Coaches and Parent Club Volunteers

We are here to support your needs. If your questions are related to workouts, meets, practice schedules, group assignments, goal setting, and other swimming related needs, please contact one of the coaches.

For all questions related to the administration of the team, such as membership, escrow accounts, fundraising, or other activities of the 
Parent Club, please contact one of the board members or the parent volunteer in charge of the specific activity.

Coaching Staff

Teresa Fightmaster

Head Coach

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With 30+ years of experience within the swimming world not only as an athlete but coach, Teresa brings a wealth of experience as well as knowledge to our LCFY Sharks swimming program. She is a high-energy coach who truly enjoys working with student-athletes to explore their inner most capabilities. She is a firm believer in quality training with the emphasis on proper stroke mechanics specific to each individual.
 
Her responsibilities include overseeing the LCFY Sharks swimming program as a whole, directly coaching the Gold and Silver training groups as well as running the swimming lessons program. Teresa has developed Sectional qualifiers, Grand Prix qualifiers, YMCA National qualifiers, Quad qualifiers, Zone and Age Group individual and relay champions and qualifiers, consistently placed swimmers in the Top 16 in the Country for the past 7 years and had Age Group Individuals as well as Team Hi Point winners. She was the Ohio Age Group Coach of the Year for the 2006-2007 seasons and has served 2 times as an Ohio Zone coach.
 
Personal highlights include:  2-Time Ohio High School State Champion and Runner-up in the 100 breaststroke, Full-Athletic Scholarship to The Ohio State University, 5 time NCAA All-American, 3 time Individual Big Ten Champion, 4 year All- Big Ten selection, Big Ten record Holder 50 Yard Breaststroke, Co-Captain, 1984 Olympic Trial qualifier, and National Team member at the World Student Games in 1983.
 
Teresa has a BS in Psychology as well as a Master’s in the Psychological Sociological Aspects of Sport. In 2002 she was inducted into The Ohio State University’s Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2004 to her High School Alma Mater, Newark High School Hall of Fame as only the 2nd female ever to have received such award.
 
Teresa’s coaching credentials include Age Group, Middle School, High School, Master’s, as well as Assistant Swimming Coach for the Men’s & Women’s programs at Texas A & M University and Assistant Women’s coach at The University of Illinois. She also spent a year teaching at The United States Coast Guard Academy.

 

Catherine Carney

Assistant Coach

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Cathy has been involved in the world of swimming for more than 35 years, participating in learn to swim lessons through the Red Cross, then competing on swimming teams governed by the AAU, USS, YMCA, and NCAA. While a member of the Northern Pikes Swim Club of Ausable Forks, New York, Cathy competed in the inaugural Empire State Games in 1980. She then moved to Connecticut and represented the Wilton Y Wahoo’s at YMCA Nationals and USS Junior Nationals from 1980 to 1985. She competed at the college level as a scholarship athlete for Purdue University from 1985 to 1989, establishing school and pool records in distance freestyle and earning Academic All Big Ten honors.
 
While in her senior year at Purdue, Cathy also served as a volunteer coach for the Lafayette Jefferson High School Girls swim team. Always a technician, coaching young high school swimmers reinforced her understanding of the importance of solid fundamental skills for all levels and all ages of swimmers. After graduating with a BS in Agriculture, she continued to refine her techniques as a swim instructor and coach, including four years with the swimming programs at the Worthington Swim Club.
 
Cathy’s duties as an assistant coach for the LCFY Sharks include coaching the Pre Swim Team and Bronze groups which allows her to share her passion for swimming and her technical expertise with young swimmers. She also serves as the club’s Safety Coordinator for USA Swimming.
 
Cathy is also a 4-H advisor in Knox County with the Wild Columbia Tigers, maintains and shows a flock of registered Shetland sheep, and runs a small fiber and yarn business featuring wools from her flock. She has a daughter who swims for the LCFY Sharks and who also competes in 4-H and open competitions with poultry and sheep.

Kalani Friend

Assistant Coach

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Kalani’s love of coaching swimmers was born when she participated in her internship at the Tiffin YMCA as part of her BS in Physical Education Recreation/Sports Management requirements while at Heidelberg University. An athlete during both high school and college, she competed in basketball, volleyball, and tennis, and taught swimming lessons as well.

During her internship, Kalani worked with the Tiffin Torpedoes YMCA swim team and the Tiffin Columbia High School swim team, applying the basic swimming skills she had been teaching in learn to swim classes to competitive swimmers. She fully believes that each and every swimmer she works with should have the opportunity to master basic swimming skills as well as good sportsmanship.

Kalani works primarily with our younger level swimmers (Bull Shark- Great Whites) and helps coordinate the swimming lessons program at the Licking County Family YMCA.

Susan Bowen

Assistant Coach

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Susan started competitive swimming 10 years ago with the Licking County Family YMCA Swim Team, but has been around pools her entire life.  She was a varsity swimmer for Newark High School; lettering her Junior and Senior years.  This is Susan’s fourth year as a coach for the LCFY Sharks. She was also a volunteer coach for Newark’s swim Team during her Freshman and Sophomore years of college.

Susan is a 2005 graduate of Newark High School.  She is currently attending Ohio University and plans to graduate in the spring of 2010 after completing an internship with the Therapeutic Recreation Department of Columbus Parks and Recreation.   During college Susan was a member of the Women’s Club Water Polo Team.
 
Susan’s favorite part about coaching is being able to spread her knowledge of swimming with young children.  She likes helping children develop their strokes and seeing them achieve their goals.  Her future plans include graduation, obtaining a job in Therapeutic Recreation and, of course, coaching.

Kasja Wermelin-Hammack

Head Dry Land Coach

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I have worked in the fitness industry for 15 years. I am a Certified Spinning instructor, Pilates instructor, Personal Trainer. I work full time at the Licking County Family YMCA as the Department Head of the Women & Youth Fitness Center , where I teach Pilates Reformer and I am the Department Head for the Cycling Department, where I also teach. I am also the Fitness Director for the Activate Youth Program.



Board of Directors

Mike Darby

Co-Vice-President

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Dennis Fenimore

Co-Vice-President

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Laura Bednarski

Co-Secretary

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Jen Bunstine

Co-Secretary

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Scott Evans

Co-Treasurer

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April Hercenberg

Co-Treasurer

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Kelly Fenimore

Head Official and Entry Chair

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Valerie Postle

Entry Chair

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Jen Seas

Fundraising Chair

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Cathy Untied

Webmaster and Membership Chair

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Helen & Jeff Hall

Shark Bites Cafe

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Joni King

Team Apparel and Equipment Coordinator

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