Don Lemieux
The 2023-2024 season would have marked Don's the 43nd season as Head Coach of Greenwood Swimming. Unfortunately, Don passed away on January 29, 2022. However, while at Greenwood, Lemieux coached swimmers to the USA National Team. Samantha Arsenault 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist and National Junior Team Erica Meissner Gold Medal Junior Pan Pacific Games along with Ryan and Kaitlin Harty National Junior Team members. Lemieux also coached 16 Olympic Trial Qualifiers and over 100 Junior National Qualifiers, 46 H.S. All-Americans, and several Scholastic All-Americans. He has coached his teams to win countless Age Group Championships, Senior Championships as well as the 1996 US Open Women’s Team Champions. As coach of the Gardner High School girl’s team, his girls won 15 consecutive State Championships and 16 State Titles as well as 127 consecutive dual meets without a loss. His swimmers hold 9 out of 11 high school state records. Coach Lemieux served on the National Junior Team staff and coached several USA training camps.
Lemieux believed his team goals were to create a team atmosphere of young athletes that thrive on challenges both academic and athletic.
Lemieux graduated from Springfield College (B.S.). His wife Patricia resides in Gardner, MA. They have 2 children Tricia and Donny. Tricia resides in Gardner, MA with her husband Gary and three children, Riley, Micah and Landon. Donny resides in Middleboro, MA with his wife Bridget and son Brady.
Paul Bennett (Team Owner and Head Coach WPI)
Paul is the Head Coach at Worcester Polytechnic, and has served in this role as a full-time coach since the fall of 2024. He started his coaching career in Laramie Wyoming as an assistant High School Coach and Club Coach at Laramie Swim Club while he obtained a degree from the University of Wyoming. After two seasons as the assistant club coach, Paul took over the Head Club coaching position for the next 2 1/2 years. In that time he helped guide our team to 4 LSC Championships, additionally he served as the Head Zones Coach for three years.
In 2001 Paul moved to Andover Mass and became the Head Coach at the Andover North Andover YMCA. In his time as the ANA YMCA Head Coach his staff built the team to finish top 5 at the 12 and Under Championships 3 times. The team's senior level group more than tripled in size in his time as the coach and the team went from sending 4-6 athletes to the YMCA National Championships to sending 35 in his last season as head coach.
Paul began as the head coach at WPI in the fall of 2004 and continue to help at the Andover YMCA for the next 2 seasons. In the fall of 2008, he took over the Rockingham Area Youth team in Salem and Londonderry New Hampshire. His staff grew the team and helped develop the athletes so that by the time he left in 2012 the team went from no sectionals level athletes to having a team of 12 athletes who earned sectionals qualifying times.
Paul has a strong passion for club level swimming of which he will use to help the athletes of Greenwood develop completely to reach their fullest potential in and out of the water. His plan is to help out with the age group and developmental groups and oversee the direction of the program from a more active position moving forward.
Jen has dedicated the past 10 years to Crimson Aquatics, serving five years as an Assistant Coach before stepping into the Head Coach role. During her tenure, she has been instrumental in the development of high-level athletes, coaching swimmers to international success in Colombia, Brazil, and Canada. Her leadership and long-term vision have played a key role in the sustained success of the program.
As Head Coach of Crimson Boston, Jen guided the team to multiple championships across all levels—including Senior, 11-14 Age Group, and 10 & Under categories. Under her direction, the team has qualified and competed at Sectionals, Futures, Winter Junior Nationals, Summer Junior Nationals and Olympic Trials both in Canada and USA.
In 2017, Jen was selected as a Home Coach for the prestigious USA Swimming National Select Camp held in Colorado Springs—an honor that highlights her excellence in athlete development.
Before joining Crimson Aquatics, Jen served as Associate Head Coach for the Peterborough Swim Club in Ontario, Canada. There, she played a vital role in developing both junior and senior squads, helping swimmers achieve major breakthroughs by building confidence and refining their technical skills.
Prior to transitioning into coaching, Jen was a standout competitive swimmer for over two decades. She is a former Canadian National Champion, Canadian Record Holder, and an 8-year member of the Canadian National Team. Her international career includes winning two medals at the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico. She was also a multiple-event Olympic Trials finalist in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
Jen earned NCAA All-American honors while competing for Arizona State University, where she completed her degree in Design Studies in the Built Environment, with a minor in Sociology.
Kristina MacLeod (Assistand Coach WPI)
Kristina has been a competitive swimmer since high school and swam for the WPI varsity team throughout her undergraduate studies. She is currently pursuing my master's degree at WPI in biomedical engineering with a focus in musculoskeletal health and tissue mechanics. Since leaving collegiate swimming she continues to enjoy practicing with the Worcester Area Master's team and has just completed her first marathon. Kristina has always been passionate about swimming and exercise and is excited to encourage that in athletes at all levels!
Anna Callaghan (Assistant Coach WPI)
Anna swam competitively for 15 years, including 4 years at the collegiate level. Swimming has been a lifelong passion for her, and she's excited to bring that experience to the pool. Anna is look forward to working with swimmers of all skill levels to help them achieve their goals. Her focus is on creating a supportive and challenging team environment where athletes can push themselves while fostering a strong sense of camaraderie.
Jessica (Clark) Francis (Developmental Group Coach at MWCC)
Jessica (Clark) Francis is rejoining the Greenwood community, this time as the coach spearheading our innovative Age Group Developmental program at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner. Notably, Jessica's history with Greenwood Swimming dates back to her formative years, having been a dedicated member throughout her entire swimming journey, which began at the age of 5.
With a commendable track record spanning 18 years, Jessica has been passionately imparting her expertise by teaching swim lessons to individuals of diverse ages and skill levels. Her instructional prowess extends to both summer sessions at the Greenwood Memorial Pool in Gardner and year-round sessions hosted at Mount Wachusett Community College.
Currently residing in Gardner with her husband Andrew and their two sons, Ben and Ed, Jessica remains deeply rooted within the community she serves. Her multifaceted commitment to swimming instruction, coaching, and nurturing a love for the sport stands as a testament to her enduring dedication to Greenwood's mission.
Patty has lived and breathed swimming for the past 44 years alongside her late husband Don who was the coach and founder of Greenwood Swimming.
Since Greenwood Swimming was established by her husband Don, Patty has served as the Team Manager overseeing the monthly billing/payments, registration, tuition, swim meets and equipment.
Outside of swimming Patty is a retired high school/middle school teacher where she served almost 30 years teaching French, Business and Technology classes. Patty has a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and a Masters Degree in Instructional Technology.
