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Wayne State University Athletics

Sean Peters

Sean Peters

UPDATED July 7, 2025
  • Concluded his 28th season as Head Coach at WSU in the Spring of 2025
  • Selected by the CSCAA as one of the top 100 Greatest College Swimming & Diving Coaches of the past 100 years (in December of 2021)
  • Has led the Warriors to their best seasons yet, winning 11 GLIAC titles with the women's teams (2006-18) and nine with the men's teams (2003-14)
  • Four-time CSCAA Women's Swimming National Coach of the Year (2009, '11, '12, '14)
  • Two-time CSCAA Men's Swimming National Coach of the Year (2007, '09)
  • 10-time GLIAC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year (2006, '07, '08, '10, '11, '12, '14, '15, '16, '18)
  • 10-time GLIAC Men's Swimming Coach of the Year (2002, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '09, '11, '13, '14)
  • 2011-12 women's squad was the first WSU team to earn an NCAA title since 1989
  • Since Peters' arrival, every men's and women's varsity swimming record has been broken
  • In the last 28 years (1997-2025), Peters has coached 298 First Team Individual All-Americans, 224 Second Team/Honorable Mention individual All-Americans, 99 First Team All-America relays and 65 Second Team/Honorable Mention All-America relays
  • Guided 41 Individual National Champions, and 14 National Champion Relays
  • Coached 228 Academic All-GLIAC honorees on the men's team (2002-25) and 279 recipients on the women's team (2002-25)
  • Coached 36 CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-American selections in school history, all coming in the last 21 years (2005-2025)
  • Mentored 32 GLIAC Commissioner's Award recipients in the first 18 years of the program (2008-25), including at least one in 17 different years.
  • Coached 24 WSU Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees (18 swimmers and 6 divers), including the most recent induction of Joaquin Abascal Gallegos, Gloria Martinez Perez and Elizabeth Rawlings in October of 2023, and Ellyson Maleski in 2024.

Sean Peters concluded his 28th season at the helm of the Wayne State swimming program in the spring of 2025.

Last season (2023-24), the women finished second at GLIACs and 12th nationally, while the men placed third at GLIACs and 14th at the NCAA Championships.  Freshman Khalil Ben Ajmia became the first WSU male swimmer to win a national title in the 1650 Free.  First Team All-Americans were Jordan Fox (800 Free Relay, 500 Free, 1000 Free, 1650 Free), Barbara Munoz (800 Free Relay), Megan Sieloff (800 Free Relay) and Alli Vassilakos (800 Free Relay, 500 Free, 1650 Free), Mikaela Senkus (3-Meter Diving, 1-Meter Diving), Ben Ajmia (500 Free, 1000 Free) and Max Wasiniak (3-Meter Diving).  Trevor Jones and Fox were both GLIAC Commissioner's Award recipients with Jones, Fox, Senkus and Vassilakos all earning Academic All-America honors.  Ben Ajmia was voted GLIAC Swimmer of the Year as well as Freshman of the Year.

For the 2022-23 campaign, Peters led the men's team to a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, while the women were among the top 10 in ninth place.  For the women, First Team All-Americans included Jordan Fox (800 free relay, 1000 free, 500 free, 1650 free), Barbara Munoz (800 free relay), Isidora Sekaric (800 free relay), Alli Vassilakos (800 free relay, 1000 free, 1650 free) and Mikaela Senkus (one-meter diving, three-meter diving).  On the men's side, earning First Team All-American status were Clayton Kinnard (400 medley relay), Hans Anderson (400 medley relay), Michael Wolsek (400 medley relay, 200 free relay), Luka Cvetko (400 medley relay, 200 free relay), Stewart Nowinski (200 free relay) and Trevor Jones (200 free relay).  Fox, Senkus, Cvetko and Nowinksi were named GLIAC Commissioner's Award winners, while all four of those plus Jones received CSC Academic All-American recognition.  At the Academic All-GLIAC level, the women matched their school record of 20 honorees, while the men finished with 13.

