Jersey Wahoos Coaching Staff

Head Coach John Carroll


Coaching at Wahoos for three decades, John is starting his 22nd year as coach of the Senior A1 group and Wahoos full time facility manager. He is a level 5 ASCA (American Swim Coaches Association) coach and was Middle Atlantic Coach of the year in 1987 and 1992. John is a 1978 graduate of Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) with a major in business. John and his wife, Barb, have 5 children.
Karen Clemens Bruce Brockschmidt Bob Querubin George Breen Jim Villa
Jeff Clemens Patrice Cahill Brad Bowser Ken Faykes Chris Waggoner
Nancy Curtis-Pegues Chris Brookover Amy Hutchinson Jesse Palmer Meredith Morley
Todd Hutchinson Chrissy Tripodo Tricia Hafner George Willard Ann Rychlik
  Tara Rodack Vanessa Rosa Bridgette Cahill  
  Bob Cristella Rachel Scoggin Doug Mann  
Karen Clemens
Karen has coached Junior A1 for 22 seasons and has coached at Wahoos for 28 years. She has been honored twice as Middle Atlantic Age group Coach of the Year and has also been listed in "Who's Who of American Teachers". Karen teaches health and physical education at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School. She is a co-moderator of the National Honor Society and the SADD club. Karen is the assistant coach of the girls cross country team at Eustace. Karen has completed 12 marathons, qualifying for the Boston Marathon three times. Karen completed the 2003 Florida Ironman, a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. Karen is married to Wahoos Masters coach Jeff Clemens.

Bruce Brockschmidt
Bruce has coached at Wahoos since 1990, and assists Karen Clemens with the Junior A1 group and works with Senior A1 on a limited basis. He still holds the Jersey Wahoo OPEN long course record in the 200 IM. A graduate of Southern Illinois University, where he majored in Exercise Science, Bruce specialized in the 400 IM and swam both the 400 and 200 IM in the 1988 Olympic trials. He trains with the Masters program and competes in various open water swims. Bruce won 2004 & 2006 "Great Chesapeake Bay Swim", a 4.4 mile swim across the Chesapeake Bay.

Bob Querubin
Bob is a former Wahoos swimmer and has been coaching at Wahoos for 20 years. He is the Head Coach of the Senior A swimming group. He will be starting his 8th year of coaching the Haddonfield Memorial High School swim team. Bob has 12 years coaching experience in the Tri-County Swimming League. He graduated in 1990 from Rutgers University with a degree in Accounting.

George Breen
George has been the assistant for the Junior A group for the past 6 seasons.. George is a former World Record Holder and Two-Time Olympian. George's swimming career began when he entered college at SUNY-Cortland in New York. He joined the swim team because the school didn't offer his high school sport of rowing. At Cortland, he met legendary swimming coach "Doc" Counsilman, who later coached George at Indiana U. while he studied for his Masters degree. George Set the world record in the 1500m free. He won four medals at the 1956 Olympics. During the next four years, he won 22 US National Championships, set six world records, and competed in the 1959 Pan Am Games. At the 1960 Olympics, George won a bronze medal in the 1500m free. He served as the swim team manager for the 1975 Pan Am team and the 1980 Olympic team. George is an inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Jim Villa
Jim has been the head coach of Junior A and an assistant of Senior A1, Senior A and Junior B1 for the past 17 years. He also assists Junior B1, and Senior A. Jim swam in the Delaware Valley area since he was an age grouper. While competing for the Philadelphia Vesper Boat Club team in 1968, he achieved high school All-American status with a 54.8 in the 100 fly and part of Vespers nationally ranked 15-16 medley relay. At the University of South Carolina, Jim captained the swim team for two seasons and held records in the fly and medley relays. He earned "Gamecock of the Meet" honors twice for his performances at conference championships. He received his master's degree in physical education in 1976. Jim also coaches the Wedgewood Swim Club team in the Tri-County summer league.

Jeff Clemens
This is Jeff's 15th year coaching at Wahoos. He is the Head Coach of the Jersey Wahoos Masters swim program. He is the husband of long time Wahoos coach, Karen Clemens. He is an original Jersey Wahoos, actually starting his swimming career in 1970 as a Sea Jay before Wahoos was organized. Jeff has had a very successful swimming career which included AAU, USA, high school, and summer competition. His 13-14 boys butterfly record in the Tri-County league is one of the oldest standing record. Jeff was inducted into the Cherry Bowl Hall of Fame in 2008. He has taught lessons, stroke mechanics, and coached all groups from Junior B on up at some point in time. Jeff is presently the manager at the New Balance store in Cherry Hill off route 70. Jeff is married to coach Karen Clemens.

Patrice Cahill
Patrice Cahill is entering her 9th year as a coach at Jersey Wahoos. Patrice is working with the Junior A1 group. She was a former Wahoos swimmer from Training Camp through college. While in college, Patrice was a key member of the Bucknell University women's swim team. She graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in biology and secondary education. Patrice is currently a full time grad student at University of Pennsylvania working towards a masters in Psychological Services and counseling. She has coached the Whitman Square Swim Team the past four summers.

Brad Bowser
Brad Bowser enters his 9th year coaching at Jersey Wahoos. Brad is the top assistant of Senior A1 and helps out with Senior A & Early Senior A. Brad is a former Wahoo breaststroker who continued his career at North Carolina State University, where he graduated with a major in sports management. While at N.C. State, Brad was a nine time finalist at ACC Championships. He was a 2000 Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100 breaststroke. He currently holds 3 short course yard team records and 4 long course meter records in the breaststroke. Brad currently sits on the Middle Atlantic Board of Directors.

