Ron Lockwood
Senior/Head Coach
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I began my swimming career in Stockton, California at the age of 10
at Delta Valley Aquatics. I went on to qualify for Junior Nationals
and was a High School All-American before going to Fresno State
University to swim in 1992. In 1994, due to FSU dropping their
men's swimming program, I got the opportunity to attend BYU where I
went on to be a men's team captain and win a Western Athletic
Conference team Championship in 1996.
After graduating from the "Y" in 1997 I began my coaching career in
American Fork, Utah where I helped lead Hilltop Aquatics to their
first ever state championship in 2001. In addition to team
championships, I also coached NAG Top 16 performers as well as
numerous Western Zones, Sectionals, and Junior National qualifiers.
In 2001, I moved to Colorado to become the Head Age Group Coach
with the AFA Falfins Swim Team.
In Colorado Springs, I branched out and got the opportunity to
coach at both the High School and College level. At Rampart High
School, several athletes achieved All-American status and the
Rampart men won their first Metro League Championship in over 20
years. In 2003, the Air Force Academy added me to their staff where
I led the men's and women's distance groups. In my two years there,
athletes under my direction won individual conference championships
and qualified for the NCAA Championships.
In 2005, I came back to Utah as the assistant coach at the
University of Utah. In my time at Utah I was a part of Utah's first
women's Conference Championship Team and built many lasting
relationships with athletes I coached and
recruited.
In 2008, the Wasatch Front Fish Market was formed and as the Head
Coach of the team we have seen the team grow from a very close knit
group of 9 athletes to the incredible family we are today. Since
2008 we have developed more than a two dozen Junior National
qualifiers, several senior national qualifiers and in 2015
qualified our first athlete for the US Olympic Trials. Our senior
program established themselves as the premier senior program in the
state an, and our age group program has won several Age Group
Championships. The success that we have seen has been a reflection
of a highly driven coaching staff that is goal oriented and knows
the importance of planning and long term development of athletes at
all levels of the team.
I have been fortunate to have been recognized over the years for
the success of our athletes. As a team, we have been a USA Swimming
Club Excellence Team 5 times, earning Bronze Medal status in 2012,
2013, 2017, and 2018. In 2019 we achieved our first Silver
Medal status. In 2013, In 2017, I was named to the USA Swimming
National Junior Team Coaching Staff and had the opportunity to see
one of our athletes represent the USA in her first international
competition. Locally, I have been recognized by my peers here in
Utah as the Senior Coach of the Year 5 separate times (2012, 2013,
2015, 2016, 2017).
I have always had a heart for the young men and women that I have
coached over the years. My commitment to them and their swimming
careers is something that I take very seriously. The Wasatch Front
Fish Market is committed to seeing young men and women dream big
and succeed. And they will!
Ashton Palmer
National Development Group Coach
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My competitive swimming career started at 7
years old the Salt Lake Country Club. Competing every summer until
I was 12, I decided to step up my swimming before starting high
school and joined the Eagle Aquatics club team. I swam and played
water polo through my time at Cottonwood High School, and was a
varsity captain on both teams my junior and senior
years.
This led me to play water
polo at the Division 2 level at California State University,
Monterey Bay for 4 years. Throughout my time as an Otter I earned
the title of captain for my senior year, and All-American Athlete
for the years 2014 and 2015. I studied Health and Human Services
and graduated with honors in 2016.
Through my time in
Monterey, I began coaching for several high school and club water
polo club teams. Moving back to Salt Lake City in 2016, I was hired
as Cottonwood High's assistant swim coach, and re-started the water
polo program in the spring of 2017. I began coaching with Fish
Market in spring of 2018, working with the National Development
Group and Advanced Junior groups, and have learned so much through
the amazing athletes and coaching staff.
Outside of swimming I am
currently finishing up my masters degree in Community Leadership at
Westminster (a fancy way of saying nonprofit administration). I
love to do anything that gets me outside including hiking, camping,
and skiing. I'm a dog mom to Wallace, my sweet rescue
mutt.
Go Big
Fish!
Seth Russell
NTG
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Seth Russell grew up in Texas swimming for City of Plano Swimmers.
