NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head swimming & diving coach Ryan Evans has announced Keely Lacina as the program's new assistant swim coach.
Lacina joins the Redbirds after spending the past two years as a graduate assistant with the Northern State swimming & diving program while pursuing a Master of Science in Sports Leadership and Performance. She will primarily oversee Illinois State's mid-distance and distance swimmers.
"I am very excited to have Keely joining the Illinois State Swim and Dive staff," said Evans. "We had a tremendous pool of candidates, and Keely stood out from day one with her professionalism and motivation to help elevate Redbird Swimming and Diving."
During her time at Northern State, Lacina gained experience in nearly every facet of a Division II swimming & diving program. She assisted with recruiting efforts, coordinated official and unofficial visits, developed practice plans for multiple training groups throughout the season, led training sessions, organized team travel and meals and helped oversee student-athlete welfare. She also supported the program's fundraising initiatives, helping raise more than $20,000 for team travel and expenses, and revitalized Northern State's Water Wolves swim lesson program by implementing a new scheduling model that generated more than $25,000 each semester to support team operations.
Lacina also has experience assisting with the Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks swimming & diving camps, gaining experience with two of the nation's premier collegiate swimming programs.
Outside of her collegiate coaching experience, Lacina has coached with the Aberdeen Stingrays since September 2024, where 95 percent of the athletes in her training group qualified for the state championships during her first season. She previously coached with the Mandan Marlins Swim Club, emphasizing technical development, injury prevention, mental wellness and long-term athlete development.
Before beginning her coaching career, Lacina competed collegiately at the University of Mary, specializing in the freestyle and backstroke. She earned her bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Mary in 2023.
"I had the opportunity to coach Keely while I was at the University of Mary," said Evans. "I have enjoyed watching her grow as a coach over the last few years. Her experience at Northern State, coaching club, and her time spent at the University of Texas and University of Kansas swim camps have prepared her well for this opportunity. I know she is committed to developing a strong coach/athlete relationship with each student-athlete on the roster, and I am confident she will make an impact on day one."
Evans also announced that Sienna Breton will return as the Redbirds' diving coach for the 2026-27 season. In her first year with the program, Breton helped guide Emma Thompson to a ninth-place finish in the 3-meter dive and a 15th-place finish in the 1-meter dive at the Missouri Valley Conference Swimming and Diving Championships. She also coached Bayley Fowler to a 13th-place finish in the 1-meter dive at the conference championships.
"I am thrilled to welcome Sienna back to the Redbird Swim and Dive family," said Evans. "During the interview process, it was clear that Sienna has a deep passion for Illinois State and the student-athletes. When I shared the news with the divers that she was returning, they were very excited. That is a testament to Sienna's commitment to developing strong coach/athlete relationships with every student-athlete. I am looking forward to seeing our divers continue to improve under her guidance. "
