Quest’s Dudley Duncan Announces Retirement; YOTA’s Chad Onken Joining Program

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Photo Courtesy: Andy Ross

Dudley Duncan, an owner of SwimMetroManagement and Quest Swimming outside of Richmond, Virginia, has announced his retirement. He will be stepping down from his on-deck coaching duties with Quest Swimming in January of 2019. The primary coach for USA Olympians Whitney Hedgepeth (1988 &1996) and Rada Owen (2000), Dudley will be devoting more time to his business ventures and will remain the CEO of Quest Swimming. A 2017 inductee to the International Swim Coaches Association (ISCA) Hall of Fame, Duncan will continue to oversee all “dry-side” operations of the program and remain active in other business activities with SwimMetro and Quest.

Chad Onken will be joining Quest as a Co-Head Coach. Current assistant coach John Smithson will be elevated to Co-Head Coach.

“Some say that you know when it is time to stop coaching and turn the page to another chapter of life. My time has actually been pending on the readiness of John Smithson and Chad Onken to accept the leadership for Quest Swimming. It is an exciting time when youthful maturity can guide the program into the future.”

Coach Chad Onken will be joining Quest Swimming as Co-Head Coach of the program. Onken comes from the YMCA of the Triangle Area (YOTA) program where he served as the Head Coach/Senior Director of Competitive Swimming for the past 12 years. Primarily known for the discovery and development of world record holder, NCAA Champion, and 2008/2012 US Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones, Chad has almost 20 years of successful championship coaching experience throughout age group, high school, YMCA, and NCAA championship swimming. In addition to being a Level 5 certified coach by the American Swimming Coaches Association, Chad is also a six-time recipient of the ASCA “Award for Coaching Excellence” and a member of the ASCA Board of Directors.

During his time at YOTA, Chad oversaw a program that broke several North Carolina state records, recorded numerous USA Swimming Junior and Senior National time standards, broke 100+ YOTA team records, won dozens of YMCA National individual and relay titles, set a number of YMCA National records, and broke 3 National Age Group records. In addition to coaching multiple athletes to the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials, Chad Onken coached athletes to spots on various US National Junior Teams, as well as a medalist at the Youth Olympic Games.

The YOTA Swim Team was crowned the 2010, 2011, and 2012 Men’s YMCA National Champions and 2014 Women’s YMCA National Champions under Coach Onken’s leadership.

Chad also has NCAA championship experience as well. Prior to his time at YOTA, Onken was an assistant at Auburn University and NC State University, coaching a number of conference and NCAA champions while helping the Auburn Tigers capture the 2006 men’s and women’s NCAA Championship team titles. Chad is very happily married to the former Lauren Romano, also of Midlothian, Virginia. They have an adorable schnoodle puppy named Bowden and are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Marilyn and Charlotte.

Says Chad about the move to Virginia,

“This is an amazing opportunity for my family and I to return to our hometown and be a part of something special at Quest. Dudley and I have been talking about this happening for a number of years. It’s very surreal and tremendously exciting to finalize the details and to come back home. In addition to being my coach throughout my high school years, Dudley is one a friend, a mentor and is almost like a second father to me. I can’t wait to be on deck back in my hometown – the future is very bright for Quest Swimming!”

Coach John Smithson, an assistant coach with Quest since 2004 and an integral part of the program’s rise to national prominence, will be elevated from his current role as Assistant Coach to Co-Head Coach as well.

“John and Chad will be excellent leaders for Quest Swimming. They are of similar age and experience. Their goals for the team are shared goals to elevate the experience for all swimmers at all levels. The Quest motto is – We are dedicated to teaching the Art of Swimming and to perfecting the Game of Racing. I feel the two of them are the best that I know to carry out the Quest motto into the future.”

Quest Swimming is a 260-person competitive swim team in the Richmond, Virginia area that has been recognized as one of the top 100 swim clubs (Silver Medal) in the country by USA Swimming. Quest is the home team of current US National Team members Clark Beach and Jeff Newkirk.

— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Quest Swimming. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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