He moved up to Utah to swim for BYU where he swam the 200 IM, 400
IM, and 200 fly. He is currently finishing up law school at the
University of Utah while helping out Coach Ron with
NTG.
LeAnn Nguyen
NDG and Treehouse
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I started swimming at the age of 3 years old with
my father in the pool with me during swim lessons. I was born and
raised in Minnesota and my parents felt it was necessary for my
brother and I to know how to swim growing up in a state with ten
thousand lakes. At the age of 6 I began swimming competitively for
the club swim team Sems. After swimming for a few years with the
team I took a break from swimming.
We moved to Utah right before my freshman year of
high school where I attended AMES. After my brother joined the
Cottonwood High swim team, I joined my sophomore year. I also
joined the girls water polo team at cottonwood high that year. I
swam three years for Cottonwood high school and was named varsity
captain for swim and water polo senior year.
Once I graduated from AMES high school, I
attended the University of Utah. I joined the club swim team and
club water polo team at the university. I was named captain and
president of the water polo team my senior year. I graduated in
2018 with a bachelors in human development and family studies and I
plan to go back to school to become a pharmacist. During my time at
the University of Utah I began coaching water polo for brighton and
coached for 5 years there. I was also hired by the University of
Utah as a swim coach for classes taken by university students. In
the fall of 2018 I began coaching for WFFM, primarily working with
the NDG but also helping out with the other age groupers as well. I
have loved working with the swimmers and coaches of WFFM and I am
excited to continue to watch them grow and learn from
them.
James Slater
NDG
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At the age of 9, I began my swimming career for Green Mountain Aquatics in Vermont. I continued my swimming career on to Denison University in Ohio, where I swam all 4 years and majored in GeoScience.
I started coaching age group swimming during my summers in high school and college and loved it. Most recently, I was the assistant coach of Copper Hills High School which eventually led me to an opportunity to coach with WFFM. As a coach, I hope not only to bring my passion for the sport of swimming to the deck, but also to pass on some of the valuable lessons I learned from swimming: dedication, discipline, and perseverance.
Ill be entering my 3rd winter season with WFFM and cannot be more excited to continue our tradition of excellence.
Allen Jones
Treehouse
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Allen Jones started swimming competitively at age 12 in Herndon, Virginia where he grew up. His accomplishments include being a two time Junior National Champion (100 and 200 Breaststroke), U.S. National Qualifier, and 1996 US Olympic Trial Qualifier. He attended college at the University of Tennessee where he swam for four years. There, he was a four year lettermen and team captain. He also served as a student assistant coach prior to graduating in 2001 with a degree in economics. Allen’s coaching career has included all levels of swimming from summer swim teams to his many years of experience as a USA Swimming registered coach. He is also an ASCA Level 3 coach with a commitment to continuing his pursuit of coaching excellence. Allen serves on the Utah Swimming nominating committee as well as the Age Group Committee. He was selected as the Utah State Age Group Coach of the Year in 2014. Since joining Fish Market in 2011, Allen's swimmers have broken more than 20 State records and he has had several swimmers ranked in the top 10 nationally in various events. Allen lives in Sandy with his wife and three sons. In his spare time he enjoys being outside, gardening and watching football and soccer.
Valerie Kimble
Treehouse
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A native of Salt Lake City, I began competitive swimming at the age of 9. I am a graduate of Judge Memorial where I was named captain of the women’s swim team my junior and senior years and received the Scholar-Athlete award my senior year. I continued my swimming career at the University of Notre Dame where I majored in Chemical Engineering.
I am a mother of 2 boys, who were (is) competitor swimmers; Xavier (26) and Blayze (15). I have remained active in the swimming world through my involvement with my kids. I have been a USA Swimming Official, currently Referee, for many years and have also been the President of the Board of Directors for our previous club team and spent many years as the Meet Director.
I am excited to join the coaching staff at the Wasatch Front Fish Market. I look forward to working with the great coaching staff and helping to develop not just good swimmers but also good people.
Ellie Brinton
Treehouse
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My name is Ellie Brinton. I swam competitively for 12 years,
including a 4 year collegiate career at Brigham Young University
where I competed in the 2016 Olympic Trials. I met my husband
while we were both on the BYU swim team and serviced on the Student
Athlete Advisory Council. I graduated from BYU in 2019 with a
Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science. I love going on walks
outside, doing service projects, and animals. I hope to encourage
young and new swimmers to have fun and develop a passion for
swimming, while also learning to become better technically.
