Coaches
Head Coach – Casey Hnatiukcjhnatiuk@hotmail.com
Coach Casey comes to us from Valparaiso, Indiana where he was the
head coach of the Union Township swim club from 2002-09. While there, he coached a junior national qualifier, high school state champion, numerous sectional, zone and age group state medalists. Fifty percent of his swimmers consistently qualified for all levels of the state championship meets. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Hobart high school, and also the head coach of the Hobart Tiger Sharks. During that time, he also became an A.C.E. Certified personal trainer, working with L.A. Fitness. Before he started his coaching career, he spent six years in the Army in military intelligence as a voice interceptor; ending his term of service honorably as a sergeant.
Coach Casey has lived in Woodridge for the last five years with his wife, Gina, and three children, Jordan (14), Sydney (5) and Jaxson (5). After working with Lyons Township high school and serving as the lead coach for the Blue group during the 2009-10 winter season, Casey was named the head coach of Lyons Swim Club in the summer of 2010, and is now responsible for the entire team. He also serves on the Senior Committee for Illinois Swimming.
Casey’s personal swimming career started for the Wood Dale park district summer league as an 8 yr old, culminating at Fenton high school in Bensenville. During that time, he was an age group state champion, high school state qualifier, and swam with a high school state champion and Olympic Trial qualifier.
Throughout his career, Casey has had many achievements: Twice named Sectional coach of the year at Hobart, he was the Post Tribune coach of the year (2003), conference coach of the year twice, 2 Army commendation medals, 3 Army achievement medals, and also achieved Level 3 from A.S.C.A. He was also recently named an A.S.C.A. fellow, class of 2011.
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Head Developmental Age Group Coach – Nelly Musso Coach Nelly is responsible for Red Team and White Team. She has Coach Nelly is married to Scott Musso, who is president of the local Not-For-Profit, Wilderness Adventures, which takes inner city youths to pristine wilderness areas in the Boundary Waters. She has three beloved children, Lilly (8), Aiden (5) and Avery Lane (3).
Assistant Coach – Alison Credit Coach Credit is an alumnus of Lyons Township High School. While at L Coach Credit has returned to coaching after taking a break from teaching math and coaching swimming & water polo at Deerfield High School and with COHO Swim Club. She and her husband, Rob, decided to move back to LaGrange in 2006 to be closer to and focus on family. They have three children and two Golden Retrievers. Weston and Grace are Lyons Swimmers and Reagan may be someday! Alison likes to approach coaching the same way in which she teaches – always thinking about what’s best for kids. She enjoys helping kids of all ages and abilities reach their potential. Assistant Coach – Doug Eichstaedt Doug Eichstaedt joined the Lyons Swim Club at the age of 8 and has been with the club ever since. Swimming Doug spent much of his childhood at the North Campus pool swimming with the club. While attending Lyons Township High School, he was a three-year state qualifier in swimming. (You still might find some pictures in the balcony) He coached the WSSC swim team for many years and started coaching the swim team in 2000. Doug became the head coach of the swim club in 2002 and returned to an assistant role in 2004. He currently works with the Blue Group. Water Polo His playing career began his freshman year in high school and has been addicted ever since. Doug played water polo at the varsity level for four years and capped his high school career with a 4th place finish in the Illinois Water Polo State Championships. He went on to play four years of club water polo at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Doug spent two of those years as the Head Coach and player. After college, he became involved with the Lyons Water Polo team as well as the LTHS boys varsity water polo head coach. Doug continues to be the head coach of each. The water polo team has grown into a year-round program and continues to expand. Doug is also involved with the United States Water Polo Olympic Development Program as the head coach of the u18 Midwest girls team. Away from the Pool Doug attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison and earned a degree in History and Political Science. He went on to earn his teaching certification and a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Learning. Doug has been teaching 7th/8th grade U.S. History in Oak Park since 2003.
