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By Keith Peters
Palo Alto Online Sports

Spieker Pool at Menlo-Atherton High is presently empty and undergoing replastering and renovation. It couldn't be more appropriate, since the Bears' aquatics program is doing the same.

In just a matter of weeks, the Bears have hired a new boys' water polo coach and head swim coach and are presently searching for a new girls' water polo coach.

Thus, the 2013-14 school year will begin with an entirely new group of aquatics coaches for the first time in decades.

Former Stanford All-American swimmer Lori Heisick Stenstrom is the new head coach of the Menlo-Atherton boys' and girls' swim teams and Giovanni Napolitano takes over the boys' water polo team, as previously announced.

Girls' water polo coach Chris Rubin recently stepped down after eight years with M-A. A search is on for his replacement.

The most recent hire is Heisick Stenstrom, who comes to M-A with an extensive background in competitive swimming. She was a 17-time All American and NCAA champion at Stanford. She was also a member of the USA National Team for seven years, earning medals for the United States in the Pan Pacific, Pan American, and World University Games.

Heisick Stenstrom was an alternate on the 1992 USA Olympic Team after placing third in the 100-meter breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She also had the distinct honor of being a member of four American Record-setting medley relay teams.

While at Stanford, from where she graduated in 1993, Heisick Stenstrom was coached by the legendary USA Swimming Hall of Fame coach Richard Quick. She still ranks No. 7 all-time in Stanford history in the 100-yard breast and No. 11 all-time in the 200 breast. She was the NCAA champion in the 100 breast in 1991 and swam on five medley relay teams that won NCAA titles.

Among her teammates were Olympians Summer Sanders and Lea (Loveless) Maurer.

Heisick Stenstrom met her husband, former Cardinal quarterback Steve Stenstrom, while at Stanford. Stenstrom still holds the school record for career passing yards.

Heisick Stenstrom is a native of Edina, Minnesota where she recently was inducted into the Minnesota Swimming Hall of Fame.

Her coaching career began locally at Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA), the No. 4-ranked USA Swimming club program in the country. At PASA she has worked with swimmers ranging from novice to the Junior National level.

Rubin steps down after guiding the Bears to a 157-68-1 record during his tenure. He guided the M-A girls to their first-ever Central Coast Section title in 2007 and a second crown in 2010, plus three runner-up finishes.

Napolitano steps up from his position as the Bears' JV coach and assistant varsity coach to take over the boys' varsity following the retirement of Dante Dettamanti, who guided the Bears to the PAL Bay Division title this season and a second-place finish in the CCS Division I playoffs.

Napolitano grew up playing water polo in Italy and played professionally for many years. He has coached locally at Woodside and Palo Alto highs before joining M-A this past season.

— Palo Alto Online Sports

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