Coaches & Directors

Patricia M Wallace

Head Coach Senior Team - 612.532.0164

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Tricia, a Mankato native, attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth for a year before transferring to Minnesota State University Mankato, where she was a three-year letter winner for the Maverick women’s swimming team. She served as a team captain her junior and senior seasons, and earned Academic All-North Central Conference honorable-mention recognition in 2003-04. She was voted as the team’s "Most Improved Swimmer" in both 2001-02 and 2002-03, and received the college’s Maverick Achievement Award for senior student-athlete excellence in 2003-04.

Tricia has a Bachelor of Science Degree in General Education from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services Resource Management, magna cum laude and a Master of Science Degree in Experiential Education, summa cum laude.  She has taught at the Harmony School of Excellence in Houston, Texas and at the Adonai Christian Academy in Asheville, North Carolina.  While teaching, Tricia was an Assistant Coach for the YMCA Piranha Swim Team in Asheville, NC. and an Assistant Swim Coach for the Edina Country Club.

Most recently, Tricia served as Head Coach of the Augsburg College women’s swimming team.  Tricia believes in challenging and inspiring all swimmers whether a Jr. Nat’l qualifier or a novice.  She meets each swimmer at their level with enthusiasm and passion to support every athlete in reaching their individual goals.

Lauren B Peterson

Junior Team Coach

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Coach Lauren is currently attending the University of Minnesota where she is majoring in Actuarial Science.  During the past 2 years, she has worked as the head coach for the Shoreview YMCA’s competitive swim team and has worked as an assistant coach for Great Wolf.  Prior to that, she briefly coached for the NSAC master’s program.  Lauren swam competitively for 10 years, 4 of which were for NSAC, and was on the Centennial High School swim team for 5 years.

Adam J Larson

Head Age Group and Gold - 612.309.1977

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Coach Adam began swimming for Falls High School in International Falls, MN.  After high school, he attended and swam for the University of Wisconsin at River Falls prior to moving to the Twin Cities.  He transferred to the University of Minnesota to continue his post-graduate education and is currently working on his doctorate.

His coaching career also started in International Falls as the assistant coach for the high school girl’s swim team.  While coaching the high school girls, he taught swimming lessons and competitive swim clinics on the side. 

Coach Adam started coaching for the club in 2001, and has been with NSAC ever since it became a 501c-3 organization.  His amazing stability and skills have helped our club over the year; it is an honor to have him on our staff!

Erick D Dornseif

Silver Team Coach

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Coach Erick is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsion - River Falls with a degree in Art Education.  Prior to leaving for River Falls, Erick coached with NSAC for 4 years, primarily in the Bronze, Silver and Gold programs.  He swam with Mounds View High School for 3 years, NSAC for 4 years and River Falls for 3 1/2 years.

Angela Mae Irrgang

Bronze Team Coach

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Coach Angie grew up in Grand Forks, ND and began swimming for the GF Barracudas (now called the Wahoos) when she was six.  She swam mainly butterfly and IM events.  At age thirteen, she began swimming high school, primarily competing in the 100/200 IM and 100/200 breaststroke. Her last two years of high school, she not only swam, but competed in diving as well.

In 2008 Angie moved down to the cities and had the opportunity to work with Coach Lauren at the Northwest Family YMCA Marlins. Along with coaching the Marlins, Angie worked coaching triathlon swimmers and teaching both child and adult swimming lessons.  She started as an assistant coach with NSAC in September of 2009 and very shortly assumed the role as lead Bronze coach. 

Angie is currently a student at the University of Minnesota studying Genetics, Cell Biology and Development. 

Diana W Buck

Masters Coach

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Diana started her swimming career while attending Mounds View High School.  During the off-season she swam with MVSC (NSAC).  After finishing high school, Diana continued swimming at St. Cloud State University from 2000-2003.  While swimming at SCSU, Diana was a letter winner and a member of the conference team.  She swam butterfly and backstroke events.  Diana graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Athletic Training, Bachelor of Science in Community Health and a coaching minor.

Diana has coached the swim team at North Junior High, St. Cloud, MN, and Mounds View High School girl’s swim team during their preseason.  Currently Diana is the Aquatics Coordinator at the Shoreview Community Center, where she develops lifeguard training and swimming lesson programs. During the summer Diana is involved with competing in triathlons and 5k’s around the metro area with her husband Jeff.

Bethany Ann Carter

Assistant Coach

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Coach Bethany started swimming competitively at age seven with the Burnsville Swim Club. She moved with her family at thirteen to Monticello where she swam for the Monticello Swim Club and then the Monticello High School Girls Team. Her favortie event was the 500 Free in high school. In college, Coach Bethany swam with Hamline University as a long distance swimmer.
 
