Blaire Anderson

Texas A&M Director of Swimming & Diving

Blaire Anderson was named the first Director of Texas A&M Swimming & Diving in May 2024, bringing with her an exceptional track record of success at the collegiate and international levels. Anderson arrived in Aggieland after spending seven seasons on the coaching staff at the University of Virginia, most recently serving as associate head coach. In her new role, she oversees both the men's and women's swimming and diving programs following Texas A&M's decision to combine the programs in April 2024. Her appointment reflects the university's commitment to building a championship-caliber program under visionary leadership.

During her tenure at Virginia, Anderson played a pivotal role in establishing one of the most dominant women's swimming and diving programs in recent NCAA history. She helped guide the Cavaliers' women's team to four consecutive national team titles, while also contributing to the men's team achieving five consecutive top-20 finishes at NCAA Championships. Anderson served as the women's recruiting coordinator and primary coach for the upper middle distance training group, and she was instrumental in recruiting some of the nation's elite talent, including the No. 1 and No. 2 women's recruiting classes as well as the No. 3 and No. 9 men's recruiting classes in the NCAA. Among her most notable achievements was guiding U.S. Olympian Paige Madden to four individual national titles and ACC Female Athlete of the Year honors. Madden went on to represent Team USA at the 2023 Pan American Games, where she claimed individual gold medals in the 400m and 800m freestyle. The Virginia women's team claimed an ACC title in six of Anderson's seven seasons, never finishing lower than second in the conference during her time in Charlottesville.

Beyond her collegiate success, Anderson has demonstrated her expertise on the international stage, serving as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, and at the 2021 Short Course World Championships in Abu Dhabi. Her coaching career spans over a decade, including positions at Indiana, Dartmouth, and Brenau University, where she earned the 2014 NAIA Swimming & Diving Women's Coach of the Year award and was named Appalachian Swimming Conference Women's Coach of the Year three times. Anderson is a four-time American Swimming Coaches Association Coach of Excellence honoree and became the youngest head coach in the nation when she began her tenure at Brenau in 2010-11. Her comprehensive experience, proven ability to develop elite swimmers, and success in building championship programs position her to lead Texas A&M Swimming & Diving to new heights of excellence.

Chris Webb

Director of the Gain Swim Network

Chris Webb is a prominent American swimming coach and the director of Gain Swimming, a specialized dryland training program designed for elite athletes. With more than 25 years of coaching experience, Webb is widely recognized for his holistic approach to long-term athlete development, emphasizing physical literacy, movement quality, and sustainable performance.

Chris also serves as a high-performance coach for the Sarasota Sharks, where he works with world-class swimmers, including three-time olympic gold medalist Summer McIntosh.

Throughout his career, Webb has held leadership roles at several of the nation's top programs. He became head coach of T2 Aquatics in 2017 and previously led the Fort Collins Area Swim Team (FAST) to USA Swimming Gold Medal status and a third-place finish at the 2016 Summer Junior Nationals. Webb also coached olympic and national team athletes at Swimmac Carolina under olympic head coach David Marsh and contributed to the development of Carmel Swim Club into Indiana's first USA Swimming Gold Medal program. His career reflects a consistent commitment to athlete development and excellence at every level of the sport.

Abel Sanchez

Arkansas Diving Coach

2000 Diving Olympian (Peru)

Abel Sánchez is the Diving Coach at the University of Arkansas, entering his fourth year in the position after being selected to lead the Razorbacks diving program prior to the 2021-2022 season. Sánchez brings to Arkansas an impressive résumé built on decades of coaching excellence and personal athletic achievement. As a three-time All-American at the University of Michigan, Sánchez represented Peru at the 2000 Summer Olympics, establishing himself as an accomplished diver at the highest levels of international competition. His appointment to Arkansas reflects the university's commitment to building a championship-caliber diving program under experienced and visionary leadership.

