Coaches and Directors

Coaches and Directors
Coaching Staff
Rob McCabe Lead Coach - Senior / Program Director

Coach Rob has been at SWAT since March of 2015. Initially as our Head Age Group Coach and Competitive Program Director starting February 2016.  Starting the Spring of 2021 he has been leading our Senior groups.  Rob has over 20 years of coaching experience and has covered just about every level of the sport.  He has worked with learn to swim, country club, age group, senior, high school, college and masters. 

As a club coach he as coached several NAG Top 10 athletes, national, junior national and Olympic Trial swimmers as well as numerous state qualifiers, champions and record holders. Rob has been a Wisconsin Zones coach nine times and served as the Head Coach three times.

Coach McCabe has been involved with governance of Wisconsin Swimming and the WIAA. Rob has been the Wisconsin Swimming Age Group Chair, Coaches Representative and on the WIAA Coaches Advisory Board. He has administrative experience as clubs Business Manager and Chairperson.

Coach Rob is originally from Fort Atkinson and currently resides with his wife Jess in Glendale and their children Patrick and Maura. As a youngster he started swimming at age eight with FAST. Later in high school he swam with J-HK. As a club swimmer he was a state qualifier and team record holder. When in high school he represented his school at the state meet as an individual and relay contributor. He earned awards such as, 4x letter winner, MVP and Team Captain. From there he went on swim collegiately at UW-Whitewater. There he was a multiple conference finalist and runner-up. With the Warhawks Rob was Team Captain, MVP, 4x letterman and Conference Swimmer of the Week. Throughout most of his competitive swimming career he excelled at distance freestyle and sometimes IM and backstroke.

If you catch him away from the pool deck he may be outdoors hiking, bicycling or up north somewhere. He enjoys reading John Grisham, trivia, listening to classic rock and jam base music. He is on the path to see his current favorite band Phish 100 times and has seen many rock legends
live in concert.


Professional Background/Expertise:

  • 1998-2001 Coach J-HK
  • 2001-2015 Head Age Group Coach SHOR
  • 2001-2015 Head Coach Girls and Boys Shorewood High School
  • 2015-2021 Head Age Group Coach SWAT
  • 2021-Current Head Senior Coach SWAT

Accomplishments:

  • 15+ Shorewood High School Conference and Sectional Team Champions
  • 3x WIAA Girls D2 State Champions (2001, 2003, 2012)
  • WI Swimming Board of Directors – Age Group Chair and Coaches Rep
  • WI Swimming Zones and Open Water Coach
  • Coached Several High School State Team Champions
  • Coached State LSC and WIAA State Record Holders
  • Multiple Coach of the Year Honors; WISCA, WI Swimming, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel & North Shore Conference

Certifications and Credentials:

  • ASCA Level 1 Certified
  • American Red Cross certified in CPR, First Aid, and Coaches Safety Training
Wendy Blunt Lead Coach - Age Group
Coach Wendy has been coaching since 2008. She started coaching with the Schroeder Swim Team where she was the Head Novice Coach, coaching all ages of novice swimmers to advanced / state level. She has worked with all age groups including Masters' swimmers. 
 
Coach Wendy believes that everyone has a place in the pool whether that is for safety reasons or to train for the Olympics and anything in between. She has worked in aquatics since 2006 teaching swim lessons and guarding for Milwaukee County. Wendy started swimming with the Milwaukee Piranhas rec team at age 6 later moving to the Schroeder team. She comes from a large family having 10 siblings where all of them also swam at some point or another. 
 
When Wendy is not coaching she loves to travel and hang with her family. She has a husband, Patrick, Daughter, Frances (Frankie) and Son, Patrick Jr (PBJ). She loves anything active: Swimming (YMCA Masters National Champion multiple times), Water Polo, Ice Hockey (League Champions 2019), Sand Volleyball (League Champions multiple times), Rock climbing, Cycling, Running (ran 1,000 miles in 2014), racing corvettes with her husbands corvette club, and recently did her first Triathlon at Devils Lake and a marathon 2.5 open water swim...even though she is deathly terrified of fish! You can ask her to join in or sub for any sports team and she will probably "let you know" if she can jump in. 
Perry Perkins Lead Coach - Age Group White
Coach Perry graduated high school in 2008 from Greenfield where he swam and dove on the swim team. After, he attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison where he obtained his bachelor's degree. Coach Perry manages the aquatic programs for two recreation departments, where he and a group of over 100 dedicated staff work to teach swimming to thousands of kids each year.  Coach Perry has been working to improve swimming stroke mechanics and refining the form of swimmers for 15 years. In addition to coaching for SWAT, coach Perry serves as the Head Coach for Whitnall's Boys Swimming and Diving team and for the New Berlin Eisenhowers Girls, Swimming and Diving Team. 
 
Certifications and Credentials: 
Certified American Red Cross Instructor in CPR, First Aid, Lifeguarding, Babysitting, and Water Safety 
Coach Member of USA Swimming 
 
Sarah Giuliani Lead Coach - 8 and Under

Coach Sarah is excited to return to SWAT to be working with the 8 and Under groups. She coached with various age groups with SWAT from 2013-2014, as well as the Franklin High School girls' and boys' teams for five years from 2012-2017. She grew up in Green Bay and started swimming on the Green Bay Swim Club when she was nine years old. Coach Sarah attended UW-Eau Claire and swam for her first two years of college.

Coach Sarah teaches middle school Spanish. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband Matt and their five kids.

Taylor Bean Assistant Coach - Age Group

Coach Taylor was a competitive swimmer for 10 years, starting at the age of 8.  She started coaching in high school for her neighborhood and club teams in Illinois. She has coached for a total of 7 years and this is her third year coaching for SWAT. Coach Taylor is currently a senior at Marquette University studying Exercise Physiology and in her first year of Marquette's physical therapy graduate program. 

