Davis​ AquaMonsters

Pete Motekaitis volunteers with the Davis Aquamonsters as the co-Director of the organization which includes three branches - swim school (learn to swim), Summer Rec swim team (local youth competition) and USA Swim Team (youth - National and International competition). In addition to his duties of overall leadership and innovative visionary of the AquaMonsters organization, Motekaitis serves as the Head Coach of the USA Swim team in our program, developing and training swimmers for national and international competition as well as developing swimmers for collegiate swim careers. 

 

Motekaitis enters his 21st year at UC Davis and his seventh season as associate head coach of the UC Davis women's swimming program. As head coach of the UC Davis men's swimming program for his first 15 years, Motekaitis guided the Aggies into conference and national prominence at his alma mater, culminating with a Big West Conference Championship during the 2010 season. Under his leadership, the Aggies won the conference title with a record 985.5 points, the most ever in a five-team field and set two schools records and hit 12 NCAA "B" Consideration times. He was named Men's Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

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Under his tutelage, Scott Weltz, who finished his Aggie career as one of the most decorated swimmers in UC Davis history, became the first UC Davis student-athlete in its Division I history to earn All-America honors after finishing 15th in the 200 individual medley at the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships. The 2006 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year was named Male Athlete of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010.

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Then in 2012, Weltz achieved an even loftier goal in his sport, qualifying for the Olympic Games in London. The Motekaitis protegé had placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke at the Olympic Trials, then upset Eric Shanteau and Brendan Hansen in the 200 breast final with a Trials record of 2:09.01.

 

At the London Olympics, Weltz finished third in his prelim (2:09.67), set a new PR of 2:08.99 in the semifinal, then finished fifth in a thrilling final with a 2:09.02 clocking.

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This marked the second time Motekaitis had coached an athlete to the Olympic Games. Eight years prior, he had mentored former Cal standout Haley Cope to three medals (including two gold) at the FINA World Championships, multiple World Cup gold medals and a silver medal at the Athens Olympic Games. In coaching both Weltz and Cope, Motekaitis was selected to the USA Swimming National Team staff as a personal coach for those respective seasons.

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For 15 years Motekaitis was the head coach of the highly successful Davis Aquadarts age-group program. While there he founded the popular Summerdarts program which is still in existence today. 

 

Motekaitis also served as head coach for the Davis Senior High School swimming program until 2008, garnishing 29 straight league titles, 19 Sac-Joaquin Section championships, and developed 37 High School All-Americans. 

 

Motekaitis is recognized by the American Swim Coaches Association as a Level 5 coach, an honor only 3% of all coaches share.  A 1983 graduate of UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in history, Motekaitis was also an All-American swimmer for the Aggies throughout his college career. As an educator, he earned a master’s degree in sports management & fitness from the University of San Francisco in 1997.

 

Highlights of Motekaitis’ Career

  •  Coached two Olympians (2004 + 2012)

  •  Coached ParaOlympian Mark Barr for 2004 + 2008

• Developed 2 National Champions & 22 All-Americans

• Developed 8 Individual Conference Champions

• Highest UCD men’s team GPA

• Coached 3 athletes who have won the NCAA post-graduate scholarship

• 29 league & 19 Sac-Joaquin Section Championships

• 9 LSC championship titles

• 5 National Age Group Record

• 2 National Public High School Championship team