competitive swimming excellence!
New Coach bios will be published on this page as soon as possible
The New Albany Aquatics Club would like to wish Brad Burget, John Mertler and Karli Kentner the best of luck in their new program with the Beechwood City Schools!
They have started a new club team in Beechwood called the Beechwood Bisons!
Recently, a farewell party was held in Brad Burget's honor and many swimmers from the past came to express their support and sentiments to Brad as he has been a very important part of their lives. This photo was taken at the event.
John Coffman
Dryland and Weight Training Coach and Cyclone Group Coach
Welcome Back to John!
John Coffman has returned to NAAC after two years in Florida! John joined NAAC as our dryland coach in 2001. He continued in that capacity during a time of continued growth in our high school groups. He joined the coaching staff on deck in 2005 and was instrumental in coaching the many high school and sectional champions that trained full time with NAAC as well as the National Record setting 200 medley relay team of Scott Martin, Marshall Sherman, Brian Barrett and Michael Lopresti in 2008.
Additionally, John served as the Head Coach of three sports at Whetstone High School (Swimming & Diving, Track & Field, and Cross Country) for almost 20 years, with over 50 total League Team Titles in a 16-team League. John coached his teams to a 12-year League Championship win streak in Swimming and a 14-year League Championship win streak in Cross Country. He has coached multiple HS All-Americans, State Qualifiers, State Champions and a State Record Holder, as well as National Qualifying individuals and relays while at Whetstone.
Along with his extensive and successful High School Coaching, John’s experience includes five years coaching with GCSTO and more recently 2001 through 2008 coaching here at New Albany Aquatics Club. Along with former NAAC Head Coach Brad Burget, John has authored and co-authored several books on swim training, strength and conditioning for FasterSwimming.com and has presented on these topics nationally. John also has 12 years of experience as a Head Club Track Coach, and has been a Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Coach since 1991.
John has worked with Olympic Qualifiers and Professional Athletes in multiple sports (Track & Field, MMA, PGA, WTA, and NFL) and prides himself on being able to keep up with his athletes in any type of strength, conditioning or speed work and practices as he preaches in regard to training, nutrition and recovery. He has been a Sailing Instructor since 1991 and hopes to one day sail around the world with his wife, Sacha.
As a successful Coach with well over 100 seasons of practical experience across several sports, a veteran personal trainer and performance coach, and a competitive athlete himself - John has a true understanding of elite athletic performance.
Stephanie Donley
Stephanie Zunich-Donley grew up in
Stephanie returned to coaching summer league in 2004 with
the Chevington Woods Kingfish. With Stephanie as their head coach, the
Kingfish won the Tri County League Championships in 2005, 2006, 2007,
& 2008. Stephanie returned to the
New Albany Country Club as their head coach in 2009. In 2010 the New Albany Country Club Penguins won the Country Club League Championship!
Stephanie also teaches preschool in Pickerington. She loves coaching and feels the importance of giving back to the sport that has given her so much!
Stephanie will work with the Hurricane, Tsunami, Ripples & Jr. Ripples training groups.
Jen Bernsdorf
Jennifer Geschke Bernsdorf has strong roots in the field of swimming dating back to her childhood. Jen graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in the College of Human Ecology majoring in Child and Family Development and then earned a Bachelor’s Plus degree in Education with a concentration of grades one through eight at Ashland University.
During her early years, Jen was a competitive swimmer in the summer league with Highlands Swim Club. Swimming also in USSA swimming for the Greater Columbus Swim Team and Westerville Aquatic Club she excelled in the Backstroke and the Individual Medley. Jen was recruited by a number of Ohio colleges to swim but decided to concentrate more on her studies at the college level.
During her college years, Jen continued her love of swimming by coaching her alma mater, Westerville South High School swim team. After graduating she expanded her coaching abilities by coaching the summer league at Highlands Pool in Westerville.
In recent years, Jen worked for the City of Westerville as an Aquatics Manager for a multi-million dollar facility. She continued to stay certified with her CPR, First Aid and Water Swimming Instruction qualifications.
Currently Jen is an Assistant Coach for the New Albany Aquatics Club and a Coach for the New Albany Country Club summer swim team. She is also very active with volunteering in her children’s school and does the bookkeeping for her husband’s business.
Jen’s family includes her husband, Chad, and together they have three children, Matthew, Andrew and Alaina, all of whom are excellent swimmers and continue to exhibit her love of the sport.
