Coaches and Directors

Sheryl Tucker

Sheryl began swimming with the Davenport YMCA under an AAU program at the age of 9. It was a family affair. Her Father being the starter and official at many meets, including the University of Iowa, and her mother involved heavily in swimming at the state level as an officer and as an official. Sheryl swam age group, high school, and in college as a 200 Butterflier and 400 IM'er. She graduated from the Univesity of Iowa in Health Sciences and Business and went on with her husband to own their private practice in Anesthesia, while still coaching part time in Swimming and Track & field for 25 years and raising two boys. She has coached at age group level, high school level, and college level, until recently moving from North Carolina as the Lead Senior Coach at SwimMAC, the number 2 team in the country at the time. She believes in hard work, combined with a balance of technique, love of the sport, and continued growth both in the pool and out of the pool.

Sheryl has competed at the World Championship level in running, in the indoor 3000m, the mile, and 10K cross country race, and as an all american, Top 5 US Performer age 32-44, qualified for the USA triathlon championships, held the Iowa record for masters in the 200 Free, Top 50 overall Chicago Marathon, a State swimming qualifier top 8 for 3 years, (10-12th grade at that time), and was Conference swimmer of year in college, with many swimming awards in high school, and college, as well as records. She loves the social aspect of sport and the feeling of accomplishment and teaching her skills and what she has learned from other great coaches she has had the priviledge to work with to others now in the sport of swimming. She still swims as a Masters swimmer and looks forward to perhaps competing once again. Sheryl will serve on the 2024 Olympic Trial Comittee for the upcoming Olympics to be held in Paris.

Abigail Watkins

I started my swimming career in 2006 with the ISL Eagles. I swam for the Eagles for 6 years before moving to Iowa in 2013. I started swimming for Johnston Blaze that same year! In high school I swam under Shari Walling. I was primarily a sprinter who swam freestyle and butterfly events. However, I was a versatile swimmer, so I completed many distance events throughout my career. My coaching mirrors that of Coach Walling! My approach is firm with a high emphasis on supporting my swimmers. I believe that as a coach it is my job to help them refine and perfect their swimming (technique, endurance etc.) while also supporting their emotional development and confidence in the pool. My background is education and therapy, specifically for children with autism spectrum disorder. This background directly impacts how I interact with the kids and the methods I use to teach and support your swimmers! I have since transitioned from my clinical work back to childcare while attending graduate school at the University of Iowa!

Karsyn Farris

Karsyn began swimming with the Round Rock YMCA at the age of 5. It was there that she began her career in competitive swimming. She started in the 3^rd-level group, attending all practices, and by the age of 8 was swimming with the highest-level group on the club team. She represented her team in numerous events, winning ribbons and trophies for her team in most events, and also secured her spot in a few 400-meter relays, including free, back, and IM. She continued her career in swimming for the next few years, entering high school. She participated in events such as the 100 and 200 Free, 100 and 200 Back, 200 IM, 500 Free, and multiple relays. She found her love for coaching here. Upon entering high school, she had a coach who had no knowledge or experience with the sport. She had to not only teach her coach but also help her fellow swimmers with techniques, create practices and schedules, and prepare for competitions.

After high school, her swimming career had come to an end, at least competitively, but she still swims recreationally. Currently attending the University of Iowa, she is majoring in Exercise Science. Her goal is to become an Occupational Physical Therapist, with a coaching job on the side. Teaching the sport she loves has always been a priority for her; it taught responsibility, confidence, kindness, and integrity, and is very rewarding.

Dex Hanna

Elisabeth Sperlakis

Elizabeth began swimming with the Fox Valley Family YMCA at the age of 10. As a member of the Fox Valley Family YMCA swim team, she broke all event records for each age division for over 7 years. She was a member of the national relay team to represent her swim team on the national stage for the first time in program history. She became a swim coach for the Fox Valley Family YMCA at the age of 16 and worked with the younger age groups until she moved to college.

Elizabeth swam for Rosary High School for all four years and competed on both the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams. She had the opportunity to represent the Beads at conferences, sectionals, and state during her final two years of high school. She went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration at Carroll University. Elizabeth was a member of the Carroll University Swim and Dive team as well as a member of the Marching Pioneers. In Wisconsin, she had the opportunity to coach for the Glacial Community YMCA and the Special Olympics team.

Elizabeth currently is completing her MSN at Elmhurst University while living in Iowa City. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, baking, and swimming. A fun fact about Elizabeth is that she is currently a member of the University of Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band and plays the piccolo!