Hurricanes Coaches
 |
Julie Stone - Head Coach & Lead Coach - Senior Silver/Gold Coach Julie grew up in Minnesota Swimming. She swam competitively for 13 years with the SEMS Swim Club, Woodbury High School, and the University of Minnesota. She was a Junior National Qualifier, team captain, 6-time Varsity letter winner, school record holder, 4-time Section Champion, All-Conference, and All-State honors recipient. She taught swimming lessons all through high school and college and graduated from the U of M with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After working several years in that field, she decided to return to her true passions: being at the pool and working with kids. She started with the Hurricanes as an assistant coach in 1999, became the Hurricanes Head Coach in 2015, and has coached swimmers competing at every level from Novice to US Olympic Trials. Her favorite part of coaching is helping swimmers at all levels reach beyond their comfort zone, surprise themselves, and accomplish things they didn't know they could. She and her husband TJ have 3 children: Nate, Claudia, & Stephanie, and all have grown up swimming with the Hurricanes.
|
 |
Tom Dahl - Lead Coach - Senior Silver/Gold Coach Tom's swimming experience dates back to age 5, swimming for the Hurricanes for many of his age-group years and continuing to swim through college! He was a captain for Hopkins High School and UW Eau Claire, earning All-Conference, All-State, and All-American honors in high school. Coach Tom began coaching with the Hurricanes in 2011. He's a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he studied Human Resource Management and Professional Sales. He works full time in sales and lives in the Maple Grove area.
|
 |
Michael Duncan - Lead Coach - Senior Bronze Coach Michael has been swimming in Indiana, North Dakota, and Minnesota at the club, high school, and Masters levels since 1999. Since 2012, he has coached swimming and diving with 8 different programs, including high school, club, and college teams and athletes in all age groups. He has been coaching with the Hurricanes Swim Club since 2016 and has led the Senior Bronze group since that time. Outside the pool, Michael enjoys playing with his cat, listening to music, and studying the sport of swimming. He has a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from North Dakota State University, with minors in Sociology and Gender Studies.
|
 |
Alissa Tinklenberg - Lead Coach - Cyclones Coach Alissa has been involved with the sport of swimming since the age of 7. She swam her high school career in Willmar, MN and then spent 4 years on the Gustavus Adolphus College Swim Team, where she became both an All-Conference and All-American swimmer. Since graduating in 2014, Alissa has spent time coaching both club and high school teams in the area and began coaching Hurricanes in 2024. Her goal is to help every swimmer reach their potential while still maintaining their love for the sport. Outside of the pool, Alissa enjoys collecting vinyl records, spending time with her dogs and traveling the world!
|
 |
Nate Duncan - Lead Coach - 9-10 Groups Coach Nate comes to the Hurricanes with over 20 years of experience in competitive swimming, both as an athlete and a coach. Nate started swimming at the age of 4 in Terre Haute, Indiana and since has competed at the club, high school, college and masters levels. Swimming for the Fargo Davies Eagles, he was a state champion in the 100 Yard Backstroke in North Dakota and went on to swim Backstroke and Mid-Distance/ Distance Freestyle for the Saint Cloud State University Huskies. Alongside his athletic career, Nate began coaching in 2014 with various high school and club teams in North Dakota and in Minnesota. Nate graduated with his Master’s in College Counseling and Student Development from Saint Cloud State University and is currently working at the University of Minnesota as a Student Activities Advisor. Outside of the pool, Nate loves to be outdoors, play board games, work out and watch movies!
|
 |
Casey Rawlings - Lead Coach - 8 & Under Groups Coach Casey has been a competitive swimmer since she was 7, swimming for the Schaumburg Park District Barracudas in IL. Her love and passion for swimming continued into high school, where she swam on varsity all four years. She placed 5th at conference in the 100 Breast and earned hall of fame recognition for the 200 Medley relay her senior year at Hoffman Estates High School. She also competed at the AAU Junior Olympics across four years and placed 1st in 2015 for her 100 LCM Breast. Fast forward, Casey swam for St. Cloud State University for three years and finished as a team captain. Casey swam the 200/100 Breast, and 100 Fly primarily, and competed at the NSIC conference for all three years in college. She has coached for two club teams prior to Hurricanes. She is eager to continue to give back to the sport and foster love for the water, as her coaches did for her growing up. Off pool deck, Coach Casey enjoys hiking, watching movies, kayaking, and reading!
|
 |
Nicole Freeman - Assistant Coach - 9-10 Groups Coach Nicole started swimming at the age of 6 for the Rochester Swim Club and went on to swim for the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire for four years. In college she swam distance events and the 400 IM. Since graduating from college Coach Nicole coached four years at the La Crosse YMCA and the Rochester Swim Club Orcas. She has been with the Hurricanes since 2015. Coach Nicole is putting to use her BS in Kinesiology and Masters in Therapeutic Recreation at her job as an Aquatic and Fitness Specialist at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Golden Valley. When not coaching or working, Coach Nicole enjoys participating in Triathlons, baking and spending time with family and friends.
|
 |
Nate Stone - Assistant Coach - Cyclones, Senior Silver/Gold Coach Nate has been a Hurricane since 2006, admittedly spending most of his time in those first years doing underwater handstands. He continued to both swim and coach with us all through high school and college, and graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering the University of St. Thomas in 2021. In high school he was our first NCSA Junior Nationals Qualifier, St. Louis Park HS team captain, 6-time Varsity letter winner, school record holder, All-Conference, and All-State honors recipient. He earned All-Conference honors all 4 years of his college career, was the 2019 MIAC Champion in 200 Butterfly, and team captain his senior year. He still holds several Hurricanes team records, but his goal is for all of them to be broken by swimmers that he's coached. Outside the pool his passions include weightlifting and expanding his culinary skills.
|
 |
Kelly Leonard - Assistant Coach - Cyclones, Senior Bronze, Senior Silver/Gold Coach Kelly started competitive swimming at the age of 6 for the Hastings Area Swim Team and continued to swim with the team until she was 13. In those seven years, she represented her team at numerous regional, state, and zone level meets. At age 14, she switched to Riptide Swim Team in Apple Valley and swam with the team until the age of 20. In those six years swimming with Riptide, she earned many state champion titles, qualified for numerous Speedo Sectional meets, Junior National meets, and even some Senior National level meets. She went on to swim in college, spending her freshman year representing the University of Minnesota before transferring to Minnesota State Mankato and swimming with them for her sophomore year. After completing her sophomore year in college, she chose to start focusing solely on coaching swimming and spent the next year as an assistant coach before being named a lead coach. She was a lead coach for two groups at Riptide for the next three years. And after those few years, she chose to join Hurricanes in the fall of 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing, going on adventures with her wife, and playing video games.
|
 |
Allie Steffen - Assistant Coach - 8&Unders Coach Allie has always loved the water but officially started competitive swimming at 9 years old for the Shoreview YMCA Marlins. She swam for the team until she was 18. She started teaching swim lessons at the age of 14 and then started coaching for the Marlins when she was 17, where she continued to work on and off throughout college. She attended Carthage College and swam for 2 years. She graduated with a BA degree in biology. She coached, lifeguarded and taught swim lessons full time at the Y for a year until she then took a break from coaching to do a two-year position as an outdoor educator. She started working with Riptide Swim Team in Apple Valley in January of 2022, where she worked as an assistant coach for the beginner 9–12-year-old group and a senior group. She started with Hurricanes in December of 2023. Outside of swimming, Allie enjoys teaching outdoor education, lifting with her wife, crocheting and any outdoor recreation.
|
