Head Aquatics Director/National Coach
Coach Mariusz was a 2-time Olympian for Poland and finished 5th in both the 1500 and 400 meter freestyle at the 1988 Olympic Games. In the prelims for the 400 free he set the Olympic Record. He enjoyed success at the collegiate level as well, winning the 1650 at NCAAs as a freshman at the University of Arizona, and coming within 22 one hundredths of the NCAA record.
His transition to coaching started where his swimming career ended, at the University of Arizona. From there Mariusz took the head coaching job at Oregon State before moving on to Miami to head their swimming program. Today he is the Aquatics Director of Pine Crest Swimming, and National Coach at our Ft. Lauderdale campus. Mariusz is married to Dagmara and has a young daughter, Julia.
Head Diving Coach
While training with the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Diving Coach, Hobie Billingsley, Janet earned a bachelor’s degree in 1974 at Indiana University in Physical Education with K-12 teaching certification and an emphasis in elementary education. She was a member of the IU women’s diving and gymnastics teams. She was also a member of the 1972-1973 joint IU-Purdue International Study Program in Hamburg, Germany where she studied German and Physical Education. While at IU, Janet was a finalist at the AAU national championships on 1-, 3- and 10-m, the 1970 DGWS national collegiate championships on 3-m, the 1971 U.S. Pan Am Team Trials on 10m and 1972 U.S. Olympic Team Trials on 10-m.
After graduating, she taught Physical Education K-12 and coached diving and gymnastics at The Hockaday School in Dallas, TX from 1974-76. Janet became the Head Age Group Diving Coach of the Longhorn Diving Club at the Texas Swimming Center for ten years. She developed two age group national champions, Junior Can-Am-Mex Team members and Senior National semi-finalists. She coached her age group team to ten Texas Age Group State Team Championships and was voted the 1986 Texas Age Group Coach of the Year. In 1980, she served as the U.S. Diving Team Manager for the Springertag in Rostock, GDR, and the U.S. Olympic Team tour to Japan.
In 1982, she earned a master’s degree in Physical and Health Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Janet was employed by U.S. Diving, the national governing body for the sport of competitive diving, as the Director of Safety, Education and Development from 1987-2003. She piloted USA Diving’s Dive Safe, a learn-to-dive program, while coaching the lessons program for the Fort Lauderdale Diving Team from 1994-1995. She was an independent contractor to USA Diving from 2003 to 2009.
Janet has been acknowledged by many for her multiple publications in Diving and contributions to the development of diving materials.
She returned to coaching part-time as a varsity, junior high and club coach at Westminster Academy (2003-2006) coaching two divers to the Class 1A high school state championship finals. Janet has been the Varsity and Club Diving Coach for the Pine Crest School since February of 2008. She currently holds a Professional license to instruct Physical Education K-12 and Health and USA Diving Safety Certification. She is a recipient of the Whosam Award (1994), ISHOF’s Paragon Award (1996) and the Glenn McCormick Memorial Award (2000) for service to diving. Janet has one daughter, Maya Carroll, a Pine Crest graduate.
Assistant Aquatic Director
Christopher is from Millville, New Jersey and went to Millville High School and competed four years and finished with school records. He went on to attend and compete at Wingate Universrity in North Carolina and graduated in 2015 with a Bachelors of Science / Community and Commercial Recreation. Chris competed at the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships 2012-2014 with a focus on the 100 and 200 backstroke. He has worked as a lifeguard, pool manager, swim instructor, corrections officer, Assistant Swim Coach for Catawba College in North Carolina, and swim camp counsellor for our own Pine Crest Swim Camp in 2013, 2014, and 2017. He currently is the Green 1 Group coach at the Fort Lauderdale campus.
Head Age Group Coach
Chris Fay has been around the sport of swimming for 28 years, starting in summer league, all the way to a Division 1 scholarship at Marist College, and to top 10 age group rankings in Masters, he couldn't leave the sport if he tried! Chris started his coaching career the same place he started his swimming career, in the ever-popular summer leagues in Northern Virginia. For 5 years Chris coached multiple age groups at Potomac Marlins, a Bronze Medal Club in PVS, before a short stint in Charlottesville at Charlottesville YMCA (now Cavalier Aquatics).
