Coach Jackson is a Level 4 (Achievement) and Level 5 (Education) ASCA member, USA Swimming certified coach, USMS Level 1 coach, World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA) Level 4 coach, and currently serves the Iowa LSC as the Senior Vice Chair.  
 
Jackson serves on multiple IASI committees and was most recently voted to lead the 2023 Team Iowa Open Water Zone team. His work as Senior Vice Chair has seen the first Iowa Zone Select Camp come to fruition, as well as the development of an online, Midwest recruiting panel and mental health initiatives.  
 
As the head coach of IFLY, the Flyers have won two LCM overall team championships, the 2022 AG team title, the 2023 AG & Senior team titles, and the first ever Iowa Open Water team championship. IFLY has risen to a new level of achievement with their highest numbers of Futures, Jr National Open Water, Winter Junior National, Summer Junior National, National, and U.S. Open qualifiers in team history.  At the 2023 Winter Junior National Championships, IFLY boys finished in 10th place- the best finish in team history and first time an Iowa Swimming team cracked the top ten at Winter Junior Nationals.
 
Prior to his time in Iowa, Jackson coached with the University of Florida (2010-2015), the Ohio State University as a volunteer assistant (2016-2017), in the club realm with Gator Swim Club (2010-2015, including a NAG in the Girls 11-12 200 Free Relay) and with Gulliver Swim Club, and has led multiple high school teams to great success.

Jackson was recignized as the Florida Swimming Age Group Coach of the Year in 2013, an ASCA national top 10 Age Group Coach of the Year in 2013, and as the Bill Harlan award winner for the University of Florida in 2014.
 
Jackson served as a clinician for the ASCA from 2015-2016, taught at multiple USA Swimming Regional Coaching Clinics, spoke at multiple World Clinics, served as an ASCA Fellows mentor, and most recently took part in the ASCA Triad Mentorship program.  
 
A lifelong coach from a family of swimming coaches, the sport is integral to Jackson’s life. From teaching swim lessons to young children to coaching alongside the sport’s greatest leaders guiding Olympians to their dreams, Jackson’s passion is helping swimmers of every age, ability, and skill level!

 

2013 Florida Swimming Age Group Coach of the Year

2013 ASCA National Top 10 Age Group Coach of the Year

2014 Bill Harlan Award Winner- University of Florida Swimming and Diving

2018 ASCA Fellows group leader

2022 ASCA Mentorship Triad Program member

2023 IASI Select Camp Director

2023 USA Swimming Leadership Summit Invitee

Coach Chris was born and raised in Rochester, Minnesota, where he competed for the Orcas Swim Club. He was a letter winner as a swimmer in high school, where he was a four-time NISCA All-American and state champion in the 500 freestyle in his senior year. Chris then came to swim for the Hawkeyes; he competed in three Big Ten championships and attending the Division 1 NCAA championships as an alternate. During his time as a Hawkeye, he achieved three top-ten Iowa all-time top performances in the 200 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 100 backstroke. Chris graduated from the University of Iowa in the spring of 2015 with a degree in Recreation and Sports Business.
Coach Chris joined Iowa Flyers Swim Club in the summer of 2015, working closely with the Performance groups before accepting the IFLY Associate Head Coach postition in September 2016. Most recently, Coach Chris worked with IFLY's Senior Performance Summer National qualifiers (Heidi Stalkfleet and Aurora Roghair) as they prepared for the 2021 Summer Nationals in Irvine, CA. There, Aurora Roghair finished with three top 3 finishes, including a first place finish in the 1500m Freestyle.

Coach Madyson grew up in Cary, Illinois and began her swimming journey at the summer league known as Trails. She went on to swim for Barrington Swim Club under Rob Emary, where she was a district champion for the 100 and 200 breastroke as well as the 100 backstroke. She also qualified for three Speedo Sectional meets where she had the opportunity to travel all over the country to compete. Coach Madyson owes a lot of her success to Coach Rob Emary as his coaching style heavily influences how she coaches today. Madyson swam for Dundee Crown High School, where she earned MVP both her sophomore and senior year while also serving as a team captain her senior year.

