Highlights:

• Coached Olympic Gold Medalist Peter Vanderkaay
• Coached Zone Champions, Junior National Champions, and Olympic Trial qualifiers
• Assistant National Team Coach at OLY
• Competitive swimmer at Wyoming High School and Northern Michigan University
• Coach at Upper Peninsula YMCA in Houghton, Y Zone Meet in Wisconsin
• Started the Lake Orion Liquid Lightning Team; Head Coach for five years.
• Coached State and Zone qualifiers for LL
• Started the Huron Valley Penguins Swim Team; Head Coach (2005-present)
• Head Coach for Lakeland High School Girls Swim Team (2010-2017)
• Coached USA Swimming National Select Open Water Camp (2019)

Janette Heaton began her coaching career as a high school student, and she continued coaching while pursuing a BA from Northern Michigan University. She ran summer coaching clinics at NMU while a still a student and coached the swim team at Negaunee High School during her final year at NMU. After college, she honed her skills during her five years with OLY in Rochester, and then during stints as the Avondale HS Swim Coach and the Rochester HS Swim Coach. She loves swimming because she is able to meet so many great people.

Janette started the Lake Orion Liquid Lightning Team and was the Head Coach for five years. When Huron Valley opened pools, she brought her significant talent home and started the Huron Valley Penguins Swim Team, where she’s been the Head Coach since 2005. Currently, she’s the head coach at HVP, where she encourages all swimmers to strive for their very best.

“I love coaching swimming because I love to see others enjoy swimming as much as I do.”

Coach Lyndsey has been around the pool for years. She began as a Lifeguard and swim instructor. She later became an Assistant Pool Manager for Oak Pointe Country Club and head Swim Coach. From there she went on to Coach the Brighton Eels swim team. Coach Lyndsey then left Brighton and created the Hartland Hurricanes swim team where she was Head coach. Coach Lyndsey grew up in Farmington Hills and swam for The Michigan Stingrays and Mercy High School. She swam in College for Grand Valley and after college for MAC. Coach Lyndsey has her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education and Reading. She has been teaching in HVS for 18 years at Lakewood Elementary. She has 2 children, one swimming for the Hurricane Penguins. 

Ian Allen was a Penguin swimmer since he was a 6 year old Macaroni Penguin swimmer all the way to his Senior year at Walled Lake Central. After graduating high school Ian recieved a scholarship to swim at Oakland University. Ian is currently a Senior at Oakland University. We are so happy that Ian is now Paying it Forward by coaching for the HVP Team. Ian will primarily be coaching the Rockhopper Penguin practice group.

Coach Erik Koppin has an extensive background in aquatics. He began working as a lifeguard, swim instructor and pool supervisor which led to a career in Parks and Recreation.  He coached the Lakeland High School girls team from 2005-2012 and the Milford High School boys team from 2008-2011. Erik grew up in the Westland/Livonia area where he swam for both club and high school teams. He has a Bachelors in Secondary Education and Masters in Sports Administration.  Erik managed Huron Valley Pools & Fitness from opening in 2004 to 2014, worked as a Park Operations Manager for the Metroparks and is now the Chief of Park Operations and Maintenance for Oakland County.  Both his son and daughter participate on the team.

Zin started as a swimmer for HVP then became a lifeguard and swim instructor. Zin shows so much paitence and kindness when coaching and teaching swimming. Zin is studing at OCC while continuing to coach and teach for HVP.

My name is Mallorie Johnson and I was a competitive swimmer for about 10 years. In those ten years I've been a part of different swim clubs and swam at Fenton for the middle school and high school swim teams. I was varsity all four years and team captain my senior year. Today I continue my love for swimming by competing in open water races. I will be graduating college in 2025 at Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Secondary Education, Secondary Education Earth Science and a minor in Secondary Education Biology.