Coaches & Directors

We are here to support your needs. If your questions are related to workouts, meets, events, goal setting, and other swimming related needs, please contact one of the coaches. For all questions related to administrative, such as dues, safety, or policy issues, please contact one of the board members.

Coaching Staff

Katie J Budahl

Head Coach

I love the sport of swimming and am very excited to be a part of a great swimming program. I am from Mitchell, SD and have swum competitively for 12 years. I went to college at the University of Minnesota and was a Gopher athlete for two years. I decided to move closer to home and finish my collegiate swimming at South Dakota State University as a Jackrabbit. I have one semester of school left before I finally finish my undergraduate degree. Along with being active, I enjoy coffee, the sun, and reading. Go BSC!

Keli Lynn Books

Consultant and Coaching Assistant

I am in my 4th summer season as the head coach for the Brookings Swim Club. I have been involved with swimming for many years! I swam with the Brainerd Minnesota YMCA Dolphins, with the Brainerd Warriors High School Girls Team and then went on to swim at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota. I taught Swim America Swim Lesson in Sioux Falls, SD. I have also coached a country club team and the Maple Grove Girls High School Team in Minnesota and spent a summer coaching at Stanford Swim Camp under the direction of Skip Kenney.

I am USA Swimming Certified and a Level 1 ASCA coach. I also manage the Swim America program in Brookings, SD and teach 5th Grade at Camelot Intermediate School.

Go BSC!

Wendy Ahrendsen

Assistant Coach

Wendy Ahrendsen has been with the Brookings Swim Club since the summer of 1998, and has served in various coaching capacities. Growing up in Manning, Iowa (a town of about 1500 in West Central Iowa) she began swimming at the age of 9 and continued swimming for a Summer League team (the Manning Sharks) until graduating from high school. After high school graduation, Wendy attended Wartburg College (a NCAA division III college in Northwestern Iowa) and received a bachelor’s degree in Math and Philosophy, followed by a Master’s degree in Mathematics from South Dakota State University. Although Wartburg did not have a pool, she continued to stay active in the swimming community by coaching the Manning Sharks in the summers from 1992 through 1997. Currently, Wendy coaches the Novice swimmers (silver and bronze groups).

Ellie G Hendricks

Swimmer and Assistant Coach

I am an assistant coach for the Brookings Swim Club and primarily coach the bronze level swimmers. I also help run the Swim America program in Brookings as the Deck Supervisor and love teaching young swimmers and helping them develop good racing technique. I enjoyed swimming for BSC for four years before going on to swim for the SDSU Jackrabbits. I stay busy as a pharmacy student at SDSU, but I have fun watching Jackrabbits sports (basketball, football, baseball) as often as I can!