Meet Our Coaches and Board Members
Candi Eslinger, Head Coach - Gold
Email: [email protected]
Coach Eslinger brings over 30 years of competitive swimming and coaching experience to the Ellensburg Area Swim Team. Growing up as a competitive swimmer, she swam through the ranks of age-group club swimming, high school swimming, and was a member of the CWU Swim Team from 1986-1988.
Eslinger earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in fashion design from Central Washington University in 1991 and returned to earn a teaching degree in health education and family and consumer sciences education.
Before being hired as the Gold group for EAST, Eslinger was head coach of the Ellensburg High School Girls Swim Team from 2017-2021 & 2004-2006, she was the Head Coach for EAST from 1991-1999, 2006-2012, & 2014-2017. From 1999-2003 Eslinger was the Head Women’s & Men’s Swimming Coach at CWU. Eslinger has coached swimmers at all levels from Regionals, Zones, Sectionals, Junior and Senior National competition, and Collegiate Nationals.
Kelly Pritchett, Age Group Head Coach
Kelly Pritchett is a former collegiate swimmer for the University of Alabama swimming and diving team and a member of the Southeastern Conference team (1999-2003). She started coaching swimming at age 16 and continued in various capacities through college as a Graduate Assistant for the University of Alabama aquatics. Pritchett is a Professor in Sports Nutrition at Central Washington University and serves as the Director of Sports Nutrition for CWU Athletics. As a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, she has consulted with both elite and collegiate athletes as well as with active individuals. Kelly has a consulting business (TriDimensional Consulting) along with her husband Robert where she provides nutrition education and coaching. She served as a National Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for 6 years and has authored multiple pieces for Runner’s World and Bicycling Magazine on topics related to nutrition for the female athlete. In her spare time, she enjoys running and spending time with her three active boys who are active members of the EAST swim team.
Mariah Roseman, Assistant Coach - Bronze and Silver
Mariah swam year-round club from the ages of seven to fourteen and then joined Mark Morris High School’s swim team in Longview, WA. In high school, she swam the 100 butterfly and 200 IM in districts! Since high school, Mariah has taught swim lessons and is now coaching on EAST! She is currently a student at CWU working toward a BS in Child Development and Family Science.
Josh Nelson-Ichido, Board Vice President, Assistant Coach
Josh Nelson-Ichido grew up swimming for the Barracuda Swim Team in the Wenatchee area in the 90s through the early 2000s, swam on the Eastmont Highschool boys team and was team captain his senior year, then joined CWU’s water polo team while completing his undergraduate degree. After his time at CWU, Josh lived in Japan, San Diego, CA, and Lansing, MI while pursuing his professional and graduate educational goals; but no matter where he was, he always found time to be in the water.
Josh is now a Professor of Communication at CWU and the Officials Coordinator for EAST. He also started helping on deck as an assistant coach starting in late 2022 and has worked with swimmers from our Precomp groups all the way through our Gold group. Both Josh and his two children are swimmers for EAST as well; with Josh joining the Masters team in 2022.
Jaymi Williams, Board President, Assistant Coach
Jaymi grew up swimming competitively in Oregon on the Tualatin Hills Swim Club. She enjoyed many competitive years acheiving various goals. Eventually, she dabbled in triathlons and off road triathlons with a few fun achievements sprinkled here and there. She currently enjoys swimming in the mornings with EAST Masters, running with friends, and exploring the oceans with her daughter and husband. Jaymi's daughter also swims for EAST. She recently earned her coach certification to help out the EAST swim family when needed!
Laurie Holt, Assistant Coach
Coach Laurie grew up swimming competitively from age 5 through college. While swimming with CWU she was top three in nationals for the 200, 500 and 1650 freestyle. She has coached 3 years for EAST and one year as assistant coach for Ellensburg High School. She is also a certificated high school special education teacher and brings a strong educational background to her coaching practices.
Outside of swimming, Laurie has been married 24 wonderful years and stays busy with her 4 children, ages 14 - 21. She also enjoys being outside in the sunshine for hiking, kayaking and camping and stays in shape with crossfit.
Megan Dickinson, Safe Sport Coordinator
My name is Megan Dickinson, I am married to Jared Dickinson, I have two kids, Lily and Miles, two dogs, Hopper and Talley, one cat, Poe, and I work at CWU in the Law and Justice Department.
I have loved the water since before I can remember, was in the pool before I could walk and joined the Billings, MT YMCA USA Swimming Team at age 5, was captain of my highschool swim team, was a lifeguard for the city pool all the way through highschool, taught swim lessons at the YMCA in Houston, TX and Coached the YMCA Swim Team in Phoenix before moving to Ellensburg where both my kids are on the team and I serve on the board.
Natalie Mayfield, Treasurer
Natalie grew up swimming and playing water polo. She earned a BS in Management Science from UC San Diego and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership and Management at Arizona State University. She works as a Grants Manager at ASU, with experience in budgeting and financial management.
Natalie is married to her high school sweetheart, who also swam and played water polo. Their two kids swim on the bronze team.
