Coaches

Austin Axe has had a passion for swimming since he was just 6 years old. He achieved recognition as one of the top 16 swimmers in the country at the age of ten, for his backstroke prowess throughout the Country, and held several records in Ohio.

Austin started coaching his neighborhood summer team, the Lincolnshire Sharks, at the age of 16 and coached them for 7 years. After graduating from Central Catholic High School in 2013, he started coaching swimming year-round for Sylvania Tsunami. In 2018, Austin moved to Findlay and served as the Head Coach for the summer team, the Canterbury Stingrays, and has since been the Head Coach for the Findlay Area Swim Team.

In addition to coaching year-round, Austin has also worked for the Toledo Public School District and the Findlay City School District as a paraprofessional for children with disabilities.

He enjoys working with swimmers to set obtainable personal goals and help train swimmers safely and effectively!

In his free time, you will find Austin spending time with his fiancée and their many pets. Coach Austin’s favorite stroke is the Backstroke!

Coach Lori Yaross began her tenure with Tsunami in 2015, where she works with the Senior and Blue groups.

She is also the head coach at St. John's Jesuit High School and Notre Dame Academy, where she has been coaching since 2010. In 2014, she received the TRAC Coach of the Year award and was nominated for BCSN Coach of the Season in 2015.

Coach Yaross was the co-founder of the Dundee Dragon Swim Club in Dundee, MI, and served as head coach from 2007 to 2015. She was the head coach of Erie Mason from 2007 to 2011 in Erie, MI.

Coach Yaross graduated from Erie Mason High School in 1999. She qualified for state competition her sophomore through senior seasons and held five school records. She competed at Cleveland State University, where she was a team captain for three years.

After receiving her undergraduate degree in education from Cleveland State University in 2005, Coach Yaross earned her Master's in Education, with a focus in reading, from Lourdes University in 2013. She has been teaching for 16 years and has been teaching at St. John's Jesuit Academy since 2014.

She enjoys spending her free time with family and friends, and also appreciates time outdoors and traveling.

Coach Kelsey began swimming at the age of 5 and continued to swim throughout all four years at Perrysburg High School. During her time there, she served as a team captain in her senior year and also holds multiple records.

Coach Kelsey has been an assistant coach and swim lessons instructor at Belmont Country Club, and most recently, the Fort Meigs YMCA. She has been with Sylvania Tsunami since 2014.

Coach Kelsey majored in Spanish with a minor in Marketing at Bowling Green State University. She graduated from BGSU in 2015. Kelsey is currently in Customer Service for a local insurance company. 

In her spare time, Kelsey is an avid reader and foster mom to her rescue kittens.

Coach Kelsey's favorite strokes are Backstroke and distance Freestyle!