In 2021-22, Peters guided the men's team to a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, while the women finished 16th.  First Team All-Americans included Jordan Fox (500 Free) and Mikaela Senkus (one-meter diving) from the women's squad, along with Luka Cvetko (50 Free) and Michael Wolsek (100 Fly) and the 200 free relay quartet from the men's team.  Fox, Cvetko and Stewart Nowinski were GLIAC Commissioner's Award recipients with Cvetko earning Second Team CoSIDA Academic At-Large All-America honors.

Both squads were recognized by the CSCAA (College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America) for academic success during the Winter 2022 semester with 14 student-athletes receiving Scholar All-America accolades.

Despite the challenges of COVID during the 2020-21 academic year, Peters led the men's swimming and diving squad to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, while the women placed 21st with one swimmer (Jia Yi Koh) and one diver (Mikaela Senkus) qualifying in the reduced field size.

Both the men and women finished second at the 2020 GLIAC Championships, with swimmer Jordan Fox earning 2020 GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors.  With the guidance of Peters, Joao Martimbianco Ribeiro broke his previous GLIAC Meet Record in the 400 IM (3:49.74), while Jia Yi Koh, Kate Svisco, Haley Groteler and Fox broke the GLIAC Meet Record in the 400 free relay (3:24.40).  Overall, Peters led seven First Team All-GLIAC Individuals, seven First Team Relays, nine Second Team Individuals, two Second Team Relays, nine Third Team Individuals, and one Third Team Relay.

The 2020 NCAA Championships went unfinished due to COVID-19.  On the first day of competition, however, the Warriors reached All-American status in four events.  Amanda Hurchalla earned First Team All-American with a third-place finish on the three-meter board, while Ribeiro tallied an All-American Honorable Mention after a 16th-place finish in the 200 IM.  Both the men's and the women's 200 medley relays earned All-American Honorable Mentions as well.  Overall, nine Warriors qualified for a total of 23 individual events and nine relays.

Under Peters' direction, the women's squad finished second at the 2019 GLIAC Championships and the men placed third.  The Green and Gold notched victories in 17 events, while also breaking six GLIAC Meet records and three Cleveland State pool records.  At the 2019 NCAA Championships, the men finished fourth (compared to last season's 14th-place finish) and the women placed eighth (compared to finishing 20th last year).  The Warriors earned 10 First Team honors, six First Team Relays, 15 Honorable Mentions and three Honorable Mention Relays.  Sasha Palazzo was the 2019 National Champion in the 100 breast after finishing in a WSU record-breaking time of 52.24.  In addition to pool accomplishments, both teams were recognized by the CSCAA as Scholar All-America Teams for the Fall 2018 semester.  Ryan Katulski, Joao Martimbianco Ribeiro and Ashlen Michalski were three of 12 winter sport student-athletes honored with the GLIAC Commissioners Award.

Peters has led the Warriors to arguably their best seasons in school history, winning 20 GLIAC Championships among the two squads, including the 2018 Women's Swimming and Diving team, and finishing in the top 10 nationally 24 times.  He guided the 2011-12 women's team to the NCAA Championship and his women's squads have placed in the top seven at the NCAA Championships the past 10 seasons.  In addition, Peters oversaw two National diving titles in 2013.

Two years ago (2016-17), the women's squad placed 15 student-athletes on the GLIAC All-Academic teams, including seven members who were named to the All-Academic Excellence Team for having a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5.  In addition, Manuela Ferreira received a GLIAC Commissioner's Award for Academic and Athletic excellence.  It marked the 11th Commissioner's Award for the WSU women's swimming and diving program, tops among all Warrior teams.

The Wayne State women won the GLIAC title for the seventh straight year in 2015-16.  Prior to the 2014-15 season, WSU had swept the the team titles four consecutive seasons.  Both teams set GLIAC scoring records in 2013-14.  At the 2015 GLIACs, Till Barthel was named conference Swimmer of the Year and Dylan Szegedi was named the GLIAC Diver of the Year.

