RSC Coaches & Staff
Tom Walsh
Head Coach
[email protected]
Tom is entering his 15th year with the Rochester Swim Club and his 5th year as the Head Coach. He currently leads the Junior 1, Ripples, Red, and Discovery groups, and has worked with every level of swimmer throughout his tenure with the team. Tom’s diverse coaching experience includes 9 years as the Masters head coach. Passionate about working with swimmers of all ages and abilities, his primary goal is to help every child discover the joy and love of swimming.
A graduate of Saint Mary’s University in Winona, MN, Tom moved to Rochester shortly after graduation. Outside of the pool, he enjoys running, golfing, and spending quality time with his family and friends. Tom’s wife, Mel, grew up in Rochester and swam for the swim club, and together they have two children: Brooklyn (7) and Peyton (3), both of whom are involved in swim lessons and on the team.
Amy Killpatrick
Senior Coach
[email protected]
Amy is the lead coach for both Senior 1 and Senior 2 at RSC, celebrating her 10th year with the team and her 15th year coaching in Minnesota. Over the years, Amy has worked with swimmers of all ages, mentoring numerous state and zone champions, as well as athletes who’ve set team and state records and qualified for prestigious events like Futures and Winter Junior Nationals. Her passion is not only helping swimmers reach their full potential in the pool, but also ensuring they feel like integral members of the team, develop a strong work ethic, gain confidence, and are well-prepared for life beyond swimming.
A former University of Minnesota swimmer, Amy discovered her love for coaching toward the end of her time as a Gopher, and she’s carried that passion into her coaching career. When she’s not on deck, Amy enjoys spending time with her family, getting outdoors, attending concerts, and diving into a good book.
Wojciech Palczewski
Lead Coach
[email protected]
Wojciech (pronounced "voy-teck") joined the Rochester Swim Club in the fall of 2018. Originally from Wroclaw, Poland, he began swimming at the age of seven. In 2005, he earned a Master’s degree in Physical Education and Swim Coaching from the University of Physical Education and Sport in Wroclaw. His coaching career began in 2006 at the Vulcans’ Swim Club in Lincoln, UK, and from 2009 to 2011, he ran his own swim school in Poland. Wojciech continued to develop his coaching expertise in the United States with the Edina Swim Club and Foxjets in Minneapolis before joining RSC.
Wojciech is driven by a belief in the limitless potential of every swimmer and the capacity for continuous improvement with the right mindset. This philosophy is at the core of his coaching approach. He holds an ASCA Level 2 certification and is also an American Red Cross-certified lifeguard.
Outside of coaching, Wojciech and his wife, Dagmara, are busy raising their three children—two girls and one boy—all of whom are active in swimming.
Jeremiah Jackson (JJ)
Diving Coach & Age Group Coach
[email protected]
JJ is the Head Diving Coach at Rochester Swim Club and also coaches swimming. With a deep-rooted background in both coaching and participating in diving, JJ brings a wealth of experience to the team. He currently serves as the diving coach at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and previously spent 9 years as the diving coach at Saint Mary's University in Winona. Additionally, JJ has coached both the men’s and women’s diving teams at Winona High School for 13 seasons.
Throughout his coaching career, JJ has guided athletes to numerous conference championships at both the high school and collegiate levels. He also led a successful summer diving club in the area for 6 years. His coaching achievements have earned him recognition, including nominations for Section Coach of the Year and Big 9 Conference Coach of the Year.
Matthew Whiteside
Lead Coach
[email protected]
Matt Whiteside has been deeply involved in the swimming community for over 20 years, both as a swimmer and as a coach. As a competitive swimmer, Matt achieved significant milestones, including competing at the Canadian Olympic Trials in 2012, the Canadian World Trials in 2013, and qualifying for the Canadian Long Course National ID Team in 2013. Over the years, he has coached swimmers of all ages across Canada, helping many athletes qualify at the Provincial and National levels under his guidance.
Now in his second year with the Rochester Swim Club, Matt is excited to contribute to the team’s continued development and future success. He’s passionate about educating both athletes and parents on the sport of competitive swimming. As a long-time member of the swimming community, Matt is committed to encouraging every athlete to reach their full potential, understanding that encouragement looks different for each individual. He firmly believes that building lasting relationships with athletes and parents is rooted in trust, communication, and hard work.
Outgoing, personable, and passionate about teaching, Matt especially enjoys introducing children to the fundamentals of swimming and watching them grow in the sport.
Amy Croonquist - Assistant Coach
Amy has dedicated 25 seasons as the head coach of high school girls' swim and dive teams in the Twin Cities. In addition to her coaching experience, she has directed Learn-to-Swim and Masters programs for both the community and at Lifetime Fitness. A true student of the sport, Amy is deeply passionate about coaching and strives to foster growth both in the pool and in life.
“My main purpose is to support all athletes as they become accomplished swimmers and grow as individuals,” she says.
In her youth, Amy competed in swimming, and one of her most memorable races was the 1650 Freestyle at Senior State in the Rochester Rec Center. Now, it feels especially fitting for her to begin a new chapter of her coaching career in Rochester. Amy believes the community here is exceptional and is excited to be part of supporting the Rochester Swim Club as it continues to thrive.
Samuel Jahnke - Assistant Coach
Sam is a math teacher at Kellogg Middle School and has been passionate about swimming for his entire life. His strengths lie in short sprints, particularly freestyle and butterfly. In addition to his swimming experience, Sam has worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor for many years.
