Coaches
We are so excited to introduce our coaches for the 2026 summer swim season!
My name is Lyndsey Nielsen. I am rising junior at Clemson University. I graduated from Dorman High School. I have swam summer league on and off since I was 5 and I swam year round from 10-18. I swam for both Dorman and YSSC. I am so excited to help coach and watch the swimmers compete over the summer!
**I am the one on the right in the picture with my sister!
My name is Carlee Stratton. I am a rising sophomore at Gardner-Webb University. I graduated from Byrnes High School in 2025. I started year-round swimming at YSSC when I was 4 and continued until I graduated. I also swam and ran cross country for Byrnes. I was a lifeguard and a swim instructor at the Middle Tyger YMCA. I am so excited to coach again this summer and to see familiar faces from last year and to meet new swimmers on the team.
My name is Ellie Brooks. I am a rising junior at Byrnes High School. Each fall, I swim for Byrnes High School and I swam for YSSC. This year, I have been coaching YSL at the Middle Tyger Y with YSSC, and I have enjoyed watching the kids improve each week. I am so excited to help coach and watch the swimmers compete over the summer!
Hi! My name is Lynda West! I grew up in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and I started swimming at 8 years old with the Pennsbury Aquatic Club. Over the years I swam for several local summer swim teams and also Pennsbury High School. I graduated from Clemson University in Elementary Education, taught for several years and have been homeschooling my 2 kids, Nathaniel (16) and Kaleigh (12) for the past 12 years.
Our family has been with the Willis Waves since the team's first year in 2021! I have been an assistant coach, parent coordinator and head coach. I am excited to pass the practices over to our other amazing coaches as I serve the team as an Administrative Coach. Over the past several years, I have helped coach with the YSSC program at the Middle Tyger Y and this coming fall will be my 3rd year as the Byrnes High School swim team assistant coach. I love seeing new swimmers fall in love with swimming, I love teaching new strokes and I love seeing each swimmer improve!
I look forward to a FUN and exciting summer with the Willis Waves! Go Waves!
