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Jeff Bridwell - Head Coach & CEO

Jeff Bridwell’s swimming journey began in 1993 at the West Side Swim Club, and from that first lap, the water became his second home. Over the years, he swam for Madison West YMCA, the original Madison Aquatic Club (which later merged to form Badger Aquatics Club), Verona Aquatics Club, Madison West High School, and UW–Whitewater. Since 2010, he’s been a familiar face swimming laps at the Oregon pool.

Jeff’s coaching career kicked off in 2014, helping a friend launch the Sun Prairie Storm. Watching the team triple in size during its first year hooked him on the sport from a whole new perspective. By 2015, he was the Head Coach of the Waterloo Swim Club, where he grew the program from 30 to 50 swimmers and led them to multiple state titles—putting a small town on the Wisconsin swimming map.

In 2017, Jeff took the reins at Stoughton Aqua Racers, growing the team from 60 to 90 swimmers. Many of his athletes have gone on to compete for some of the top college programs in the country. From 2019 to 2023, he also coached the Stoughton High School boys and girls teams, helping produce the school’s first-ever state champions and All-Americans. In 2022, Jeff joined OCSC, and his leadership, passion, and vision have continued to push the team forward.

As Head Coach and CEO of OCSC, Jeff brings a blend of competitive excellence, program-building experience, and a love for fostering growth at every level. While he enjoys coaching all strokes, open water freestyle has a special place in his heart. His pre-race ritual? A powerhouse juice blend of beet, apple, carrot, grapefruit, ginger, and kale—chugged in one breath.

Outside the pool, Jeff enjoys long walks that let his thoughts flow, exploring old-world architecture, and tackling extreme endurance challenges—including finishing several Ironman races, one of which he completed on the same day he worked an eight-hour shift.

With decades in the sport and a track record of building winning programs, Jeff is committed to leading OCSC into its next chapter—fostering a culture of hard work, team spirit, and lifelong love for swimming.

Congratulations, Jeff, on your promotion to Head Coach & CEO!

Kevin Everson- Assistant Coach

We're excited to welcome Coach Kevin to the OCSC coaching team — though he's no stranger to our pool!

Kevin began swimming competitively at age 7 and is an OCSC alum himself. Over the years, he’s also trained with STAR, MSS, and MAC, and even swam alongside Coach Jeff at UW-Whitewater. He’s coached for five years, including time with the Stoughton Aqua Racers, the Whitewater High School Boys Swim Team, and a Special Olympics swim team. In addition to coaching, he spent six years teaching swim lessons at SwimWest.

Kevin's favorite stroke to swim is butterfly and distance freestyle, and he especially enjoys coaching long-distance freestyle events.

Outside the pool, Kevin loves spending time with his wife and three kids, camping, hitting water parks, and playing golf. Fun fact: he trained under Robert Pinter, a former Olympian and coach for STAR and OCSC!

We’re thrilled to have Coach Kevin back on deck — this time with a whistle instead of a swim cap!

Matt Gorney- Assistant Coach 

We’re excited to welcome Coach Matt Gorney to our coaching staff!

Matt brings over a decade of swimming experience, having spent 12 years in the pool with teams including the Oswego Otters, Fox Valley YMCA Aqua Force, Delta Aquatics, Oswego High School, and the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. His competitive background and passion for the sport make him a valuable asset to our team.

Matt spent three summers coaching with the Oswego Otters, where he discovered a love for helping swimmers develop both their technique and their confidence. His favorite stroke to swim and coach is freestyle, and he’s all about perfecting the details that make a difference in races.

When it comes to pre-race fuel, Matt keeps it simple with a tried-and-true snack: string cheese. And here’s a fun fact — he once competed against the same team Coach Jeff swam for in college!

Outside the pool, you can find Matt gaming on his new PS5 or cheering on his favorite football teams.

We’re thrilled to have Coach Matt on deck this season. Be sure to say hi and welcome him to the team!

Alena Hanson- Assistant Coach 

We’re excited to welcome Assistant Coach Alena to the OCSC coaching team for her first season!

Alena has been swimming for many years, starting with the Zion Dolphins and Kenosha Barracudas, then moving on to the Badger Co-Op High School swim team where she served as team captain her senior year. She also swam year-round with the Lake Geneva Swim Club and continued her swimming career at Lawrence University, again captaining her team in her senior year.

Her favorite stroke both to swim and coach is butterfly — a challenging stroke that she’s passionate about helping swimmers master.

Before a race, you’ll usually find her fueling up with a bagel and peanut butter.

Fun fact: Alena has traveled to all 50 states — a true adventurer both in and out of the water!

Outside the pool, Alena is pursuing a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Pathology at UW-Madison. She’s recently taken up running and loves traveling, spending time with friends and family, and anything involving water.

We’re thrilled to have such a dedicated and passionate assistant coach join our team!

Caroline Rusch- Assistant Coach 

This will be my third year coaching with OCSC, however, I swam for about ten years with OCSC and for Stoughton (STAR) for a while with Jeff and AJ as my coaches! I am passionate about swimming and teaching young swimmers the importance of knowing how to properly swim.

As a coach, there are many things that I enjoy, such as getting to know the swimmers and watching them grow and improve their swimming techniques and times. I also enjoy being a part of the OCSC community and having all the great families support the coaches and the swimmers. I have a lot of fun coaching the Hammerheads and Leopards and can't wait to see what this season brings!

Outside of coaching, I enjoy being active and doing things such as working out and going on hikes when the weather permits. I am also currently in school, at Madison College, where I am working to get my degree, so that takes up a majority of my time. In addition to coaching, I am also one of the supervisors at the pool where you might see me around! Please feel free to say hi if you see me around!

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