While he takes swimming seriously, Sam believes it’s equally important for swimmers to have fun, ensuring they remain engaged and motivated to return year after year. Outside of the pool, Sam enjoys biking and playing volleyball.
Paula Pendergast - Volunteer Coach
Paula is a member of the Rochester Aquatics Masters swim team. She began swimming on a swim team at the age of 8, marking an impressive 62 years of involvement in the sport. Paula continues to enjoy competing in swim meets and hopes to inspire the swimmers she works with to share that same joy. She believes swimming is a lifelong sport, and the teammates you meet along the way can turn into lifelong friends.
Katy Lydon - Assistant Coach
Katy has been coaching with the Rochester Swim Club since the summer of 2023, primarily working with the Senior 1, Senior 2, and Junior groups. Katy grew up in Columbia, Missouri, where she swam for the Columbia Swim Club throughout high school. After graduating, she moved to Chicago and swam for the Illinois Institute of Technology, specializing in distance freestyle and individual medley events.
Over the past year, Katy has enjoyed getting to know the swimmers and watching them grow both as individuals and athletes. One of her core coaching philosophies is to provide every swimmer, regardless of skill level, with opportunities to learn and improve.
Emily Boettger - Assistant Coach
Emily is entering her second year coaching with the Rochester Swim Club. Over the past year, she has gained valuable experience from her fellow coaches, learning how to make practices engaging, fun, and provide helpful feedback to swimmers.
Though she didn’t start swimming until 10th grade at Winona Senior High, Emily later went on to swim at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse during her college years. When she’s not coaching or working at Forager, Emily spends her time finishing her degree, doing CrossFit, and enjoying the outdoors as much as possible. She’s excited to return to coaching with RSC and continue helping swimmers develop their skills.
Mike Karau - Assistant Coach
Mike is a USAT Certified Coach with an impressive athletic background, including two World Championship ITU performances as part of Team USA, multiple podium finishes, and numerous USAT National appearances and qualifications. Deeply passionate about triathlon, Mike is committed to growing the sport and giving back to it, as it has given him so much over the years.
Mike’s journey into athletics began with no swimming background. The Rochester Swim Club Masters program not only taught him how to swim but also gave him the confidence and skills to navigate some of the most challenging waters throughout his career.
Currently, Coach Mike is the lead coach for the Discovery group and an assistant coach for the Red group. Over the past year, working with the kids has been the highlight of his day. His coaching philosophy centers on helping athletes reach their full potential by sharing his knowledge and experiences, ensuring they succeed in their swimming careers.
Paige Bacigal - Assistant Coach
Paige has been swimming competitively since she was four years old. A native of New York, she had the opportunity to compete at the state championship level throughout high school and continued her swimming career in college. Paige swam at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania as a sprint freestyler while earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Her time on the pool deck has taught her that swimming brings out the best in athletes—dedication, spirit, and teamwork. As a coach, Paige hopes to share the swimming knowledge she continues to build here at RSC, while also fostering a love for the sport and instilling the values that lead to success both in and out of the pool.
Outside of coaching, Paige works as a cardiac surgery and transplant nurse at Mayo Clinic. She will be supporting many of RSC’s groups as an assistant coach and looks forward to contributing to the team’s continued growth.
Logan Petzold - Assistant Coach
Logan has been coaching swimmers at all levels since 2005 and has been a part of the Rochester Swim Club since 2009. Originally from Lino Lakes, MN, Logan swam for her high school team for six years and went on to swim for Hamline University in St. Paul for four years. After earning her undergraduate degree, she continued her education with a Master’s in Counseling from UW-River Falls, all while continuing to coach.
In addition to her role with RSC, Logan is an assistant coach for the Century High School girls' swim team and works as a teacher at Aldrich Preschool. She and her husband Andy have two daughters, Ivy and Cora, who both share a love for the water!
Dan Froelich - Assistant Coach
Dan began swimming competitively at age 8 for the Chippewa Valley YMCA in Wisconsin, and continued swimming through high school before finishing his career at Minnesota State University, Mankato. While in college, he started coaching for the Mankato YMCA swim team, where he spent six years coaching. After a brief break to launch his career as a faculty member at Rochester Community and Technical College, teaching Math, Dan is now in his third year coaching with the Rochester Swim Club. He is also a certified USA Swimming official.
Outside of the pool, Dan and his wife, Raegan, spend much of their time chauffeuring their three daughters—Harper, Oakley, and Kelsey—to their various sports practices and games. The family also loves spending time outdoors, enjoying activities such as camping, paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing, hiking, and hunting.
Abby Ziemann - Assistant Coach
Abby is currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. She started swimming at the age of 8 and continued through high school right here in Rochester. As a coach, Abby emphasizes the principle of mutual respect and believes that good sportsmanship is just as important as the outcome in swimming. She views sports as a valuable platform for learning and strives to use swimming as a tool to teach life lessons. Her goal is to help athletes develop resilience and adaptability, preparing them not only for success in the pool but for challenges they will face in life.
Tristan DeWitt - Assistant Coach
Tristan is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Outside of swimming, he enjoys cycling and playing video games. His swimming journey spanned 17 years, starting with the Fort Wayne Swim Team and continuing through four years of college swimming at Indiana University. Tristan has also had the honor of qualifying for the Olympic Trials twice.
During his time in college, he realized that having fun was key to success in the sport, and this realization became a driving factor in his decision to become a coach. His goal is to offer others the same opportunities he had and to share the valuable lessons he learned throughout his swimming career. As a coach, Tristan strives to balance hard work with enjoyment, helping athletes reach their full potential while maintaining a positive and engaging environment.