Ken Faykes
Ken has coached at Wahoos for 22 years and is currently with the Senior A practice group. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut where he was a sprint champion in the 50 and 100 yard Freestyle events, as well as a member of a record setting 400 yard Freestyle relay in the New England conference. Ken was a four year varsity letter winner and received the UCONN "Outstanding Senior Athlete" award. He operates four Subway franchises in Philadelphia.

Chris Waggoner
This is Chris' 17th year of coaching at Wahoos. He is currently the Head Coach Mini A swim groups. Chris served as the Head Coach of the Middle Atlantic Zone All-Star Team for four seasons. He is a 1996 graduate of Temple University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Political Science. Chris is working towards his masters degree in special education at Rider University. He teaches for Pemberton Township Public Schools. In his spare time, Chris enjoys fishing, golfing, snorkeling, and cycling. Chris and his wife Gwen have two daughters, Alexandra and Madeline.

Nancy Curtis-Pegues
Nancy has been the Head Coach of the Junior B1 group for 14 years. She is married to Joe Pegues, an assistant in JRA. She graduated from the University of West Chester with a B.S. and also holds an M.A. from Immaculata College. She swam competitively for many years and now enjoys getting in the water with son CJ and daughters Annie and Amanda. She as been coaching competitive swimming since 1980, and has been involved in USS, high school, college, and summer club swimming in a number of different coaching capacities. She enjoys working with other coaches (especially Jim Villa, whom she's on deck with "every moment"). Nancy's many talents include cleaning, gardening, and homework. To keep her sanity, she is never without her needlepoint.

Chris Brookover
Chris is Head Coach of Early Senior A, and an assistant coach of JRA & Mini A this season. He was an All American Honorable Mention in the 100 Fly in 1981 and qualified for both Junior and Senior Nationals before attending the University of Wyoming on a swimming scholarship. He was captain for two years at Wyoming  In 1985, he was WAC Champion in the 100 Fly and assistant coach at Colorado State University in 1987, as well as a head age group coach for a Colorado Springs swim team. Chris is a sales consultant for the Haddonfield Lumber Co. Chris and his wife, Maria, have three children, Jamie-Lynn, 9, Duncan, 6, and Jackson, 3.

Amy Hutchinson
Amy is heading up Training Camp I & 2 and assisting with Senior A1 and Mini A this year. She is no stranger to the team. Amy swam for Wahoos from 1991-1995 while attending Rancocas Valley High School. After Wahoos, Amy swam for Wright State University and was a member of the Mid-West conference championship team 2 years in a row. Amy has a bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.

Jesse Palmer
Jesse will be working with Mini A, Training Camps 1 & 2 and the Pre-Teams. Jesse has been a member of the Jersey Wahoos family since he was nine years old, and moved through the various practices to senior groups. He attended Cherry Hill West High School and graduated in 1998. While swimming for West, Jesse was a key member of the boy's swim team. During his summers, he was also an important point earner for the Cherry Valley Swim Club. Over the past few years, Jesse has progressed from swimmer to coach. He is currently working towards a degree in secondary education.

Meredith Morley
Meredith is in her 6th year coaching at Wahoos where she works with the Mini's and with Training Camp I. She also coaches at Larchmont Swim Club in the summers. While attending the University of Richmond in Virginia, Meredith earned a BA in Mathematics. She teaches math at Westhampton Tech and coaches the freshman girls basketball team.

Tricia Hafner
Tricia is in her 3rd year as a coach at Wahoos. She is working with Mini A. Tricia is one of many family members who swam at Wahoos. She swam and graduated from Rider University. Tricia is the head coach of the Pomona Swim Team in the Tri-County league. She is a 2nd grade teacher at Rice Elementary School in Marlton.

Chrissy Tripodo
Chrissy is in her 5th year coaching at Wahoos. She is working with Training Camp II and Mini A. She has been a member of the Wahoo family since she began swimming here at the age of seven. Chrissy attended Cherry Hill East where she graduated and was a member of their state championship swim team. She spent her summers swimming foe Woodstream. Chrissy works as a behavioral therapist at a school in Trenton and is currently working on her Masters degree in Special Education.

Todd Hutchinson
Todd is a former Wahoos swimmer who is in his 14th year of coaching at Wahoos. He works with the Senior A and Training Camp 2 swimming groups. Before coaching at Wahoos, he was the head coach at Riverdel. Todd was a record holder and captain of the University of Delaware Swim team. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and working as a physical therapist at Coastal Spine.

George Willard
George will be working mostly with Early Senior A and helping with JRA1. George is a former Wahoo swimmer who attended and swam at Florida State University.

Ann Rychlik
Ann is the head coach of Pre-Team and is helping with Training Camp I.

Tara Rodack
Tara is a former Wahoo swimmer who will be helping out Junior B1.

Vanessa Rosa
Vanessa is a former Wahoo swimmer and is working with Training Camp II, Mini A, Junior B1, Junior A and Early Senior A.

Bridgette Cahill
Bridgette is a former standout Wahoo swimmer. She is working with Junior A1 and Early Senior A. She Graduated from Brown University. Prior to coming back to the area, Bridgette coached at AGUA in New York City.

Bob Cristella
Bob is coaching again at Wahoos after taking some time off from coaching. He will be working with Senior A1. Bob owns the Shamrock Deli in Audubon, NJ.

Rachel Scoggin
Rachel is working with the Training Camp 1 & 2 groups.

Doug Mann
Doug is working with the Pre-Teams