Santa Clara Swim Club

10/13/2026

National Select Camp 🇺🇸🔔

Congratulations to Aiden Zhou on being chosen to attend the USA Swimming National Select Camps in Colorado Springs, CO, October 15-18, 2026! 🔥

10/08/2026

Go Isaac and Go Bears! 🔔

“I am proud to announce my verbal recommitment and continuation of my academic and swimming career to the University of California, Berkeley. It is my pleasure to thank coaches Kevin Zacher, Joey Gracia, and Ben Gibson for their assistance in this process as well as coaches Noah Yanchulis and Dave Durden along with the Cal staff who helped along the way. Go Bears! 🐻 “

10/07/2026

Go Violet and Go Badgers! 🔔

“I’m so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison! I would like to thank you my parents and my sisters for always believing in me and pushing me to be the best version of myself, Coach Kevin for knowing me better than I know myself, Coach Joey for being my hypeman, and everybody who has supported me throughout this journey. (Thank you Tere!) I would also like to thank Coaches Jack, Ted, Jennah, Johno, and Beata for providing me with this amazing opportunity. Go Badgers! “

09/25/2026

Throwback: The Courage to Dream Bigger 🏊‍♀️💙💛

At just 15 years old, Lynn Vidali left her home in San Francisco to chase something bigger.

She moved south to Santa Clara, rented a room with a local swim family, transferred to Santa Clara High School, and began training with legendary coach George F. Haines—sometimes four hours a day.

The decision changed her life.

Just months earlier, at 14, Vidali had set a world record in the 200-
meter individual medley. Two years later, she stood on the Olympic podium.

At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, 16-year-old Vidali won silver in the 400-meter individual medley, becoming one of Santa Clara’s young stars on the world’s biggest stage. Four years later in Munich, she returned to win bronze in the 200-meter individual medley.

But her legacy didn’t end with the Olympics.

At San Jose State, Vidali became one of the school’s pioneering female scholarship athletes, winning back-to-back AIAW national titles in the 100-yard individual medley. After college, she spent 34 years teaching physical education and coaching swimming—passing on the same opportunities that had changed her own life.

From a teenage girl with a dream in San Francisco to a world-record holder, two-time Olympic medalist, collegiate champion, and lifelong coach, Lynn Vidali’s story is a reminder of what happens when you believe you’re capable of more.

Sometimes, you have to leave the familiar to find out how far you can go.

That journey started in Santa Clara—and this October, we’re bringing her story home. 💙💛

Lynn will join our very own Head Coach Kevin Zacher as Co-Grand Marshal of the Santa Clara Parade of Champions! We can’t wait to celebrate with Lynn, Kevin, our SCSC family, and the entire Santa Clara community at the parade and throughout our 75th Anniversary Celebration Weekend.

Come celebrate 75 years of dreaming, training, and achieving with us! 💛💙



ThrowbackThursday

09/17/2026

Go Shareef and Hook’Em! 🔔

“I am extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to my academic and swimming career at the University of Texas at Austin! This would be impossible without support from my friends and family, especially my mom and sister. Another special thanks to my coaches and teammates at Santa Clara Swim Club. With extreme gratitude, I would like to thank to Coach Bob, Erik, and Trevor for this opportunity! Hook’em 🤘”

Congratulations, Shareef! 🔥

09/16/2026

Throwback Tuesday: Building the Next Era 🏊‍♂️💙💛

In 1985, Jay Fitzgerald took over as head coach of Santa Clara Swim Club, stepping into a program that had been shaped by the legendary George F. Haines.

But when Fitzgerald arrived, the program needed rebuilding. His goal was ambitious: create a complete swimming program capable of developing athletes at every level—from young swimmers taking their first steps in the sport to athletes competing on the international stage.

Over the next decade, that vision became reality.

By 1989, Santa Clara had returned to the top tier of American swimming, finishing among the top five teams at USA Senior Nationals for four consecutive years. In 1992, SCSC captured the USA Senior Nationals team title—a defining achievement of Fitzgerald’s tenure.

But Fitzgerald’s impact reached beyond the SCSC team standings.

During his ten years in Santa Clara, the Santa Clara International Invitational regained its stature as one of the finest summer swim meets in the world.

The Santa Clara International had become one of the defining stages of the sport—a meet where elite swimmers from around the world came to compete in the same pool where Santa Clara was developing its own champions. Over the years, the International Swim Center became the site of 23 world records, 333 American records, and 64 foreign national records, helping cement Santa Clara’s place on the international swimming map.

Fitzgerald understood that a great program wasn’t built in isolation. His own career reflected that international perspective. He coached U.S. national teams, including the 1989 USA National Team European Tour and the 1991 World University Games, and later contributed as a technical assistant for NBC’s Olympic swimming coverage.

And the athletes he coached carried that experience onto the world’s biggest stages. During his Santa Clara tenure, he coached multiple Olympic swimmers, continuing the club’s tradition of turning Santa Clara swimmers into international competitors.

Jay Fitzgerald built on Haines’ legacy, elevating SCSC, revitalizing the Santa Clara International, and carrying the club’s standard into a new generation. 💛💙

09/16/2026

09/15/2026

Congratulations to Violet Rutter on making the 2026-2027 USA Swimming Junior National Team! 🇺🇸🔔

https://swimswam.com/usa-swimming-names-97-swimmers-to-2026-2027-national-junior-team/

09/11/2026

Coach Kevin is speaking at ASCA World Clinic in Orlando, FL this week! 🔔

09/09/2026

Celebrate 75 years of SCSC! 🔔