Kaitlin Hernandez Assistant Coach - 8 and Under

Coach Kaitlin is in her 12th year with SWAT and is proud to be leading the 8&U team. She started competitive swimming at the age of seven and it has been a part of her life ever since, including a successful high school and college career in Minnesota. She enjoys helping young swimmers learn and grow in their abilities and love of this sport, so they too can make swimming a sport they can enjoy for life. 

Besides coaching, Coach Kaitlin stays busy as a Spanish teacher and mom of four boys, all of whom swim for SWAT. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors running, swimming and gardening, and doing home projects with her husband.

Josh Lefeber Assistant Coach - Senior

Coach Josh swam for SWAT from middle school through college. He grew up in Franklin and swam for Franklin High School. SWAT helped prepare Josh for several WI state meet podium and champion finishes, as well as zones, speedos, and nationals qualifying times. He was able to continue utilizing these skills in college and qualify for NCAAs with All-American finishes. Josh still connects with old SWAT, FHS, and college teammates, recognizing swimming is more than just yardage and times. 

As a coach, Josh wants swimmers to realize their potential and achieve their goals while building their passion for the sport. Swimming has helped him in all aspects of life, building relationships, learning perseverance, time management, and hard work. He wants to help foster these skills in the Senior group swimmers as they grow and move into their next chapter. Above all, he wants the swimmers to have fun and be the very best like no one ever was. 

Professional Background/Expertise:

  • 2016-2017        Lead Coach Club Wolverine    
  • 2019-2020        Franklin High School Assistant Coach
  • 2022-Current    SWAT Senior Assistant Coach
  • 2022-Current    SWAT Masters Coach
Chris Montoure Assistant Coach - Senior
Elisa Perez Assistant Coach - Age Group
Esmeralda Perez Assistant Coach - Age Group
Coach Esmeralda, also known as Coach Ez, has coached the younger swimmers since 2017 to create a fun swimming
environment while teaching swimmers how to build skills in and out of the pool. Ez enjoys the energy and passion that
the 8 and under swimmers bring to each practice. Teaching the young swimmers how to swim each stroke and compete
in a meet is what Ez enjoys most. Swimming is a lifelong sport that can bring many opportunities to swimmers and
builds lasting friendships.

Coach Ez has been with SWAT since the age of 12. Ez grew up in Greenfield WI and began swimming with her siblings
throughout middle school and high school years. At the end of the season banquets, Ez was awarded as SWAT’s Most
Improved 13-14 year old and later as SWAT’s Most Improved 15-16 year old. She also swam with SWAT over college
breaks. SWAT prepared Ez to qualify and score at state championship meets, zones meet, and speedo championship.
 
Ez swam for Greenfield High School and swam at D1 high school state as a freshman in 100 fly. She swam all four years of
college at Carthage College. CCIW All Conference swimmer in the 100 fly for a 3rd place finish and also swam 50 free, 100
free, and 200 fly. Ez currently swims with the SWAT Masters group, along with her stepmom and aunt, to train for
Masters Nationals.

Professional Background/Expertise:
· 2017- Current Assistant Coach SWAT
 
Certifications and Credentials:
· ASCA Level 1 Certified
· American Red Cross certified in CPR, First Aid, and Coaches Safety Training
Mark Schrank Staff Coach
Anna Temke Junior Staff Coach
Anna has been swimming competitively since she was 7 and started swimming with SWAT when she was 11. She is currently a senior at Greenfield High School and is a swimmer (and diver!) on the Greenfield/Pius XI Swim and Dive team. Her favorite events include the 100 back and 200 IM.

Anna is currently a Senior Athlete Representative on the WI Swimming Board of Directors, a WIAA Swimming and Diving official, and is certified as a lifeguard. She has been working with Swim America lessons since she was 15 and assists with the 8 & under and Age Group teams.

Anna is verbally committed to swim and study at UW-Eau Claire after she graduates!
Anna Yeazel Staff Coach
Jackson Zgola Staff Coach

Coach Jackson swam with SWAT for about 10 years before he began coaching. At age 15 he started teaching swim lessons for Swim America before becoming a Site Supervisor for the program later on. Then, at age 17 he began coaching Age Group Gold and Age Group Platinum. He is also now the Program Director for Swim America.

Coach Jackson resides in Milwaukee with his parents and 2 siblings, both of them also swimmers with SWAT. He graduated from Greendale High School in 2019 after 4 years of swimming on the Co-Op PG2 team. Coach Jackson is a full time Firefighter/Paramedic with the Milwaukee Fire Department. He enjoys working with swimmers on technique and dryland activities. He plans on doing his best to help his swimmers reach their highest potential in this extremely rewarding sport.

Professional Background/Expertise:

  • February 2022-Present: Program Director Swim America
  • March 2019-Present: Assistant Coach AGG/AGP
  • November 2021-Present: Firefighter/Paramedic with Milwaukee FD

Accomplishments:

  • Qualifying and competing in division 1 high school state meets
  • Captain of high school conference and sectional championship teams

Certifications and Credentials:

  • ASCA Level 1 & 2 Certified
  • Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Licensed/Certified
  • American Red Cross certified in CPR, First Aid, and Coaches Safety Training
Board of Directors
Kristie Rask President
Jack Chmielewski Vice President
Kristin Beres-Board Treasurer
Kim Werth Secretary
Beth Borneman At Large
Michael Doyle At Large
Bonnie Rydelski At Large
Meredith Giese Athlete Member
Jillian Kneisler Athlete Member
Rob McCabe Comp Program Director - Non Voting
Brian Temke - Operations Manager Operations Manager - Non Voting
Kay Chmielewski-Board Business Manager - Non Voting