Coaching Staff
Sunday: Sophie Antonetz
Monday: Natalie Sebunia Tuesday: Jack Kangas Wednesday: Victoria Castro Thursday: Eric Gerlach |
2023-2024 Officers
President: Cameron Jones
Vice President: Kasey Lichtner Treasurer: Hayden Yeager Meet Coordinators: Ruchi Kudalkar & Lucas Ecker Apparel: Cate O'Haimhirgin Fundraising/Sponsorship: Erica Budde Social/Outreach: Kylie Baker Risk Manager: Christian Ferrante Nationals Coordinator: Brooke Armstrong Nationals Committee: Natalie Sebunia & Chase Guenther Former President: Wesley Currier |
Meet the 2023-24 Officers!
- Name/position: Cam Jones / President
- Year: Senior
- Favorite stroke: Breastroke
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: I’ve been swimming since I was six for the Mason Manta Rays and the St. Xavier Aquabombers.
- Why did you join the club team: I joined the club team to do my part swimming against and beating Michigan once a year.
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: Anytime I get to swim on a relay with Nate Buse.
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: WIN THE WHOLE THING.
- Name/position: Kasey Lichtner / Vice President
- Year: Junior
- Favorite stroke: Butterfly
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: I've been swimming since I was six! I have swam for this team, GCSTO, Foxboro, and the Reynoldsburg Marlins.
- Why did you join the club team: I joined club swim to make swim friends and keep my love for swimming alive.
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: I really enjoyed nationals this past spring and having the whole team there cheering!
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: Get my endurance back and have ton of fun. Have a blast on relays.
- Name/position: Hayden Yeager / Treasurer
- Year: Junior
- Favorite stroke: Butterfly
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: I swam for GCSTO for 7 years, Westerville North for 4 years, and this will be my third year on CSOSU.
- Why did you join the club team: To make new friends and meet new people!
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: The team dinners before meets were always wholesome.
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: Drop time.
- Name/position: Ruchi Kudalkar / Meet Coordinator
- Year: Junior
- Favorite stroke: Freestyle
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: I’ve been swimming for 12 years! I have swum for the Mason Manta Rays and for Mason HS.
- Why did you join the club team: I enjoy swimming - the sport and the people that come with it :)
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: I love the team spirit and camaraderie at Nationals.
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: I hope to improve my butterfly and put more effort into practices.
- Name/position: Lucas Ecker / Meet Coordinator
- Year: Senior
- Favorite stroke: Butterfly
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: 12 years / St Xavier Aquabombers for high school and a mix of Mercy Healthplex Seawolves and Mason Manta Rays for club.
- Why did you join the club team: To be able to continue my passion for swimming competitively without the pressure of practice/meet requirements
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: Having the opportunity to help host and swim at Club Nationals 2023!
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: Improve my underwaters and explosiveness.
- Name/position: Cate O'Haimhirgin / Apparel Coordinator
- Year: Senior
- Favorite stroke: Breastroke
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: 14 years - Great Lakes Sailfish, Gilmour Academy Lancers, Cleveland Swim Institute, CSOSU.
- Why did you join the club team: I wanted to keep swimming after high school and make some new friends.
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: Competing at nationals at Ohio State in front of family and friends the vibes were electric.
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: Win the 200 medley relay 😎 place top three as a team 😎 win the 50 and 100 breaststroke.
- Name/position: Kylie Baker / Social Chair
- Year: Junior
- Favorite stroke: Breastroke
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: I’ve been swimming for about 12 or 13 years with Washington Court Piranhas, Cleveland Swim Institute and Highland High School.
- Why did you join the club team: I joined the club team because I wasn't ready to give up the way of exercise I enjoy the most and I was excited to meet new people!
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: My favorite club memory is going to nationals in Atlanta, especially the aquarium :)
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: One goal I have for this upcoming season is continuing to enjoy the sport and get the team closer together.
