Coach Andrii Nikishenko brings over a decade of elite coaching and athletic experience to the Vineyard Vipers, where he has been a vital part of the coaching staff for 10 seasons (2016–present). He currently serves as the Head Aquatics Coach and Teacher at Southwest ISD and has an extensive background in both competitive coaching and high-performance athletic training.

Coaching Experience

• Head Aquatics Coach & Teacher, Southwest ISD (2024–present)
• Adaptive Swim Coach, Kinetic Kids Program (2022–present)
• Alamo Heights Aquatic Club (2025- present)
• Vineyard Vipers Coach (10 seasons, 2016–present)
• Assistant & Interim Head Coach, NCAA Division I programs (7 seasons, 2016–2023)
• Club Coach, Streamline Aquatics (2015–2025)
• Assistant Coach, Junior USA Pentathlon Team (2016–2019)

Andrii holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the United States and a Master’s degree in Physical Education with a specialization in Olympic Sports from Ukraine. An accomplished swimmer, he was an eight-year member of the Ukrainian National Team (2004–2012) and a 20-time national champion, earning a bronze medal at the Junior European Championships in Palma de Mallorca along with multiple international titles. In the United States, he was an NCAA Division II runner-up, six-time finalist, CCSA Division I conference champion, and a multi-time champion at USA Swimming Sectionals and Zones. Originally from Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine, he has lived in the U.S. since 2012 and brings a global perspective, strong technical expertise, and a passion for developing swimmers of all levels, playing a key role in the continued success of the Vipers.

Favorite Stroke: Backstroke and Butterfly

Favorite Treat: Bananas and Mango

Favorite Color: NEONS especially green

Favorite Quick Spot to stop for food or drink: Panda Express

Favorite Pump Up Song: anything Shakira and It's my Life by Bon Jovi

What I enjoy outside the pool: spending time with family, being a BIG fan of the SPURS and European Soccer, Participating in triathlon events of all levels - with a goal of being an IRONMAN in the near future.  

Sophia is in her 7th year coaching the Vineyard Vipers and 1st year as a Head Coach! Sophia graduated from Reagan High School where she was on the Varsity swim team, serving as a team captain. Sophia graduated from Texas A&M University with University Honors and a degree in Biomedical Sciences. She is working on her Master's degree in Medical Sciences at Texas A&M. Sophia has plans to attend medical school with a goal of being a sports medicine doctor. Sophia is on the Texas A&M University Club Swim Team and volunteers with Scotty's House, an organization that provides services to abused children in the Bryan/College Station area. She is a certified lifeguard and loves to teach kids how to swim, to improve their swim techniques, and to help athletes be faster competitive swimmers. She loves the Vipers (she swam on the Vipers from age 6 to 18) and is looking forward to this season! 

Favorite strokes: freestyle and butterfly 

Favorite candy: Kit Kat 

Favorite color: pink 

Favorite spot for a quick drink: Dutch Bros 

Favorite pump up song: The Adults Are Talking by The Strokes 

What I enjoy outside of the pool: Hanging out with my family, friends, and Siberian Husky, Mazzy! ask me to show you pictures :)

Fernando Ruvalcaba returns for his fourth season as the Assistant Head Coach with the Vineyard Vipers. A graduate of the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), Fernando is currently completing his first year of a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), specializing in Control Systems. In addition to his academic work, Fernando recently contributed to a research publication on autonomous vehicles presented at the Modeling, Estimation, and Control Conference (MECC). He brings a strong combination of technical expertise, discipline, and problem-solving to his coaching. Fernando also brings an impressive athletic background as a former member of the UIW Swimming & Diving Team and a former national team swimmer for Team Mexico. His international experience includes the 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships and the 2021 Junior Pan American Games. During his collegiate career, he set school records in the 100 and 200 Backstroke. As a certified lifeguard and passionate instructor, Fernando is dedicated to helping young swimmers grow in skill and confidence. 

Favorite stroke/event: 200 Backstroke  

Favorite candy: Gummy Bears 

Favorite color: Red 

Favorite go-to spot for a meal here in San Antonio: Taquitos West Ave or El Bucanero

Favorite pump-up song: "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC 

Outside of the pool: I enjoy building robots, working on modeling projects, electric circuits, and 3D printing. I also enjoy spending time with friends and playing sports like running, volleyball, ping pong, and golf.

Cora is a freshman in college and a proud Trinity Tiger! She has swam for ten years with Vipers and continues to swim in college. Cora is super excited to be back for her third year coaching. Her favorite stroke is Breastroke, and she has a love-hate relationship with the I.M. She prides herself in being fun and outgoing, always seeking kindness above all else. Her favorite candy is the 100 grand chocolate bar, but sometimes she gets a craving for Trolli sour octopus gummies. As an artist, she loves all colors, but has a particular fondness for green. She highly recommends Swig for a delicious snack or dirty soda. She enjoys extensive genres of music, but most commonly has "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi stuck in her head. She is also the number one biggest Dr. Pepper fan. Cora is so excited to see everyone again as well as meet new families, and hopes everyone has an amazing season. Go Vipers! " If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." -J.K. Rowling

We’re excited to welcome back Brayden Coleman for his second year as an Assistant Coach!

Brayden graduated from Reagan High School in 2025 where he was on the Varsity Swim Team and was a member of Reagan’s District Team. Brayden is now attending Texas A&M University where he’s studying Biomedical Sciences. He has 10 years of swimming experience with 4 of them being with Vipers. Brayden is on the Texas A&M Club Swim Team and also a general officer for the Aggie Optometry Association.

Brayden is a certified lifeguard and enjoys working with all age groups, and hopes to make everyone more confident when they get in the water.

• Favorite stroke: Freestyle
• Favorite color: Green
• Favorite restaurant: Maggiano's Little Italy
• Hobbies: Hanging out with family/friends, video games

Andy is a proud Junior Assistant Coach for the Vineyard Vipers who has basically grown up in the pool since joining the team at just 7 years old. Freestyle is his specialty, and he brings big energy and team spirit every time he dives in. His fuel of choice is a Twix, his favorite color is forest green, and his go to hangout spot is Chick fil A after a great practice. When it is time to get pumped up, you will hear "Remember the Name" by Fort Minor playing loud. Outside of swimming, Andy loves a good board game challenge and is always ready for some friendly competition.

Abigail was homeschooled and graduated in 2024. After graduating, she joined Analytics Automations LLC, where she developed and expanded the company’s podcast department. In this role, she traveled to produce podcasts across several states, including Tennessee, Oregon, Illinois, California and Texas. It was a valuable experience that she greatly enjoyed. She is now a freshman at UTSA studying Computer Science. She has swam with the Vipers for over seven years along with her 4 younger siblings. She has participated in several swimming events, including duathlons, and is currently a part of UTSA’s swimming club. Abigail loves volunteering and previously spent two years volunteering to assist Viper coaches. She also volunteers with American Heritage Girls, where she serves as a Unit Leader for the Pathfinders, teaching character development and new skills.

Her favorite stroke is freestyle, and her favorite candy is chocolate-covered espresso beans. She loves the color mustard yellow and enjoys grabbing snacks and hanging out at Chick-fil-A. Her favorite pump-up song is “This Is War” by Ben Kweller. In her spare time, Abigail enjoys drawing, writing, and exploring new interests, including coding, diverse cultures, and the natural world.