Bethan is pursuing a bachelors degree in paralegal. She wants to work for a few years in the legal field to gain experience before going to law school. Coach Bethany has been a lifeguard for eight years and spent the past two summers as a beach lifeguard with Ramsey County. Her favorite memories all involve swimming, pools and beaches.

Renee Marie Punyko

Assistant Coach

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Katherine A Johnson (White)

Assistant Coach

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Bronze, Silver, and Gold Teams

Coach Katherine started swimming competitively at the age of 8 on the MVSC (now NSAC).   She swam on her Mounds View high school swim team and enjoyed being a captain her senior year.  Coach Katherine also had a great time swimming with the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire swim team.  Her favorite strokes to swim were backstroke and butterfly.

Coach Katherine recently graduated from Eau Claire with a major in psychology and family studies.  She is currently getting her master’s degree in special education at the University of Minnesota.  Coach Katherine has been working for the past two years at the YMCA as a swim instructor and lifeguard.  She still loves competing in half marathons and triathlons.  Coach Katherine also likes to spend time outdoors hiking and camping.

Danelle N Marsden

Assistant Coach

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Bronze, Silver, and Gold Teams

Coach Danelle began swimming competitively at age 11 in Dubuque, Iowa. She swam for her local YWCA and USA team through high school. She swam for Dubuque Wahlert and qualified for state her junior year. She swam sprint freestyle and butterfly. She loved swim meets, pasta dinners, long bus rides through Iowa, and making life long friendships with her teammates. She also swam for the University of St. Thomas for three years in college.

Coach Danelle graduated for St. Thomas in May of 2006 with a degree in Marketing Management and works as Financial Planner is Minneapolis. She enjoys traveling, cooking, snow & water skiing, and boating. Danelle is very excited for her first year of coaching after many years of lifeguarding of teaching private swim lessons.

Emily E Firkus

Assistant Coach

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Coach Emily began her swimming career with MVSC (now NSAC) as an 8 and under swimmer. After a few years living in and swimming in Pittsburgh, PA, her family moved back to Minnesota during her junior year of high school where she graduated from Irondale High School in 1999. Attending UW-Eau Claire, Emily was hired as the 8 & Under coach for the Eau Claire YMCA. Two years later, due to a coaching staff turnover, Emily found herself coaching for the Chippewa Valley YMCA in Chippewa Falls, WI. There she was the head 9-12 year old coach and eventually followed those swimmers up to the senior group as the senior head coach. After college, Emily began coaching at North High School where she just finished her third season with the Girls’ team. This is Coach Emily’s 3rd year with NSAC and she is looking forward to many more!

Along with coaching swimming, Emily’s other passion is teaching junior high school. She is in her second year teaching math at Ramsey Jr. High in St. Paul. Coaching swimming is something that Emily has a hard time living without. It’s rewarding because a coach gets to see growth daily during practice and see that growth put to use when competing. It’s one of the few "jobs" out there where you get to see all the time and hard work actually pay off. Coaching swimming is a rejuvenating experience and one that is positive in Emily’s life.

Kristen M Ostendorf

Assistant Coach

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Bronze, Silver, and Gold Teams

Back in 2006 Coach Kristen and Coach Belinda started up the first girl’s high school team at Totino Grace High School.  Kristen has been the assistant coach at Totino Grace the past two years.  She loves it!  Coach Kristen is also a teacher at Totino Grace High School.    Kristen herself was a competitive swimmer through high school.  In 1997 she became involved in coaching swimming at the Special Olympics.  Kristen has been coaching with NSAC since 2006 on a year round basis. She loves coaching here at North Suburban!

Belinda N LeClair

Assistant Coach

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Bronze, Silver, and Gold Teams

Coach Belinda has been coaching with NSAC since 1999. She has primarily focused on coaching the younger swimmers preparing them to advance into the upper programs. Belinda takes the fall season off, because she is also the Head Coach for Totino-Grace High School Girls Swimming program, which is enjoying their second year as a team. Despite this you may see her on deck once in awhile this fall helping out with special programs.

Belinda started competitive swimming for Hastings Area Swim Team at age 9. She continued swimming throughout her childhood and went on to swim for Hastings High School. Her favorite events became 200 and 500 freestyle. During her freshman year the team became conference, section, and state champions. HAST was also where she got her start coaching, when she was a young teenager.

When Belinda isn’t on a pool deck (which isn’t often) you might find her leading a Cub Scout Den, at a church function or family gathering, catching a quick workout, or chasing one of the 6 children Belinda and her husband Mark of 10 years share together. Once in awhile she sleeps!

Coach Belinda believes that when a young or new swimmer is nurtured, encouraged, taught the basics, and have a little fun along the way, that they will be given a solid foundation to find success not only in the pool but also in other areas of life!