American Consideration swimmers, and three All-American times with the fastest 200 freestyler of all divisions in the State of Michigan. The girls have broken 7 high school records. Overall, Coach Sean has sent swimmers off to swim at many college programs including University of Michigan, University of Georgia, Indiana University, University of South Carolina, Texas A&M, Florida State University, University of Missouri, Georgia Southern, University of San Diego, Edinboro University, St. Leo University, University of Tampa, Indian River College, Grand Canyon University, Oakland University, Grand Valley State University, Aquinas College, Wayne State University. Just recently, Coach Oxner has opened a new swimming pool site in Livonia as he has helped rejuvenate the old Livonia YMCA pool (now called Sailfish Swim Club pool). In Livonia, Sailfish will conduct the best swim lesson program around in addition to creating and adding new champion competitive swimmers.

We are very excited that Kelton has decided to join the Sailfish Swim family as he will assume the head coach duties at the Livonia site. Kelton swam for Eastern Michigan swim team where he made the All-MAC squad 4 years in a row. His highest place was 3rd in the 200 yard breaststroke. After his swimming career ended he turned to coaching. He began at a team named Aquademics, a minority team in Ann Arbor; there he placed swimmers at the State meet while coaching at the Michigan swim camps in the summer. From there he coached at the Ypsilanti Otters where the team set 50 club records and placed 11th in the 12 and Under State meet and had multiple swimmers place at the open states and zone meets. He rose up from a high school coach at Ann Arbor Huron where they won the Division 1 state title and the following year they were State runner ups. Coach Kelton was Coach Sean's son's coach and helped him to become the State Champion in the 100 breast in 2010. Kelton was named the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Coach of the Year, becoming the first African American to receive this award. From there Kelton took over CW where he has had numerous swimmers go on to swim in Division I, II and III schools and more than a dozen go to Olympic trials this year alone, CW has won Sectionals under Kelton, placed 5th at NCSA Junior Nationals, 15th at Speedo Junior Nationals. Kelton has great connections at EMU, UofM, WSU, Ohio State and other colleges. He has successfully managed the CW swim club with more than 300 swimmers.

Coach Sallie has been a USA Swimming certified Coach since 2015, and nothing gets me more excited than seeing swimmers improve and reach their goals and fall in love with the sport I am so passionate about! As an Assistant Coach with Sailfish Swim Club since 2019, her main coaching focus is our younger age group swimmers 5-12. The focus at these ages is developing core strength, a good aerobic base, proper kicking and of course good technique habits in all 4 strokes. Training is only one part of being a successful swimmer; our Sailfish athletes must also be good teammates and commit to a Safe Sport environment. Coach Sallie grew up in Plymouth, MI where she learned to swim at the age of 5 and continued swimming competitively until her freshman year at MSU. An illness derailed her swimming career for decades, and she did not return to the sport until 2015, joining Michigan Masters Swimming and becoming a Level 3 Masters certified Coach. Accomplishments: * 2020: Fina World Top 10, 1500 Free *2021: Open Water All-American 2019- present—20 Top Ten records: LCM: 1500,800, 400, 200 Free & 200 Back SCM: 1500, 800, 400, 200, 100 Free & 200 Back SCY: 1650, 1000, 500, 200, 100 & 200 Back Contact: nowrnkls@gmail.com