Gabby Ruiz
Treehouse
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At the age of 8, I began swimming for the Yakima YMCA in Washington
state. I swam throughout my youth and competed both in a club and
high school teams. I went on to attend Brigham Young University
where I studied Spanish and Business. A year later I began a
master's program at The Ohio State University in
Columbus, Ohio. I recently moved back to take a job at Mount Jordan
Middle School as a teacher in the Spanish Dual-Language
Immersion program.
I coached private swim lessons to swimmers from a variety of levels
throughout my summers in high school and college. I loved the
instructional aspect of swimming and continued along this path for
about 5 years.
My objective in joining WFFM is to transfer my love for swimming as
well as share the life-long lessons that I have gained throughout
my time in the pool as an athlete, namely, discipline, teamwork,
and a healthy winning attitude and mentality.
I am excited to join this new family and I look forward to meeting
the rest of the team!
Gabby Hastwood
Fairmont & Cottonwood J1, J2
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William T Brooks
Fairmont
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I come from a long line of swimmers, so I grew
up around pools. When it came to swimming practice,
I had a rough start and didn't alway's want to go to
practice. My siblings love to tell stories of how I tried
to hide in the bushes to get out of practice(which never
worked). Gratefully, my parents saw the bigger picture, they helped
me grow and develop, and discover my love of swimming. I also
learned great life lessons about hard work and dedication, that I
now get to share with future swimmers!
My swimming career began at the Salt Lake Tennis Club, Steiner
Tsunami Aquatics Team (STAT), and then with Highland High School
where I was part of a two-time state championship team. I began my
coaching career at the Salt Lake Country Club in 2000 and again in
2003 after serving an LDS mission to Korea. The 2014 season, was my
return to age group coaching, where I have loved being a part of
the team. GO FISH!
Once a swimmer, always a swimmer!
Madison Lash
Fairmont
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My
swimming career began in New Mexico when I was 5 years old. There I
swam for Charger Aquatic Club for 8 years, before switching to Lobo
Aquatic Club for the remainder of high school. Following club
swimming, I swam for the University of New Mexico for one year
before transferring to the University of Utah where I am currently
a senior. Throughout my swimming career I have swam a variety of
events but have always focused more on distance freestyle events
and the 200 backstroke.
In addition to being a swimmer, coach, and
student, I devote a tremendous amount of my time to being a leader
within swimming’s governing body. Last fall I was elected as
the Vice Chair of the Athletes’ Executive Committee for USA
Swimming to represent and be the voice of over 400,000 athletes. I
have also represented NM Swimming athletes as both the Junior and
Senior Athlete Representative, acted as a voting member on NM
Swimming’s Board of Directors, been a National Athlete
Representative, and served on multiple National Committees
including the Rules and Regulations Committee, Club Development,
and National Board of Review. My role within the sport is focused
on improving athlete representation and rules and regulations that
best enable athletes of all ages and competitive abilities to be
successful.
The past 16 years of swimming has brought nothing
but joy and positive experiences to my life, and through coaching I
hope to do the same for other swimmers.
William Harris
Fairmont and Cottonwood
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I
started swimming around the age 9 and swam until I was 18. When I
was 16 my family and I decided to make the switch to Fish Market.
It was a great decision and helped me end my swimming career on a
good note with a lot of good memories. Both of my parents were
swimmers and the rest of my siblings swim on WFFM, that being said
I have some knowledge in the sport and enjoying coaching and
teaching swimmers how they can become better. I am currently a
student at the University of Utah, and although I am not swimming I
am putting up numbers in my intramural flag football and basketball
leagues.
Claire Weems
Fairmont
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Claire was born and raised in Fairfax, VA and has been in Utah
since 2014. Claire spent most of her time growing up in the water.
She swam year round for her high school swim team, USA club
team, and summer league team. After high school Claire signed on to
swim with George Mason University. College swimming has been one of
her most rewarding experiences.
Her love of the sport and water has continued on in her adult
years, you can still find Claire frequenting the local pools.
Claire is excited to be coaching for a second season with WFF