Upon graduating high school, Madyson committed to the University of Whitewater-Wisconsin. As a freshman, Madyson recorded the No. 8 personal record times in program history in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard backstroke, as well as led the 2020 WIAC conference with the number one seed time in the 200 backstroke. After her freshman year, Madyson decided to hang up her goggles and instead funnel her love for the sport into coaching.

Madyson transferred to the University of Iowa in 2021, earning her degree in Mass Communications and Journalism with a minor in Spanish in 2023.Outside of coaching, Madyson loves CrossFit, yoga, photography and traveling the world.

She has been coaching alongside Amy Lenderink as well as leading JR/SR for the past two years. Madyson is excited to share her passion and continue to grow her love for the sport alongside the athletes she coaches.

Coach Paul started swimming at the age of seven and has been on deck ever since. He began coaching after graduating from Oswego State in NY, where he was a two year captain and school record holder.

Since then he has coached for Summer Rec teams, club teams, and collegiately. Most recently, he was Head Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving coach at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. During his 12 seasons there he was named Landmark Conference Coach of the Year 8 times and led the team to 5 Conference Championships, including the first Men's/Women's title sweep in league history in 2020.

Paul is now the Recruitment Coordinator for the University of Iowa's College of Education. He lives in Iowa City with his wife, Maia, his daughter, Maeve, and his son, Joe. Both Maeve and Joe are IFLYers!

Blanca has been in the swimming world since she was 10. During high school she competed for the Walnut Creek , California National swim team and competed at Junior Nationals in multiple years. Swimming collegiately for the University of Kansas , her specialty events were the 100 and 200 Butterfly. While in college she also swam for the Puerto Rican National swim team and placed 3rd in the 1988 Central American Games in Mexico. That year, she swam a 200 butterfly that set a U.S. Masters national record time that stood for 18 years.

Following graduation from KU, Blanca attended UCLA where she earned her Master's Degree and joined an ocean swim team and competed in Pacific Ocean open water races. After teaching junior high school and high school in southern California she relocated to Iowa to raise a family.

After taking six years off from swimming, she jumped back into the pool again in 1997. Blanca found the joy of competing at the national level in Masters swimming. In the 2002 Masters National Meet she finished in the top four in four events and won the national championship in the 200 butterfly. In the 2006 FINA World Master's Championships Blanca finished with two top ten performances.

Blanca has been a USA Swimming certified coach for the past 18 years, working with age group swimmers with a wide range of ability levels in eastern Iowa. Blanca and her husband Rod have three children (Anthony, Tereysa and Mariana).

Andrew, originally from Des Moines, IA, has been swimming and has been in the world of swimming since 8 years old. He swam for Central Iowa Aquatics and Valley High School. After graduating Andrew moved on to swim division II at the University of Indianapolis in Indiana for four years where he also studied elementary education. Andrew’s specialty was the 100 and 200 butterfly, as well as the 200 and 400 IM. Andrew’s passion for swimming has now transferred to a passion for coaching and teaching. After retiring Andrew knew that he had to give back to the sport that gave him so much throughout his life. His goal is to help kids grow to love and enjoy swimming just as he did and still does. 

Coach Alex started swimming competitively when he was 5 years old.  He started swimming for the YMCA and then transitioned to LMST in middle school and swam for Linn Mar High School.  During his first years of college, Coach Alex swam for IFLY as a Senior Performance member.  He is currently a student at the University of Iowa studying Biomedical Engineering.  Coach Alex plan on making prosthetics for children and wounded veterans once he graduates.

They say "Do what made you happy when you were 10 . . ." That brought Coach Jan to IFLY as a Masters swimmer and now as a coach!

