Coaches

Coaches 

Coaching Staff
Jay Friend Head Coach / Senior Coach

Jay has been coaching at Missoula Aquatic Club since 2014. He got his start coaching the Pre-Team at Palm Springs Aquatics in 2005. Since becoming Head Coach at Missoula Aquatic in 2016 Jay has coached Olympic Trials qualifiers, 18&U National Champions, a World University Games Gold Medalist. He is a 3 time USA Swimming National Team Coach and was a part of the coaching staff for USA’s Junior Pan Pacific team in 2018.  Jay coaches the Senior and National groups and assists at all levels of the team.

 

Jay graduated from Fresno Pacific University with a degree in Communications. As a swimmer, Jay was a member of two NAIA National Runner up and two NAIA National Championship teams. He was a 4 time All-American and 12 times Honorable Mention All-American.

Dave Berkoff Assistant Coach

Education:

BA Harvard 1989, MS University of MT 1995, JD University of MT 1998

Swimming  Experience  :

An accomplished competitive swimmer for the United States, winning four (4) Olympic medals (2 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze). He also set numerous Ivy League, NCAA, United States and World Records during his career.

Berkoff revolutionized the world of swimming by refining a technique whose origins date back to the 1920s – the dolphin kick. In the late 1980s, he began consistently winning races by dolphin-kicking underwater at the start of each race and after each flip turn, for as much as 35 meters at a time. He quickly went on to be a world-class champion, winning two Olympic medals in 1988, and two more in 1992. Not surprisingly, given the media’s love of alliteration, his technique was termed the “Berkoff Blastoff.”

Coaching Experience:

1992-present MAC Coach

Harvard Men’s Swim Team volunteer assistant coach

Bernal’s Gator Swim Club assistant senior coach

Coaching Philosophy:

Hard work leads to success in life.  One needs to balance hard work with sharing knowledge, teaching the “why’s” and “how’s” to athletes, and fun!

Hobbies/Passions:

Fly fishing, Mountain Biking, Gardening

   

Julia Lytle Assistant Senior Coach
I was born and raised in New Jersey, and grew up swimming, snowboarding, playing soccer and lacrosse! I got a degree in Neuroscience and Psychology at Rutgers University, while also playing D1 lacrosse there. I then attended San Diego State University, took my fifth year playing lacrosse and received a Masters in Counseling with a speciality in Trauma Informed Care. Now, I am a doctoral student at University of Montana, looking to get my PhD in Integrated Physiology and Rehabilitation Science where I mainly research vestibular health and traumatic brain injury. When I am not studying, I am either coaching, hiking, cooking or snowboarding!
 
I have experience coaching both swimming and lacrosse, and am excited to bring my competitiveness and love for sports to MAC!
 
Jenell Roberson Gold Coach
Originally from Buford, Georgia, she was a high school swimmer, and swimming since a young age. Coach Jenell was involved with swimming in Georgia through the North Georgia Swim League.  Coach Jenell held multiple positions with the Stingray Swim Team, such as executive board member, swim and stroke official, and assistant and head coach. Jenell has two boys, Nick (21) and Travis (17) who both grew up swimming for the Stingrays, but are mostly found on the lacrosse field. 
 
Jenell currently teaches Early Learning at Jeannette Rankin Elementary. But her passion is in physical education which she has taught previously at JRE as well as Health at Big Sky High School, as well as serving as an assistant coach for the Missoula County High School Swim Team. She has taught school for 16 years and has a masters in athletic administration. Jenell is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism. Her goals for swimmers: work hard, improve skill and technique, and be successful, not just swimming, but in everything you do in life, but first and foremost... be happy and have fun! 
Kate Folkman Gold Coach

Kate grew up in Minnesota swimming, skiing, and running. She has always loved being outside and now helps others stay curious about the natural world at the Montana Natural History Center as a Teaching Naturalist. Kate is looking forward to helping the MAC teams excel in their swimming goals! 

Sarah Wood Silver Coach
Sarah grew up swimming and exploring the wilds of California with her family, which nurtured a love of physical activity and outdoor spaces that continues to this day. She moved to Missoula to attend UM's environmental studies graduate program and has been here ever since! When she's not coaching or supervising the Yellowstone program at Ecology Project International, Sarah can be found trail running, riding her bike, swimming, or baking some sort of tasty treat.
Isabella Seagrave Bronze Coach/Masters Coach

Bella is a lifelong swimmer who grew up training and competing on MAC. After 4 years of swimming at Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, she is so happy to be home in the mountains and making her full circle return to MAC. As a coach, Bella is excited to help foster the next generation of good athletes and great people! 

Bella is also a local swimming celebrity: From July 2025: "Bella Seagrave became the youngest person ever to swim across Flathead Lake. The 28-mile swim from Somers to Polson followed strict English Channel rules, meaning no wetsuit or assistance, and only basic swim gear. Isabella Seagrave is now the ninth person, third woman, and youngest to complete the full swim. She began her journey at midnight Friday and completed it 17 hours and 30 minutes later, finishing around 5:00 p.m. the next day."

Board of Directors
Jennifer Caton Chair
Ken Chatriand Vice Chair
Robyn Lewis Past Chair
Jed Dennison Co-Treasurer
Michael Fontaine Co-Treasurer
Joanie Burbridge Secretary