Wayne State has won 11 GLIAC Women's Championships in the last 14 years under Peters' watch, while the WSU men’s team has earned nine conference titles in the last 16 years and finished second the other six seasons.

Both teams finished inside the top five at the 2015 NCAA Championships. The men finished fourth and won three national titles - Szegedi (3M), the 200 medley relay and the 200 free relay all took home national titles.  In addition, the 200 free relay set a national DII record with a time of 1:18.89. The women finished fifth.

The WSU women's team placed second, while the men's squad placed third at the 2014 NCAA Championships, marking the first time since 2011 that both teams had finished inside the top three at the national meet.  Peters earned a ASCA Certificate of Excellence award for his team performance.

The 2012-13 men's and women's squads swept the conference titles for the third consecutive year, with the women's team winning the GLIAC title for the fourth straight year.  The women's team was the national runner-up, placing in the top two for the fifth straight year at the NCAA Championships.  The men's team placed fifth at the national meet.

The 2011-12 men's and women's teams successfully defended their conference titles, and the women's squad went on to earn the first NCAA Championship by any WSU team since 1989.  The men's team placed seventh at nationals in 2012.

The 2010-11 women's team won its fifth GLIAC Championship and was the national runner-up for the third consecutive season.  The men won the conference title and placed third at the national meet for the second straight year.

In 2011, the Warrior men posted its fourth top-three finish at nationals in the last five years, and seventh consecutive top-eight performance. The women’s team has made great strides in its annual performance at the NCAA Championships, placing 24th in 2006, 10th in 2007 and sixth in 2008 prior to the seven (2009-15) consecutive top-five finishes.

Wayne State has amassed a minimum of 52 individual and relay swimming national championships since 2009, including four in 2015, six in 2014, five in 2013, 11 in 2012, eight in 2011, 10 in 2010 and seven in 2009, ending a drought which - but for Don Mason's 1982 three-meter diving title - dated back 68 years.

Christer Tour became the first WSU national champion since Bill Prew in 1941 by winning the 100 breaststroke in 2008, setting school and national records.  Duarte Mourao won three titles a season later, while Sean Smith - the 2009 GLIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year - set a national record in the 100 back, and WSU earned two men's relay championships.  Joaquin Abascal Gallegos, the 2010 GLIAC Freshman of the Year, garnered two national championships in his rookie season.  Andrey Seryy won national titles in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles in 2011, and achieved the "three-peat" again in 2012.

Ashley St. Andrew became the first NCAA champion in WSU women's swimming history in 2009, winning the 500 and 1000 freestyles.  She successfully defended both titles in 2010 and added the 1650 free to her list of national championships.  Courtney Roberts won consecutive 100 breaststroke national titles in 2009 and 2010, while Cassie Chetosky became the first female diver in WSU history to win a national title as she took first place on the three-meter board.  In 2011, Sara Franklin earned her second consecutive national title in the 100 backstroke, as did Ana Gonzalez Pena in the 200 breaststroke.  Gonzalez Pena also won the 100 breaststroke and set NCAA meet records in both swims.  Franklin and Gonzalez Pena were part of the NCAA champion and record-setting 200 and 400 medley relays.

In addition to earning four relay titles in 2012, the WSU women's team accumulated four individual NCAA championships including two for Carol Azambuja (200 free, 200 back).

In 2013, Piotr Jachowicz won two national titles (200 IM, 400 IM), while the women's 200 medley relay successfully defended their title.  Divers Paige Kortman and Dylan Szegedi each won on the one-meter board as well.

Azambuja added two more individual titles in 2014, winning at both spring distances (50 free, 100 free). Kayla Scott (100 breaststroke), Kristina Novichenko (400 IM) and two relays also earned national titles in 2014.

