CAROLYN P HAEFNER
Hawg Coach - Jones Center
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Carolyn Haefner is assisting in the coaching duties with the
youngest group, the Hawgs. Carolyn was the original founder
coach of Wal-Mart Swim Club, now known as Northwest Arkansas
Aquatics Sharks. Her coaching career began in 1975 when she
stepped up to become the coach for the Bentonville Summer Swim Team
at Bentonville’s City Pool. Under her coaching, the
summer swim program grew from 25 swimmers to 125 in her 9 years of
coaching the team. The Bentonville Swim Team was a member of
the Tri-State Summer Swim Conference, and under her leadership, she
took the team to many first place conference championships. In
1984, she began a year round United States Swimming program at the
Walton Life Fitness Center in Bentonville. She experienced all
the growing pains in bringing Wal-Mart Swim Club from its initial
membership of about 20 to about 70 when she retired from coaching
to become the full-time Aquatics Director at the center in 1994.
Prior to Carolyn retiring from
coaching, the Wal-Mart Swim Club achieved its first championship
victory at the 1994 Arkansas Swimming Inc. Long Course
Championships. Carolyn retired from Wal-Mart after 16 ½
years at the Walton Life Fitness Center as swim coach and Aquatics
Director.
In September of 2003, Carolyn
returned to coaching with the Wal-Mart Swim Club, now known as
Northwest Arkansas Aquatics Sharks, and served in the capacity as
Head Age Group Coach. At the 2004 Long Course State
Championship, Wal-Mart Swim Club had more 8 and under swimmers
qualified than any other team at the meet.
Carolyn received Arkansas Swimming
Inc. Coach of the Year in 1994 and 2006 and was inducted into the
Arkansas Hall of Fame in 1997.
EMILY J GREGORY
Hawg Coach - Hper
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Emily has coached for the Razorback Aquatic Club AquaHawgs for
two years. She primarily works with the Hawg group.
Before becoming a coach for the AquaHawgs, she swam for the
University of Arkansas.
ANITA H PARISI
Jr. Hawg Coach - Hper
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Anita Heil Parisi currently
coaches the Jr. Hawgs at the Jones Center. She has been with
the Aquahawgs since its inception and has coached Hawgs and Jr
Hawgs at both the HPER and Jones Center. She is a
coach-member of the RAC/Aquahawgs Board of Directors.
Anita has over 40 years of
competitive swimming experience. She began her own competitive
swim career in 1968 as a member of the Little Rock Dolphins and
while an age group swimmer was named the 1980 women’s
Arkansas Athlete of the Year for Swimming. Anita proceeded to
swim on scholarship as a collegiate All-American at Rice University
in Houston, Texas. While building a 20 year career as an
Information Technology executive/consultant, Anita continued her
swimming participation as Master swimmer, Masters swim coach, and
private swim instructor. Upon her professional retirement,
Anita and a friend created the Fayetteville Athletic Club Shark
swim team. The FAC Shark team began as a summer swim program,
but after rave reviews, was transformed into a year round
developmental program. Most recently, she has started summer
league programs at the Pinnacle Country Club and the Shadow Valley
Country Club.
Anita is married and has 4 boys
who all swim for the RAC/Aquahawgs. She is a 2006 inductee
into the Arkansas Swimming Hall of Fame and her family currently
sponsors the Heil Mile award given at the annual Hall of Fame
banquet. She is a founding member and current registration chairman
of the Ozark Open Water Swim. She is active in support of
Adult swim programs as a current Master’s swimmer and
coach.