- Name/ position: Erica Budde / Fundraising Chair
- Year: Junior
- Favorite stroke: Butterfly
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: 10 / BASH, PCY Masters
- Why did you join the club team: I joined CSOSU to make friends who love swimming as much as I do!
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: Nats 2023!
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: Survive the 200 fly.
- Name/position: Christian Ferrante / Risk Manager
- Year: Junior
- Favorite stroke: Freestyle / distance
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: 12 years / David YMCA phantoms, CCS, Jackson high school
- Why did you join the club team: I joined club swim because I wasn’t quite ready to end my swimming career after high school and knew club swim would be a great way to continue my favorite sport and meet some new people.
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: My favorite memory is not only nats at georgia tech but also driving the vans to away meets.
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: One goal I have is to improve my walls and push myself in practice.
- Name/position: Brooke Armstrong / Nationals Coordinator
- Year: Junior
- Favorite stroke: Breaststroke / bacstroke
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: I’ve been swimming for 12 years for high school and club teams.
- Why did you join the club team: To meet new people and continue to swim with friends :)
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: Doing zumba dances on the pool deck at nationals!
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: Make nats again this year and get to know more people on the team.
- Name/position: Natalie Sebunia / Nationals Committee
- Year: Senior
- Favorite stroke: Backstroke
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: I started swimming in fourth grade for Blessed Sacrament during the winter and Iroquois during the summer. In eighth grade, I joined the Millcreek Swim Team and then swam and played water polo for McDowell High School in Erie, PA for four years. This will be my fourth year swimming for CSOSU
- Why did you join the club team: I joined the team because I really love swimming and wanted to continue the sport after high school in a way that still allowed me to compete. I really enjoy the flexibility that club sports offer and to know that everyone else on the team is there because they love the sport too!
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: My favorite club swimming memory is cheering during 2022 Nationals! It was so much fun to run around the pool deck trying to catch everyone’s races and cheer them on and cheer as a whole group during finals. It was so much fun to have that much team spirit!
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: One of my goals for the upcoming season is making sure we attend as many meets as possible! I want to make sure everyone has a chance to participate in a meet if they want to, and attending as many meets as possible would give people more chances to do that.
- Name/position: Chase Guenther / Nationals Committee
- Year: Sophomore
- Favorite stroke: Butterfly
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: 13 years / Cincinnati Marlins and St. Xavier
- Why did you join the club team: I joined club so I could continue to swim competitively and to stay in shape.
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: My favorite memory is swimming on relays at Nationals last year.
- Name one goal for the upcoming season: My goal for next year is to have better practice attendance.
- Name/position: Wesley Currier / Former President
- Year: Graduated
- Favorite stroke: Freestyle
- How many years have you been swimming/what teams: 13 years / Y Phantoms, CCS USA, Jackson High School
- Why did you join the club team: Joined CSOSU to continue in a sport I had spent so much time in growing up.
- What is your favorite memory from club swimming: Spending time with the team while competing at Club Nationals Georgia Tech.
Meet the Coaches!
- Name/Day: Sophie Antonetz / Sunday
- How many years have you been coaching/what teams: First year coaching. I was a member of WAC for 5 years and OSSC for 5 years.
- Were you ever a swimmer? If so, what was your favorite stroke/event: Fly / 50 Fly
- Why did you volunteer to coach our team: I wanted to coach the team because I've always had a passion for swimming. With an uncle who had a very impressive swim career and numerous cousins who I compete against every year, swimming is a huge deal in my family. Whether it's in the pool, in the gym, in the classroom, or in the workplace, I've always had a strong drive to push myself toward bigger and better goals. I believe I can push my fellow teammates to do the same.
- What quality is most valuable for a swimmer to have and why: The most valuable quality for a swimmer to have is dedication. You will never get where you want to be without applying yourself and holding yourself accountable.
- Name/Day: Natalie Sebunia / Monday
- How many years have you been coaching/what teams:
- Were you ever a swimmer? If so, what was your favorite stroke/event:
- Why did you volunteer to coach our team:
- What quality is most valuable for a swimmer to have and why:
- Name/ Day: Jack Kangas / Tuesday
- How many years have you been coaching/what teams: About 25 years - I started as a swimmer with the team - oh, awhile back. I have ONLY been a coach for this team, and that is fine by me.