Coach Jan grew up in Omaha and started club swimming and diving at age 8. After a move to Deerfield, Illinois, she swam and dove in high school (6th in state in diving, state qualifier in 100 butterfly) and was a diver in college at University of Miami in Florida, where she was an NCAA qualifier in the 3M springboard. Go Canes!

Her aquatic life has included teaching lessons, coaching a club team, as well as synchronized swimming, scuba diving, and underwater hockey. Jan now lives in Williamsburg, Iowa, with a little hobby farm (2 horses, 4 dogs, and 10 cats). Her daughter was a collegiate soccer player and her son is a former high school divisional wrestling participant.

Coach Julia’s hometown is in New Lenox, Illinois and she has been swimming since she was 9 years old. She swam with both North Aquatics Club and Lincoln-Way Swim Association until she joined her high school swim team in 2015 at Lincoln-Way West High School. During her high school career, she was a varsity swimmer and water polo player and went on to receive All-Conference, All-Sectional, All-State, and Athlete of the Year honors in women’s water polo in 2019. Julia is now in her fifth year of USA Swimming certified coaching and is a Hawkeye alum, graduating with a degree in Marketing and Finance from the University of Iowa. 

Coach Michelle has loved being in the pool since the age of 10 when she joined the Burlington Swim Team. Her favorite strokes still are freestyle and butterfly. Michelle continued getting stronger and more experienced as a high school competitor and state qualifier at Burlington High School. She proceeded to swim in college at the University of Northern Iowa. 

Coach Michelle has been active in the Iowa City swimming community for over 17 years; coaching club (7 years for CE, 10 years for IFLY), junior high (SEJH, NCJH, and NWJH), and served as the assistant varsity girls coach at Iowa City High for five years. Coach Michelle currently also serves as a junior high and high school swimming official, including over 5 years selection as one of the 8 officials at the Iowa High School Girls' meet. 

Coach Michelle also works as an Administrator for the Work Injury Recovery Center at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Her most important role is mom to her son, Tristan and daughter, Tenly.

Coach Erin is a former swim lessons instructor, former IFLY swimmer, and current Education major at the University of Iowa. Her past experiences in the water and current love for teaching will benefit the Age Group program. 

Jennifer was born in Newport Beach California and swam briefly for Lake Elsinore High School competitively. For the last five years she has been working as an ARC certified lifeguard, swim instructor, lifeguard instructor, aquatic fitness instructor and pool manager at North Liberty Aquatic Center.  She credits much of her teaching and coaching to her coworker of 5 years, Coach Mike Brotherton. Jennifer is a proud mom to twins Sarah and Kai who will be graduating from HS in 2024.

Megan is a student at the University of Iowa studying Public Health and Inclusive Recreation. Megan has been a swimmer for her whole life. She swam for the Lincoln-Way Association for several years beginning in elementary school. She later joined the Lincoln-Way West High School water polo team for 3 years. Megan also ran track and cross country during her time in high school and continues to run into college. 

Megan was president of her Best Buddies chapter in high school and was involved in Special Olympics and Adaptive PE class. Following high school, Megan began working at the Lincoln-Way Special Recreation Association leading many programs for children with disabilities. In Iowa City, Megan works with the  Adaptive Inclusive Recreation program  for Iowa City Parks and Recreation. She also is an intern for the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Megan is very eager to work with the para/ adaptive swim team!

Coach Liv was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, specifically Downers Grove, Illinois. She started competitively swimming at eight years old and has been swimming ever since. Coach Liv swam for Downers Grove North High school where she was a team record holder, state qualifier, All-American, and team captain her senior year. She also swam for Hinsdale Swim Club on their national team where she was a team record holder, state, and national medalist. Coach Liv currently swims for the University of Iowa and is a sophomore 100 and 200 butterflier. 

 

Coach Liv joined the IFLY coaching staff in the beginning of 2023 where she coaches the Developmental groups. She is super excited to be a part of the team for her second season and hopes to be able to share her passion and expertise for the sport of swimming with her athletes.