Tennessee Aquatics Staff
Tim Bauer
Executive Director & Head Coach
Email: [email protected]
“Be a good teammate.”
Tim began coaching in 1980 for a summer league team and, in 1987, he began coaching club swimming. He has over forty years of coaching experience. Before joining the Tennessee Aquatics coaching staff in December 2021, Tim coached for various club teams across the country in states such as California and, most recently, Texas. In addition to coaching, Tim has been involved in other aspects of USA Swimming. Currently, he serves as the chairman of the Coach’s Advisory Council. Tim’s favorite part about coaching is changing swimmers’ lives. Originally, Tim is from Phoenix, Arizona. He grew up swimming for the Glendale Arizona Gauchos (now the Arizona Swimming Gauchos). Tim graduated from Arizona State where he swam for the Sun Devils. Off the pool deck, Tim likes to golf and spend time with his family.
PJ Stevens
Senior 1 & Meet Co-Director
Email: [email protected]
Jessica Abrahamson
Senior 2 & Team Events Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
“Chances favor the connected mind.” – Steven Johnson
Jessica started her career in private swim instruction in 2011, transitioning into coaching in 2013. She became part of the Tennessee Aquatics coaching staff in October 2022 and holds an ASCA Level 5 certification. Jessica’s favorite part about coaching is being around the swimmers and helping them achieve their goals – big or small. She loves talking to them and making connections with them. Jessica grew up in Knoxville, swimming for Pilot Aquatic Club (now Tennessee Aquatics). She swam for two years at Indiana University Bloomington before transferring to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Off the pool deck, Jessica spends a lot of time with her family, especially when they explore Knoxville and the surrounding areas. Jessica is also a DIY crafting enthusiast.
Alexis Yager
Age Group 1 & Meet Co-Director
Email: [email protected]
Lars Hondorf
Age Group 2
Email: [email protected]
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -Benjamin Franklin
Lars has over thirty years of coaching experience. Before Tennessee Aquatics, Lars coached for various middle school and high school teams in Georgia and Tennessee. He began coaching year-round in Cleveland, Tennessee to provide more swimming opportunities in the area. Later, Lars moved to Oak Ridge where he continued coaching all levels of swimming. Lars joined the Tennessee Aquatics coaching staff in 2015. His favorite part of coaching is watching young swimmers see the results of their efforts throughout the year. Lars is originally from Rochester, New York where he swam for the MCC Marauders. He went on to swim at The John’s Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Off the pool deck, Lars enjoys spending time with his three sons and volunteering for after school events.
Lizzie Fleming
Age Group 3 & Business Manager
Email: [email protected]
“It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down but how many times you get up.” -Vince Lombardi
Lizzie joined Tennessee Aquatics in 2008. She began coaching at the summer league level in 1998 and has over twenty years of coaching experience. Her favorite part about coaching is watching the athletes progress, seeing them improve—no matter the level they started on—and watching them fall in the love the awesome sport of swimming. Lizzie also loves seeing athletes reach their goals. Lizzie is a Knoxville native who went on to swim for Radford University in Radford, Virginia. Outside of swimming, Lizzie loves spending time with her family—her husband Danny and two sons, Danny Jr and Graff. Lizzie also likes running, traveling, and cooking. In her spare time, Lizzie enjoys raising money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Tessa Cieplucha
Masters Head Coach & Age Group 2 Assistant Coach
Email: [email protected]
Joy Van Der Noord
Non-Competitive Programs Director
Email: [email protected]
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others…" -1 Peter 4:10
Joy has over fifteen years of coaching experience. She has coached for various USA Swimming club teams in Mississippi and Georgia. Joy has also coached for summer league teams, high school teams, and ran swim lesson programs. She joined Tennessee Aquatics in 2020. Joy’s favorite part about coaching is playing a part in helping kids improve and have fun. While she was born in Florida, Joy has lived in seven different states and swam competitively for the Mississippi Makos in Jackson, Mississippi. Off the pool deck, Joy likes to help out with campus ministry at the University of Tennessee, where her husband is a campus minister. She also loves reading, the outdoors, and spending time with her husband and three young children.
Assistant Coaches
Joe Peeden
Senior 2
Email: [email protected]
Sophia Dyer
Senior 2, Tridents, and Masters
Email: [email protected]
Lea Gwennap-Foley
Age Group 1 & Masters
Email: [email protected]
Nick Rusek
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” -Kevin Durant
Kelsey CraigheadMarketing
Email: [email protected]
Kelsey joined the Tennessee Aquatics staff in summer 2022. While Kelsey has lived in seven different states, she spent a lot of her time in Knoxville. She grew up swimming for Tennessee Aquatics. Kelsey enjoys working on marketing for Tennessee Aquatics because it combines her love for swimming with her passion for creativity. Kelsey graduated from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia with a degree in Business and Spanish. She also swam for the Yellow Jackets all four years. Currently, Kelsey is pursuing her masters degree in marketing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading, and playing with her crazy dog Macy.
