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Lance Asti is in his third full season with the Clemson Swimming and Diving program, where he serves as recruiting coordinator and sprint coach. Asti has built a reputation for approaching each day with enthusiasm and has earned respect from the staff and student-athletes alike for his ability to connect with anyone he encounters.
Said Head Coach Chris Ip, "We are excited to have Lance on board. He has been extremely innovative in making a very competitive environment for our sprinters and has moved that program up to national recognition. He has definitely put together an unbelievable recruiting plan for us to draw upon the best student-athletes possible as recruiting coordinator. He's only been here a couple years, but has already elevated us several notches higher than I ever thought we'd be at this time."
Asti's contagious enthusiasm led to a strong 2007-08 season for his sprinters. He guided Rachel Regone to the ACC silver medal, NCAA "A" Qualifying Standard and school record in the 50 free (:22.54) while the women's 200 free relay won the ACC title for the second consecutive season in an ACC record time (1:30.60) and also qualified for the NCAA Championship with an "A" Qualifying Standard. Regone was joined at NCAAs by Alexandra Allen, Lauren Sindall, and Michelle Parkhurst.
The men's results last year also made Clemson's sprinters a force to be reckoned with. The men's 200 Free Relay was the fastest in the ACC (1:18.94) for the 2007-2008 season and broke Clemson's school record by a wide margin. The sprinters also contributed to school records in the men's 400 Free Relay (2:57.30), 800 Free Relay (6:36.37), and 200 Medley Relay (1:28.68). After putting three men in the Top 8 of the 100 Free and 4 in the Top 16 of the 50 Free at the ACC Championship, the Clemson sprinters proved they were the deepest in the ACC. Last year's sprint core now holds four of the Top 10 All-Time performances at Clemson in the 50 free and three in the 100 free, including Adam Farnham's ACC bronze winning performance in the 100 free (:44.01-2nd All-Time). Other notable swims last year for the men included Stephen Russell's :44.11 in the 100 free and :47.85 100 fly, Bryce Herrington's 1:38.86 200 Free, and Mark Vahle's :19.26 split at the end of the 200 Medley Relay.
Asti's sprinters also made their mark during the summer at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Omaha. Rachel Regone, Matt Balderston, and Stephen Russell made significant gains training for Olympic Trials and all saw lifetimes best swims in Omaha. Asti encourages all of his sprinters to train throughout the year and set their goals at both national and international levels.
Asti made his mark early in his first year at Clemson in 2006-07, coaching several athletes to impressive results. In his work with the women, Rachel Regone recorded a school record and NCAA "A" Cut in the 50 free and qualified in the 100 free. He also coached Lauren Sindall and Kallie Deters to NCAA qualifying marks in the 50 free. Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment in his work with the women is the 200 free relay team, which won the ACC title with a school/ pool/ meet record time (1:31.09).
His work with the men was equally impressive. Adam Farnham swam the 7th fastest time in Clemson history in the 100 free and a 7th-place finish at the ACC meet. At the time, Farnham's swims were 4th all-time and 8th All-time in Clemson in history in the 100 fly and 200 fly, respectively. Senior Mark Vahle had the 6th best time in Clemson history and finished 5th at the ACC meet in the 100 fly. The 200 free relay squad also broke the McHugh Natatorium record in the 200 free relay in 2006-07.
Asti attained his undergraduate degree in Child Development in 2001 from the University of Tennessee where he was an exemplary swimmer. Asti was an NCAA Honorable Mention All-American, Academic All-American, SEC Finalist, and multiple-time SEC athletic-scholar athlete. He was nominated for the SEC Community Service postgraduate scholarship, the SEC's H. Boyd McWhorter Scholarship, and the NCAA Walter Byers Post-graduate scholarship. In addition, he was named UT's Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1999-2000.
He was also an Olympic Trial participant in the 2000 Olympic trials, competing in the 50 Free and 100 Back.
After his career at Tennessee, Asti enrolled in Ohio University, where he earned his Master of Science in Coaching Education and was a graduate assistant coach with the swimming and diving team. He worked with both the men's and women's teams for the Bobcats and focused on sprint coaching and recruiting.
Asti showed promise early on in this position as his women sprinters took first and second place in the 50 free, won the 200 free relay with a pool-record time, and won the 400 free relay at the MAC Championships.
Following his tenure at Ohio University, Asti joined the Lexington (KY) Dolphins swim team, where he coached the USA team for three years. During his tenure, the squad grew to be one of the strongest in Kentucky.
Asti is married to the former Elizabeth Flynt, who was an NCAA All-American Diver and Scholar athlete at the University of Tennessee. She was also US National Champion in 1997 on the platform and an Olympic Trial Finalist in the same event. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy during the summer of 2007 and is a pharmacist at Hubbard-Young Pharmacy in downtown Clemson. The Asti's oldest child, Bryden, is three years old, while their son Gaines was born in the summer of 2007. The family also lives with their Golden Retriever, Shelby.
