Meet the Coaches

Ashley Gleason

I started swimming when I was three. My uncle was part of the special recreation program at the park district and they swam at Bogan High school Every week. I got the pleasure of learning how to swim with them. I swam competitively for Curie High School from 1998-2002. Most recently I swam on the Masters team at Eisenhower.

I have had a unique pleasure of watching the team flourish from the sidelines for the last 5 seasons, as a parent. I am also a passionate 3rd grade teacher. I believe all these qualities will make me a great coach for the team and I'm so excited to be stepping to the other side of the rail.

Kellina Mingo

I begin swimming at four years old, and that is where my love for swimming started. At the age of six, I started competing competitively with the Chicago Park District. I continued swimming through high school at Percy Julian high school, where I was captain three out of my four years on the team. I still swim today because is the only exercise where you don’t feel the sweat. 

After graduating college, I worked as a swim instructor for three years. I coached for the Chicago Park District for a few years. Then I was offered a position as an assistant swim coach at Percy Julian high school. Julian is where my eyes were opened to how much a coach can impact their swimmers' lives. I went on to coach at the Ray and Joan Kroc Center as an assistant coach and ended  before eventually becoming the head coach.

​Remember to show up and make your presence known.  



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Jane Healy

​I was always playing in the local pool as a kid because I loved being in the water (I was a *fish*).  Even though I took swim lessons, I didn’t join a team until I got to high school.  I tried out on a whim because my best friend did.  Surprise, I made the team!  It was a life changer. Four years later I ended up holding a conference record for backstroke and competed in the State swim meet in the 100 back and 4 x100 Free Relay.
 
I coached in Connecticut right after college for 3 years. When I returned to Illinois, I was head coach at Mother McAuley High School while I was teaching there in the early 90s.  I taught and coached (both boys and girls) at Bremen High School for the next 7 years until I decided to stay at home to raise my kids.  Later I coached for E.A.S.C. for 3 years.  And here I am, back again!  I look forward to working with your children this coming swim season.  I am exceedingly proud of the progress that they make to become better athletes.   

I also run the Blue Island Bicycle Club, a community orientated bike club for kids.

Taylor Burmeister

I joined the E.A.S.C. when I was 8 years old, and haven't stopped swimming since. I started coaching for E.A.S.C. as a Junior Coach while I was a swimmer for Eisenhower High School. After graduating from D.D.E. in 2010, I went to Wittenberg University, where I majored in English. I swam all four years at Witt, swimming butterfly and distance freestyle, and was Captain my senior year. 

After graduating in 2014, I accepted the position as D.D.E. Boy's Team Assistant Coach, and was excited for the opportunity to restart my former club team. I have since been promoted to Head Coach at Eisenhower.

Alan Melgar

​I began to swim at the age of fifteen when I joined the Eisenhower High School school swim team as a sophomore with the intention to learning how to swim. Over my years of swimming, I always strived to become faster and more efficient in the water. I improved by watching swimming footage videos and  working with my swim coaches. I began my experience as a junior coach when I was in high school while I was still a competitive swimmer. After graduating, I became a USA Swimming certified swim coach. I enjoy helping swimmers reach their potential and accomplish their personal goals. 

Jenna Lynch

Swimming was always something I had enjoyed doing. I began swimming for Eisenhower Area Swim Club in the 5th grade but unfortunately, the team was disbanded only a few years later. When I came to high school it was hard to get me out of the water. I became a lifeguard, and I swam for the high school team, swimming mostly distance events. Freshman year, I was also introduced to one of my favorite sports, water polo.

​I began coaching for EASC in 2016 and instantly fell in love with the environment I was in.  Since 2016 I have had the honor of watching the team grow and take extreme pride in how the team continues to improve constantly. Being able to push a swimmer to be the best they can be is one of the most rewarding feelings in the universe.