From 2016-2021 he had the pleasure of working with 13 & Overs at Long Island Aquatic Club (LIAC) in New York. Every year from 2016-2021 LIAC was a Gold Medal Team ranked as one of the top 10 best teams in the country. Chris has worked with National Age Group Record Holders, Olympic Trial finalists, Junior National Champions, but still gets just as excited for a first JO cut or first time swimming the 200 fly. He is thrilled that his coaching journey has brought him to Pine Crest, a place with great history, and working with a great group of coaches and students.
Lesson/Age Group Coach
Laurie was born and raised in South Florida, and has always had a passion for swimming. She began taking lessons in middle school and completely fell in love with the sport. She started swimming competitively for the City of Coral Springs, and also for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She had the chance to take part in many Junior Olympic swim meets, and to represent the Eagles at their District and State Championships.
Laurie continued onto lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons for many years. She has a love for the water, and also for children. Coach Laurie is so excited to join the Pine Crest team as our Head Lower School and Novice coach on the Fort Lauderdale Campus.
Age Group Coach
Ana is from Portland ,Maine.She was a competitive swimmer for 14 years. She attended Catherine McAuley High School where she completed four years and finished with school records. Along with competing in High School she also competed for Portland Porpoise Swim Club during school on and off seasons, where she held many team records as well as state records.
She went on to attend and compete at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton,Florida and graduated in 2021 with a Bachelors of Arts--- Communication Studies - Media Focus and a minor in Film & Video. Ana competed at the Conference - USA Championships 2018-2021 with a focus on the 100 and 200 breastroke and the 200 IM. Where she has top-8 times in the 200 Breastroke for CUSA.
She has been a volunteer coach all through high school and college In Maine and Florida. Working with kids on water safety and stroke work. She currently is the Green 1 Group coach at the Fort Lauderdale campus.
Assistant Diving Coach
Tyler was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he began his career in diving. He grew up diving competitively with Pine Crest's club diving under coach Janet Gabriel. He then went on to become a division 1 athlete at the University of North Carolina where he graduated in 2014 with a degree in Political Science. Tyler is now the assistant diving coach under head diving coach Janet Gabriel.
Boca Raton Assistant Aquatics Director
Eddie Wolling has been part of Pine Crest Swimming since 1993. Eddie swam as an age group swimmer first at the Boca Raton campus and later as a senior swimmer at the Fort Lauderdale Campus. He has won multiple events for Pine Crest at the Junior Olympic Level and went onto represent Pine Crest at Junior Nationals as a senior level swimmer.
Eddie graduated from Olympic Heights High School in 2000 and earned a swimming scholarship to University of Kentucky. He was part of a top 15 University of Kentucky Swim Team from 2000- 2003.
Eddie became a coach at Pine Crest in 2004, first assisting Jay Fitzgerald in Fort Lauderdale campus then assisting Tom Smith in the Boca Raton Campus until present. Eddie also had the privilege of swimming under and coached by both Tom Smith and Jay Fitzgerald. He has coached lesson and age group swimmers and worked with many Junior Olympic qualifiers as well as Junior Olympic Champions here in the Florida Gold Coast.
Lesson/Age Group Coach
Maria Juhar is originally from Hungary, where she completed her high school and university education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Development and Marketing and later moved to Florida in 2004.
Maria was a competitive swimmer until 12 years old, when she switched to competitive kayaking. She competed for the Hungarian National Team between 1985-1990. In 1987, she placed 3rd at the Junior Kayaking World Championship in Zagreb, Croatia.
In 2016, Maria began teaching lessons and coaching with Pine Crest Swimming. She currently is at our Boca Raton Campus as the head Novice and lessons coach.
Leila Vaziri
Leila Vaziri grew up swimming in Coral Springs, Florida. She was a three time High School State Champion. She had a successful collegiate career for Indiana University, finishing on a high note her senior year winning the 100 Backstroke at Nationals qualifying her for Pan Pacs and World Championships. At World Champions, she won the 50 backstroke while setting a World Record. After missing the 2008 Olympics, she retired from competitive swimming.
Since 2010 Leila has been coaching in New York City. In the summer of 2022 , Leila returned to Florida and is currently coach to the white group at Pine Crest School. She is happy continuing to teach and coach along side the friendly coaching staff at a beautiful outdoor Florida pool and campus.
Gina Carbone
Age Group Coach
Gina has been involved with competitive swimming as a parent, swim lesson instructor and coach since 2007. She loves this sport and what it can mean for a child. She began coaching and teaching swim lessons with Excel Aquatics in Brentwood, TN when her children were young.
