Jennifer Cullen (Head Coach)
Coach Jennifer began swimming the age of four and continued competitive swimming through High School. As a teenager, she was a YMCA National Qualifier in the Butterfly and Individual Medley events. She attended Trinity High School in Manchester, NH and the University of New England in Biddeford, ME. Her coaching career began with the Greater Manchester YMCA Tiger Sharks in the 90’s. Jennifer was actively involved with the construction of the Samuel Hunt Pool at the Allard Center. In the late 90’s, she moved to Massachusetts where she worked for 6 years with the YNS Sharks. Jennifer was also the Director of Aquatics at the Gloucester YMCA during this time. She returned to the Greater Manchester YMCA in 2005 as head coach of the Tiger Sharks. Jennifer’s coaching career extends over 20 years, 13 of which have been as a fulltime coach and mentor. Her experience includes coaching teams of all sizes, from Bernal’s Gators to High School teams (Beverly, MA and Bedford, NH) to the current Tiger Shark team of roughly 100 swimmers.
Jessica Drolette
Jess began swimming competitively at the age of 5. She was first part of Seacoast Swimming Association and then of Bernal's Gators until she entered High School. During her years at Goffstown High School she was a member of the Tiger Sharks program, where she was part of the YMCA's National Team. She also started the Goffstown High School Swim Team, which has grown each year since. Her favorite events are any distance of butterfly or backstroke. She currently is a student at Southern New Hampshire University and is graduating this December with a Psychology degree. Post-retirement from competitive swimming, she was only able avoid the sport for a year before she longed for the smell of chlorine; she has now been coaching for the Tiger Sharks for the last 3 years.
(**Coach Jess recently departed to coach in Germany for a year. Good Luck Coach Jess!)
Al Tisbert
Al has been a member of the Tiger Sharks coaching staff for 2 years. He swam competitively throughout middle school and high school for the Salem Boys and Girls Club. When Al is not poolside, he works for the Goffstown School District as a kindergarten teacher, a preschool teacher and a special education case manager. Al has a 3-yearold son, and he and his wife are expecting another son in early March. Al is proud to be part of our coaching staff and looks forward to giving back to the sport that offered him so much opportunity in his youth.
Pete Schmidt
Pete grew up in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, where he began swimming at the age of 9. He first swam on the rec level on went on to swim for PVAC (Pioneer Valley Aquatic Club). Pete competed all four years of high school, where he held top times in the 50 and 100 yard Freestyle. He placed third and fifth, respectively in the 50 and 100 Freestyle at the State Sectionals his senior year. He was named to the All- Western Mass. All-Star Swim Team for three consecutive years. Over the years, Pete has been a swim instructor lifeguard and camp sailing director. Currently, Pete is in his fifth year of coaching swimming at Pinkerton Academy, where he is also a Spanish teacher. He is also studying for his M.Ed. in Education Administration. In his spare time, he enjoys sailing, skiing, hiking and traveling.
Jon Luby
Jon began his competitive swimming career at the age of five. He swam with Hampshire Hills and the original Manchester Swim Team prior to joining Bernal's Gators. Jon qualified for Junior Nationals for 5 consecutive seasons in all of the Freestyle events and was invited to train and compete with the Mission Viejo Nadadores National Team in California for the summer of 1982. After returning to New England, Jon continued to have opportunities to swim with a number of National and Olympic swimmers and began coaching for the Bedford Swim Team and Manchester Swim Club. In his Senior year, Jon qualified for Senior Nationals in the 1650 and won the High Point trophy at New England Senior Championships. Jon graduated from West High School in Manchester NH and then attended Phillips Exeter Academy for a Post Graduate Year where he set several school records and played Water Polo. After graduation, Jon migrated South on a swimming scholarship to Clemson University. During his college career, Jon coached Age Group and Junior National swimmers with the Clemson Aquatic Team, Bedford Swim Team, Manchester Swim Club and the Manchester YMCA Tiger Sharks and began officiating High School Swimming. Jon then spent a year as the assistant coach with the University of New Hampshire. Jon is dedicated to sharing his love of the sport with others.
Brandyn Horrall
Brandyn grew up in Texas, where she swam competitively for 11 years and coached for 2 years. After graduating from Texas A & M, she moved to Tennessee, where she was Head Coach of the Bellevue Hurricanes, a YMCA Swim Team for three years. In the summer of 2009, Brandyn relocated to Manchester, NH with her husband and joined the Tiger Sharks coaching staff.
Gabrielle Hunt
Gabe began swimming competitively at the age of six in a local summer league. She later swam year round, initially at the Marblehead/Swampscott (MA) YMCA and later for the North Shore Piranhas (now part of the North Shore Swim Club) at the North Shore Jewish Community Center in Marblehead. Gabe swam for Marblehead High School on the varsity swim team for four years. During her freshman year the team won the Northeastern Conference Championship in an undefeated season and she achieved the MVP award for that season. She was named co-Captain of the swim team her senior year. Her favorite events are the 500 Freestyle, the 200 I.M. and the 100 Butterfly. She joined the Tiger Sharks staff in the fall of 2009. She hopes to impart her love of swimming to the Tiger Shark swimmers.
Elizabeth Johnstone
Liz swam competitively on the Bristol, RI YMCA swim team. At the age of 11, she qualified for the YMCA New England Championships in the Backstroke events. She swam on the high school swim team for 2 seasons. Her favorite strokes are Backstroke and Freestyle. Liz swims about 5 miles per week in Open Water training during the summer months. She has competed in Sprint Triathlons over the last four years and continues to lap swim regularly at the Allard Center.
Sarah Gordon
Sarah grew up in Bangor Maine. She started swimming for the Hurricane Swim Club when she was in third grade. From 1998 through 2001 she competed at the YWCA Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she achieved a Maine State Record in the 200 IM Relay. In 2002, she joined the Bangor YMCA Barracudas. She competed in the YMCA New England Championships in 2002 and 2003. During her senior year at Bangor High School she was named Captain. After high school, Sarah went on to swim for the University of Maine. During her time at the University of Maine she was honored with the Chandler Comeback award her sophomore year and the Senior Service award for her dedication to swimming and the team her senior year. While at the University of Maine she also helped coach with the Black Bear Swim School and various summer swim camps. She graduated from the University in 2007 with her B.S. in Kinesiology and Physical Education.
Lauren Merritt
Lauren grew up in Manchester, NH and began swimming competitively for the Tiger Sharks at the age of 9. During high school, she swam for the Manchester Central Varsity Swim Team and also worked at the Allard Center as a swim instructor and lifeguard. Lauren graduated from Keene State College and La Universidad de Sevilla in Sevilla, Spain. She currently teaches Middle School Spanish with the Goffstown School District. Lauren is excited to be back with her old swim team!
