Thomas C Gaither
Head Coach (Train 2 / Track 1)
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The 2020 season marks Coach Carter’s 3rd year with the CAC
program. He has a true passion for coaching and has been on the
pool deck for over 30 years! Locally, Coach Carter had an extended
stint with M.E. Lyons YMCA / Anderson Barracudas where his primary
focus was the 11-12 age group. Coach Carter swam at the University
of Kentucky and Boston University.
Carter brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our pool deck
and has one objective each season: getting the swimmers to believe
in themselves. “When that happens, I know a great foundation
for growth (in and out of the pool) is built.”
Coach Carter was drawn to work with CAC because the entire
coaching staff is as dedicated to the swimmers’ personal
growth as much as their development in swimming. “Because of
this dedication to the person, our swimmers are in a better
position to succeed.”
In addition to work and swimming, he loves to travel with his wife,
Stephanie, and daughter, Annie. He also likes to play golf and
tennis.
Jessica T Carpenter-Thomas
Lead Coach - Train 1
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Jessi has been involved with swimming since she was 9 years old.
She grew up swimming with Greater Columbus Swim Team of Ohio and
Dynamo Swim Team. In highschool, she was an All American in 100
butterfly, 100 backstroke, & 100 freestyle. Jessi continued
swimming in college at Bowling Green State University for 2 years
and transferred to the University of Cincinnati to complete her
degree in Early Childhood Education.
Jessi’s coaching career began when she was 17 years
old with a summer league team in Columbus. She continued coaching
through college with Bowling Green Swim Club. After graduating
college, she was the head coach for the Montgomery Makos and the
Head Satellite Coach for the Cincinnati Marlins. She began coaching
for the Marlins in 2015. She has worked with a variety of ages
ranging from 4-18. Jessi is most experienced coaching the 14 &
under age groups. She has coached numerous JO & Zone Qualifiers
who have been individual & relay champions. Many of the
swimmers she has coached have gone on to become NCSA, Sectional,
ISCA, & Futures Qualifiers.
Her goal as a coach is to coach the whole athlete to be the best
they can be in and out of water. She is very passionate about
teaching proper technique and believe that swimming pretty and
correctly comes before the speed. Jessi & her husband, Alex are
parents to 4 energetic boys (Noah, Xander, Grayson, & Cooper).
She enjoys watching Ohio State Football & collecting Rae Dunn
mugs!
Ben Clark
Lead Coach - Transition Groups
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Coach Ben was a Seahawk swimmer for 10 years and has been coaching
with the CAC program since 2004. That's almost a quarter-century of
red and black pride! Ben was a Junior Olympic-level swimmer as an
age-grouper, and finalist in multiple events at Ohio Senior
Championships during his high school career. At 14, he was a member
of the 1994 CNCA National Championship team.
He has coached at every level in the CAC program and is entering
his 5th year leading the A3 training group. Coach Ben enjoys coming
up with new and creative ways of teaching technique, skills, and
habits. He challenges and motivates all A3 swimmers in different
ways to reach their potential as they build a strong foundation for
a long swimming career. Coach Ben is passionate about developing
young swimmers into great people and enjoys watching our athletes
succeed at each stage of the program.
Clark has coached dozens of swimmers to their first Junior Olympic
or Zone qualifying times, and the A3 group has continued to be a
key component to CAC Age Group Championship teams under his
leadership. His groups have produced several Ohio JO top-8
finishers, as well as relay depth in the 10 & under age groups.
The success of the group over the last year led to Coach Ben
being nominated for the Ohio Age Group Coach of the Year award in
2016.
Ben and his wife Megan, also a former Seahawk swimmer, have two
children and live in Loveland. Maren will turn 3 this season,
Maxwell is 9 months, and both keep Coach Ben busy outside the pool.
In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Clark enjoys creating
CAC team apparel, current events, and is a huge college football
fan.
He is a graduate of Saint Xavier High School, Ohio University, and
Xavier University.
Sheridan Ave
Lead Coach - Track 2
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Sheridan grew up surrounded by swimming having both her parents
coaching and began swimming at 9 at LTPY. She swam for LTPY until
her senior year when she swam for GCSTO. She also swam for her high
school, Village Academy, and placed 2nd at the state meet her
senior year in 100 butterfly and 8th in 100 free.
She began coaching in 2018. She started as an assistant coach on a
summer league team, Pickerington Tiger Sharks, for a year and then
moved to the head coach position for the last 2 years. She coached
last winter season (2019-2020) with GCSTO. She is excited for her
first season with CAC!
Sheridan graduated from Village Academy in 2017. She attended Ohio
State University for 3 years and recently transferred to University
of Cincinnati with a major in Art Education.
Ken Dunlap
Train 2 Asst
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Ken has been with CAC for nearly two decades. Ken currently
helps coach our Train 2 group of senior level
athletes. His area of expertise is technique. Ken loves
to give individual feedback to swimmers and fine tune their
mechanics.
He was named Ohio Swimming’s Age Group Coach of the
Year in July 2006.
Ken’s swimming career includes 10 years with Foxcatcher Swim
Club and 4 years with Germantown Academy under the
legendary coach Dick Shoulberg. After gaining All- American
honors, Ken then swam 4 years for the University of Virginia where
he earned his Masters in Teaching. In 1992 Ken was ranked 23rd in
the World Rankings in the 200 Meter Butterfly and finished 2nd at
the US Nationals. He was an Olympic Trials Qualifier in both the
200 Meter Butterfly and the 400 Meter Freestyle.
Ken’s coaching/teaching experience includes 5 years as the
Head Coach of the Mariemont Aquatic Club, 5 years as the Head Coach
of the Turpin Hills Swim Club and 4 years as the Head Coach of the
Mariemont Junior High School. Ken teaches math at Indian Hill
Middle School. He and wife Amy have two daughters, Kiley and
Mackenzie.
Mariah Spannbauer
Track Groups - Asst
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After growing up near Seattle, Washington, Mariah moved to Gambier,
Ohio to attend and swim for Kenyon College in 2012. While at
Kenyon, she specialized in distance events, competed in four D3
NCAA championship meets, and was a 15 time NCAA All-American. After
graduation Mariah moved to Cincinnati to begin a career in finance,
completing her MBA at the University of Cincinnati.
Mariah has been coaching swimmers across various age groups and
levels for the past 10 years. Her ultimate goal as a coach is to
help kids learn to love the sport of swimming, even during the
early mornings and tough practices. She’s excited to join the
CAC team this year, and looks forward to meeting all of you!
Ryan Michael Hammer
Assistant + Website
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Ryan has been coaching in the Cincinnati area since 1997, with the
Sycamore Flying Fish from 1997-2005 & 2009-2012 and the
Cincinnati Marlins from 2012-2019. In 2019, Ryan left
coaching and began working at Speedo and currently covers
Ohio/Indiana/Michigan...so he's our rep!
Ryan has been responsible for swimmers and programs that have
developed Junior Olympic champions, developmental swimmers and
everywhere in between, and got the chance to assist with
National-level athletes competing at Olympic Trials and Junior
Nationals.
Ryan's philosophy is every athlete deserves attention, whether it's
video feedback on stroke technique or individual conversations
about goal-setting, etc.
Away from the pool, he enjoys traveling (hopefully back to Europe
soon) and competing with Coach Kevin in fantasy baseball.