Prior to joining Arkansas, Sánchez served as the head diving coach at the University of North Carolina from 2013-2018, where he completely transformed the school's diving program. During his tenure at Chapel Hill, Sánchez earned recognition as the 2017 ACC Men's Diving Coach of the Year and the 2016 ACC Women's Diving Coach of the Year. He brought in some of the most talented recruiting classes in the program's history, with numerous divers qualifying for the NCAA tournament and U.S. Diving Nationals. Many of his divers earned All-American honors, marking historic achievements for a program that had not seen such success in decades. Before North Carolina, Sánchez spent nine years at the University of New Mexico (2004-2013), where he was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2012. At New Mexico, he coached six Mountain West Conference champions, two NCAA All-Americans, 37 MWC finalists, and three divers who earned MWC Diver of the Year honors.

Most recently, Sánchez served as CEO and Head Diving Coach at Dive Calgary in Canada, where he helped build and develop the Western Canadian Regional Training Center. During his time in Canada, Sánchez and his staff identified and developed divers, three of whom competed on the Canadian National Team in the Junior Pan Am Games. His comprehensive experience in developing elite divers, combined with his proven ability to transform diving programs and his success at multiple levels of collegiate athletics, positions him to continue building excellence at Arkansas. Sánchez's coaching philosophy emphasizes creating a team environment conducive to learning, having fun, and winning—principles that guide his work with the Razorbacks diving program.

Genai Kerr

2004 Water Polo Olympian (USA)

Genai Kerr is an accomplished American water polo player who represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. As a member of the U.S. men's water polo team, Kerr competed at the highest level of international aquatic sports during a pivotal moment in American water polo history. His selection to the Olympic roster reflected years of dedication to the sport and his contributions to one of the nation's most competitive athletic programs.

Throughout his water polo career, Kerr developed expertise in the demanding sport that combines swimming, basketball, and rugby-like physicality in the water. Water polo requires exceptional athleticism, tactical intelligence, and teamwork—qualities that Kerr demonstrated during his competitive years. His participation in the 2004 Olympics placed him among an elite group of American athletes who have reached the sport's most prestigious international stage.

Kerr's Olympic experience contributed to the broader legacy of American water polo on the international scene. The 2004 Athens Games represented an important chapter in the sport's development in the United States, showcasing the talent and determination of athletes like Kerr who have dedicated themselves to excellence in water polo. His career exemplifies the commitment required to compete at the Olympic level and the pride of representing one's country in international athletic competition.

Friday, May 1

10:00 - Theron Pickle Scholarship Event @ TopGolf Austin

11:00 - Exhibit Hall Opens

1:15 - Meet the Speakers

2:15 - Region Meetings

3:00 - Liliana Ibàñez: The Triumph that Precedes the Medal

4:05 - Round Table Discussion

5:00 - Welcome Reception @ Hard Count Sponsored by BSN (Presented by Traci Neely)

8:00 - TISCA Legends

Saturday, May 2

General

Swimming

Diving

Water Polo

 7:30 - Breakfast

7:30 - TISCA General Meeting w/ UIL

9:00 - Refreshments

9:15 - Chris Webb: Achieving Excellence through Adaptability - Get Better with what You Got

11:30 - Exhibit Hall Give-away

2:45 - Chris Webb: Barbells, benches, and back squats - The double-edged sword of the weight room

3:30 - Happy Hour

5:30 - TISCA Awards Reception

 10:30 - Blaire Anderson: The Art of Taper

1:00 - Natalie Hinds

10:45 - Abel Sanchez

1:15 - Abel Sanchez

 10:30 - Genai Kerr

1:00 - In-Water Session

 8:00 - Continental Breakfast

10:45 - TISCA Board Meeting

 8:30 - Blaire Anderson

9:30 - Casey Pacheco: Lane By Lane - Building a Championship Swim Culture

 8:30 - Abel Sanchez

9:30 - Charles Collins

 10:30 - All-Star Games

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