The LTPY Penguins Swim Team was established in 2002 and is a year-round YMCA/USA competitive program offering quality coaching and instruction for swimmers of all ages and abilities.  Our swim team’s philosophy and operating guidelines are centered upon the YMCA of Central Ohio’s character development values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility.  We strive to maintain a positive experience, for both swimmers and parents, in order to encourage increased self-esteem, self-motivation, and pride in accomplishments from competing as both an individual and as a team member.  

Chris Promenschenkel, Senior Head Coach

Coach Chris is entering her 23rd season as the Penguins Head Coach.  She started swimming competitively when she was 12 years old and swam through high school for the Alliance YMCA Flyers, her hometown in northeastern Ohio.  After helping out with the team during a college break from Kent State University, she caught the coaching bug.  The next season, she was named co-coach and the following year she became the head coach of the Y-Flyers.  She coached the team for ten years before moving to Columbus in 1995.  In September 2002, she married George and several weeks later was encouraged out of retirement (not by George) to become the head coach of the Liberty Township Powell YMCA Penguins during their inaugural season.  Chris is an American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) Level 2 certified coach and is a member of Ohio Swimming, USA Swimming, ASCA and the World Swimming Coaches Association (WSCA).  Chris is an enthusiastic and dedicated coach who has coached more than 1,000 swimmers over the years including numerous YMCA National Qualifiers, USA and YMCA Top 16 swimmers, and even her sister, a niece and a nephew.  Chris recently (and finally) retired from her day job and when she’s not coaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband, golfing, gardening and traveling. Contact Coach Chris at [email protected].

Nicole Kenny, Junior Head Coach

Coach Nicole is from Powell, OH and swam on the Penguin team from age nine to twenty-one (12 years).  Nicole was a Penguin coach during the summers of 2017-2019 and her first winter seasin in 2023.  Nicole graduated from Olentangy Liberty High School in 2016, continued her education and swimming career at Malone University in Canton, OH, and recently achieved a Master's degree from Wright State University in Dayton, OH.  She is currently a chemist at Nestle Quality Assurance Center in Dublin, OH.  Nicole has a twin sister, Justine, who swam for the Penguins until 2016 as did her youngest sister Allie who graduated in 2018.  Nicole qualified for YMCA Zones several seasons and swam on the 800 Meter Free Relay that currently holds the team record.  Nicole is excited to still be part of the Penguin team even after graduating and starting her career. 

John Bently, Assistant Coach

Coach John grew up in Mansfield, Ohio where he started swimming as an eight year old on the Woodland Club summer swim team.  He continued to swim in the winter program at Friendly House, which was very similar to a YMCA program, competing in AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) meets all over Ohio. The Malabar Falcons High School swim team is where John spent his high school swimming career, qualifying for the Ohio High School State swimming championships three times and serving as the first two-time captain of the team.  John spent one year swimming for the Miami University (OH) swim team, before hanging up his goggles in 1984.   John’s coaching career began as a summer assistant coach and then head coach at the Woodland Club, the same pool where his swimming career began.  Since his time spent swimming and coaching were such a positive experience,  John hoped to one day get back into the sport.  That opportunity presented itself in 2004 when Coach Chris needed some coaching assistance to help cover the need for the quickly growing Penguin team.  John has coached the Penguins on the winter and summer teams since the 2004.   John works at CAS in the Facilities Department, and enjoys spending his free time with his wife, Anne and their four adult children and three grandchildren.  John and Anne enjoy looking for new places to go hiking together. 

Hannah Beavers, Assistant Coach

Coach Hannah started her swimming career at the Liberty Township YMCA where she swam from age 6 to age 10. She then swam for the Ohio State Swim Club until 2019 where she qualified for USA Sectionals and NCSA's/.  In high school, Hannah was a member of the Olentangy Liberty High School swim team. She continued her swimming career at the Division I level for the University of Toledo, where she specialized in butterfly and backstroke. Hannah competed at the MAC championships all three years and received Academic All-American. She spent her last Rocket season as a student-coach after a severe back injury her junior year. Hannah recently graduated from the University of Toledo with a B.S. in Exercise Science and a minor in Chemistry.She is currently studying to be a Physician Assistant. Hannah  has been the head coach of the Wedgewood Rays for the last two seasons and is planning on coaching the high school team this fall. She is excited to join the coaching staff and give back to the program that jumpstarted her swimming career. Go Penguins!

Chris Ward, Assistant Coach

Coach Chris grew up in New Carlisle, OH and kicked off his swimming career with the Huber Heights Hurricanes (formerly the Tecumseh YMCA). He swam for Tecumseh High School and finished his YMCA team years with the Springfield YMCA (SPY), where he found his stride with distance events and really settled into long-distance swimming.  After graduation, Chris helped coach the Hurricanes for two seasons before moving to Kentucky for college. He continued competing in open water swimming and still races today—most recently taking on the Statue of Liberty Swim and the Escape from Alcatraz. Chris earned his bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Eastern Kentucky University and now works as an EFDA at Magnolia Dental in Worthington Hills. Now that he’s settled into life in Columbus, Coach Chris is excited to be back on the pool deck and help the next wave of Penguins grow and love the sport as much as he does.