Assistant Coach - Megan Jensen I started swimming when I was 8 years old for the Elmhurst Park District and swam until I graduated from York High School in 1993. Throughout those years I swam for the Park District, Elmhurst YMCA, Elmhurst Swim Team and York High School. I went to the University of Iowa where I studied Environmental Studies and graduated in 1997. I starting coaching swimming during college at the Wooddale Park District the summer of 1994 and I then coached with the Iowa City Swim Club from 1994-1995. After graduating college I coached the Elmhurst Masters Swim Team in 1998. Then I went to work at Environmental Monitoring & Technologies (EMT) in Morton Grove. This is where I met my husband Eric. Between then and now I have coached at the Villa Park Park District and the Bensenville Park District, received my Master’s degree in Education, and taught 6th grade science for a couple of years in between having my 3 kids. I also went back to coaching the Elmhurst Masters and did that from 2004-2009. The last Masters swim meet I competed in was in 2006, but hope to do another one in the near future. Currently I work part time for EMT and coach 2 AYSO soccer teams. Eric and I live in Elmhurst with our 3 kids, Jay (9), Rose (6), and Tim (3). Assistant Coach – Kurt Johnskjohns@LTHS.NET Kurt began swimming competitively when he was 8 years old for Lyons Swim Club. He was a team captain and 3 year state qualifier while attending Lyons Township High School. Kurt continued to swim for the next 4 years at Eastern Illinois University where he was a team captain and a school record holder. Kurt began coaching in the summers as head coach of Village Field Club in LaGrange Park where he spent the four summers during college. After his college eligibility was up, he was an assistant coach at EIU for 1 year as he finished his degree. Kurt spent 7 years as the head boys swimming coach at Naperville North High School where his teams finished in the top 10 at the IHSA state meet 5 times, and finished 3rd in 2007. During this time at NNHS he coached several All-State and All-American swimmers. In addition to coaching swimming at Naperville North, Kurt worked as a PE teacher as well as coaching with Maverick Swim Club for the past 8 years. Kurt is now a PE teacher as well as the head girls swimming coach at Lyons Township High School and is excited to begin working with Lyons Swim Club. Assistant Coach – Dana Krolikiewicz I was a competitive swimmer for 12 years, swam on the Elmhurst Swim Team, York High School swim team, and for Eastern Illinois University. My favorite events are the 500 and the 1650. I have 8 years of club and high school coaching experience. My last swim meet took place at IUPUI and I swam the 1650 with a broken big toe (after I was on crutches for three weeks). Assistant Coach - Maura Naughton Maura began swimming at the age of 9. Swimming for the Western Springs Waves swim team and Lyons Swim Club up until she entered high school, she developed a real love for the sport and the exercise and challenge it provided. Although unable to swim on the high school team because of dancing, Maura continued to teach swimming and assistant coached the Lyons Green team. Maura was a four year member of Eurythmics Dance Company and Varsity Poms at Lyons Township High School and a graduate of the class of 2010. She has spent the past three summers coaching the Western Springs Waves swim team. She is excited to work with the highly experienced and qualified Lyons coaching staff and is looking forward to learning from them and growing as a coach. This spring Maura will be pursuing a dance degree. Assistant Coach – Shannon Venableshannonwalker115@gmail.com Shannon Venable is no stranger to the pool deck, |
T she was a member of the swim team and water polo team. Over the years, she also swam at Lyons Swim Club. After high school she went on to swim at Denison University where she was a two-time National Champion in the 200 Breaststroke and a 26-time All-American swimmer. She was awarded the NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship, which helped her obtain a Master’s Degree in Education. In 2005, she was inducted into the Denison University Athletic Hall of Fame. 
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Assistant Coach – Mel Walker melwalker1011@sbcglobal.net 
Coach Melanie (Coach Mel) brings over 20 years of swimming experience to Lyons Swim Club. She was the Head Co-Coach of the LaGrange Field Club for over 17 years, developing a summer program that grew in number to over 250 participants ranging from beginners to age group state & senior sectional-level qualifiers. The club won over 45 consecutive meets and 7 consecutive conference championships. Most of the assistants working under Coach Mel were her previous swimmers, having grown up through the swim program. She also served as the coordinator of the lesson program that catered to hundreds of beginning swimmers. Coach Melanie coached Lyons many years ago as a high school assistant, before pursuing a Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology. While she currently works as a Speech Pathologist in the public schools, she has always remained close to the sport of swimming. She has assisted various groups in her tenure with Lyons Swim Club, including white group, red group, blue group & senior group. She approaches coaching with a philosophy of developing strong technique, training with intensity, & having a fun time while doing it. Coach Melanie enjoys working with swimmers of all ages and abilities, and is proud to work for a club that strives to provide the best quality coaching available in the community. Coach Melanie lives in LaGrange Park and is married to Scott Walker, varsity swim coach at Lyons Township High School. The Walkers have one son, Spencer, who swims for Lyons. Assistant Coach – Scott Walker Coach Scott Walker returns to Lyons Swim Club with tremendous experience both as an athlete and coach. Coach Walker was a standout swimmer at Kankakee Eastridge His accomplishments in the water led Coach Walker to his lifelong passion of coaching, where his early age-group coaching success at the Schaumburg Park District made him a well-known name in Illinois swimming. Coach Walker was Head Coach of the Schaumburg Barracudas, growing a team of 60 to over 200 in one short season. His team recorded six top 10 finishes at the age group state meet. He produced 22 age-group state champions in his tenure at SPD. One of the 13 year old boys set a National record in the 200 back. He also coached a female swimmer to National Champion status in the 100 free, where she went on to eventually becoming an Olympic trial qualifier and world-ranked swimmer in the 50-meter free at age 14. Under his direction, she also was named the Rookie of the Year at the Senior National meet. He was selected as a Midstates coach, was elected to the United States National Age Group camp staff for Illinois, & was named to the Olympic Development coaching staff overseeing the training of the 13-14 yr. old girls at the Olympic Training Center. Since taking over as varsity swim coach in 1994 for both the men’s and women’s teams at Lyons Township, his teams have had enormous success. Coach Walker has been named Sectional Coach of the Year 20 times. The Illinois High School Association named Coach Walker the Illinois State Coach of the Year in 1995, following the girl’s 3rd place finish at the state meet. He has produced three Illinois High School State champions and one Illinois state record holder, has trained over 50 All-American swimmers, and over 30 of his former athletes have received monetary awards to swim at their respective universities. Coach Walker believes that swimming should be fun and he is eager to help Lyons Swim Club continue producing great swimmers and great kids! Coach Walker lives with his wife, Melanie (Coach Mel) and his son, Spencer, who swims for Lyons. |