Kim Mills
Kim has been involved with swimming for over 20 years. She began swimming
at the age of 8 for the City of Richardson swim team (a suburb of Dallas, TX.)
Her personal accomplishments include:
- US High School Female Swimmer of the Year, 1994
- US National Team member, 1994
(competing in the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia)
- Member of University of Michigan Women's Swimming, 1994-1998
- Varsity Captain, University of Michigan Women's Swimming, 1997-1998
- 10 time Big Ten Champion
- 10 time NCAA All American
since 2002 and in 2009 and 2010 she worked with our younger groups! She is thrilled to be working again with the staff at NAAC.
John Sands
John Sands has been involved in competitive swimming since the age of seven when he started swimming at his local YMCA. John later began swimming year round and eventually swam for Brad Burget at NASC where under Brad’s tutelage he became a seven-time All-America selection and the fastest high school 50-yard freestyler in the country in 2003-04 with a time of 20.19!
John was the Ohio High School State Champion in the 50-yard freestyle his senior year, and became the first high school male to become an Ohio State University pool record holder, breaking the 50-yard freestyle record (at the old pool). As a club swimmer, John was a Junior National Champion in the 50 free, and a part of the 17-18 year old age group national record holding 200-meter freestyle relay. John was also a part of relays that won multiple Junior National titles, and qualified for Sr. Nationals both individually and as a member of relays. John graduated from Granville High School in Granville, Ohio in 2004, where he was high school team captain and four-time high school team MVP.
John continued his swimming and academic career at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a two year letter winner and member of the ACC scoring team. John was forced to retire after his sophomore year at UNC due to an ankle injury. He graduated from UNC in 2008 with degrees in Political Science and History. John is currently attending Otterbein.
John has been coaching competitive swimming since 2002; coaching at Little Turtle Country Club, New Albany Country Club, for the Chapel Hill YMCA Swim Club as well as at NAAC. He has coached all age groups and abilities and looks forward to working with John Coffman and the rest of the staff who have taught him so much.
Dr. Kelly Everman
Kelly is a native Ohioan raised in the Greater Cincinnati area. He swam competitively for the Cincinnati Marlins and the Clippers. Kelly attended the University of Louisville where He was the captain of the mens’ swim team his junior and senior season. He was a 3 time conference champion and 2 time school record holder. His senior year, he was named the student athlete of the year for both the conference and the university. He decided to pursue a career in medicine and completed his training at Indiana University. He has practiced as a surgeon in Ohio for the last 6 years. He returns back to coaching now either because of his passion for a sport that blends technical finesse, human physiology, and psychological fortitude, or because he spent too many years breathing in toxic levels of chlorine and eating hospital food. He is married (Nicole) and has 3 daughters Carson(8), Kynley(7), and Kelsey(4). Biggest regret in life… moving next door to Tim Pione who still thinks it is OK to harass your neighbor every morning at 5 am to go swim. (Really)
Tim Pione
Tim grew up in Pickerington, OH in a family full of swimmers. While Tim was a top notch summer-league swimmer, he turned his full attention to soccer during his High School years. Tim was the Captain of the soccer team at Columbus St. Charles where he was a four year letterman and earned All-State Honors. Tim led the team to a State Championship and State Runner-Up Title during his four years there.
Tim continued his soccer career at the United States Naval Academy where he excelled in both athletics and academics. Upon graduation, Tim was commissioned a Naval Officer. Prior to serving on the USS VALLEY FORGE in San Diego, CA, Tim was stationed in Pensacola, FL responsible for training future Naval Aviators in Water Survival.
After spending 5 years as a Naval Officer, Tim left the Navy to begin a career in business. Tim started his new career in Cincinnati, OH working for Procter and Gamble. Tim moved on after 6 years with P&G to Cleveland, OH to work for Avery Dennison. In 2005, Tim accepted the role of Director of Strategic Sourcing for Ashland Inc. in Dublin, OH. After being away for 16 years, Tim was thrilled to be back in Columbus.
Tim married his high school sweetheart, the former Miss Sara Harter of Westerville, OH and the two have four children together. They have a son Chris and three girls, Katie, Isabel and Anna. Katie and Isabel are looking forward to their second season with the New Albany Team.
Tim has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Masters of Business Administration from The Ohio State University. Tim enjoys lifting weights and swimming to stay healthy and young! While a fan of most sports, Tim and his wife Sara, who is also a graduate of The Ohio State University, have a true passion for Buckeye Football. As a new coach, Tim is very excited to work with the kids and help them grow as both athletes and people.