- Were you ever a swimmer? If so, what was your favorite stroke/event: Yes, once a swimmer - always a swimmer - even though it may not be current. I was (and still am) a distance and 400 IM'er - just happen to be out of practice at the moment.
- Why did you volunteer to coach our team: It just sort of happened - over time (a long time), I went from creating workouts to being a coach.
I am still learning what that means and that is what is challenging (and fun) for me. It is a challenge to figure out when to interrupt your flow and when not to. - What quality is most valuable for a swimmer to have and why: Curiosity and a hint of "bravado" (aka swagger, panache, confidence),
- To have expectations (albeit realistic ones) for yourself (and for the those around you and for the coaches too). That you use every practice to "get" something (a time, a perfect stroke or a state of body/mind), and if it doesn't materialize - there is the next practice.
- The internal and external smile - to remember why this sport has been fun, in the past, and will continue to be fun - as long as we want it to.
- That this club is ALL of you, get to know those around you (I have always been surprised by the quality of "people" who swim, at all levels, and especially as adults). It is there if you want to find it.
- The ability see the big picture - that no one set or practice defines us. We can swim for so many different physiological benefits (too many to list!).
- That punching and churning the water is a healthier response than verbally (or even physically) punching someone in the face.
- ASK questions of coaches and other swimmers, this is not a top down organization (there will be no yelling)
- Name/Day: Vic Castro / Wednesday
- How many years have you been coaching/what teams: This is my first official year coaching a team but I was a Learn to Swim instructor my freshman year and attended several swimming and coaching seminars back when I was a competitive swimmer.
- Were you ever a swimmer? If so, what was your favorite stroke/event: Breaststroke/ Back / 50 fly
- Why did you volunteer to coach our team? I was a competitive swimmer for the majority of my life, and have valuable experience and knowledge that I'm confident I can apply to our team's goals and ambitions. I am a big fan of my last coach's practice style, and I believe our team would greatly benefit from it; I am ready to bring the best Costa Rican coach's methods to OSU!
- What quality is most valuable for a swimmer to have and why: Having drive, and love for the sport is always important, however, I consider that acknowledging and being okay with, not coming to practice "the one day, you're not feeling it", will make the experience more pleasant, and will allow you to give 100% effort the days you're actually in the water. It's okay to take breaks here and there, getting your hair wet every day is super tedious; I get it!
- Name/Day: Eric Gerlach / Thursday
- How many years have you been coaching/what teams: I’ve coached summer league swimming in Naperville, IL for seven years (2014-2020). I was the 11-12 age group coach for the first 3 years, then head coach for 4 years. I also coached predominantly 10&u swimmers for about a year with a USA Swimming club team, Force Aquatics, in Lewis Center, OH (April 2022-May 2023)
- Were you ever a swimmer? If so, what was your favorite stroke/event: My favorite stroke is freestyle, and my favorite event is 200 free.
- Why did you volunteer to coach our team? I want to coach CSOSU because I had an absolute blast being on the team during the 2021-2022 season. This was my second year of grad school, but even though I was a bit of an outlier on the team, everyone was really welcoming and I made some great friends. But what particularly made the experience special was just how fun and casual it was. But at the same time, we were still motivated to train and support each other. It was an ideal team environment for me.
- What quality is most valuable for a swimmer to have and why:
Unfortunately, there is no approach to coaching or training that fits every swimmer in a group, so I try to write workouts that are flexible, and encourage each swimmer to adapt them as they feel necessary. High self-awareness can help you know how to appropriately adapt your training for yourself.
“Success” also looks different for everyone; someone might be looking to reach a specific time goal, while someone else might just want to train for exercise, and another might just want to enjoy the social experience. Good self-awareness can help remind you of why you swim so that you continue to enjoy it.