Wayne State claimed back-to-back GLIAC titles with both the men's and women's programs in 2006 and 2007, joining Oakland University - which did it seven times between 1989-97 - as the only schools in GLIAC history to win both titles in consecutive years.  The 2008 women's squad went on to "three-peat" as champions and Elaina Hogle was named GLIAC Women's Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year, a feat she would achieve again in 2009 and 2010.

The men's team finished sixth at the 2008 NCAA Division II Championship, marking Wayne State's fourth straight top eight finish, one year removed from its third-place performance in 2007, which was its highest D-II finish ever prior to 2009.

Peters added to his growing list of All-Americans, including 271 First Team All-Americans, 191 All-America Honorable Mention individual recipients, 93 First Team All-America relays and 48 All-America Honorable Mention relays.

A 10-time GLIAC Men's Swimming Coach of the Year (2002, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '09, '11, '13, '14), Peters earned both the GLIAC Men's and Women's Coach of the Year award for the fourth time in 2014. He is a 10-time GLIAC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year having earned the award in 2006-07-08-10-11-12-14-15-16-18, and has garnered one or both of the awards every year but two (2017, 2019, and 2020) since 2002.

Peters is also a six-time CSCAA Division II Coach of the Year, having earned the CSCAA Women's Coach of the Year honor four times (2009, 2011, 2012, 2014) and receiving the CSCAA Men's Coach of the Year accolade in 2007 and 2009.

In 2005, the two-time reigning GLIAC champs finished second to Grand Valley State, 689 to 671.5, yet swept the postseason awards as David Lutz was named GLIAC Athlete of the Year and A.J. Erard the league's top freshman.

Since Peters' arrival at Wayne State, every men's and women's varsity swimming record has been broken.

Peters came to WSU after serving as an assistant coach for the men's and women's teams at Oakland University, where the Pioneers were Division II national champions in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

Prior to his coaching career, Peters swam at Oakland from 1991 to 1994, where he was a four-time NCAA National Champion, earning his first titles as part of the 200 and 400 Free Relay teams in 1993. In 1994, Peters served as captain and led the Pioneers to the national title. He anchored the championship winning 200 Medley Relay with a split time of 19.87 and his 400 Free Relay team defended its title. Peters also finished as national runner-up in the 50 Freestyle to an OU teammate. In total, Peters earned 13 All-America honors during his collegiate career.

Peters received his bachelor of science degree in environmental health from Oakland University. A native of Clinton Township, Peters is a 1990 graduate of Fraser High School. He and his wife, Kelly, were married in August 2004 and reside in Beverly Hills with their daughter, Claire.

 
SEAN PETERS' WSU COACHING RECORD
MEN WOMEN
Year GLIAC NCAA GLIAC NCAA
1997-98 4th --- 4th ---
1998-99 4th 26th 6th ---
1999-2000 4th --- 6th 17th
2000-01 2nd 14th 5th ---
2001-02 2nd T-15th 4th 23rd
2002-03 1st 15th 4th 28th
2003-04 1st T-12th 4th ---
2004-05 2nd 8th 3rd T-22nd
2005-06 1st 6th 1st 24th
2006-07 1st 3rd 1st 10th
2007-08 2nd 6th 1st 6th
2008-09 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd
2009-10 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd
2010-11 1st 3rd 1st 2nd
2011-12 1st 7th 1st 1st
2012-13 1st 5th 1st 2nd
2013-14 1st 3rd 1st 2nd
2014-15 2nd 4th 1st 5th
2015-16 2nd 18th 1st 7th
2016-17 2nd 16th 2nd 7th
2017-18 3rd 14th 1st 20th
2018-19 3rd 4th 2nd 8th
2019-20* 2nd N/A 2nd N/A
2020-21 2nd 9th 3rd 21st
2021-22 3rd 15th 2nd 16th
2022-23 4th 14th 2nd 9th
2023-24 3rd 14th 2nd 12th
 

* - NCAA Championships canceled after day two prelims due to COVID-19.