Even though most know Dave as a swimming coach, he began his relationship with the swimming world in the water. Swimming in high school, Dave found success in the 200 and 500 yard freestyle that took him to the University of Minnesota. Before graduating with a degree in physical education and child psychology, Dave had already started making his mark as a coach. He not only helped start the ABC Aquatic Club (Anoka, Blaine, and Coon Rapids), Dave also became manager and assistant coach at the Olympic Training Center (OTC). While working at the OTC, he gained invaluable experience working with multiple Olympians and Olympic coaches – notably George Haines, a seven-time coach of the Olympic team.

Dave took his knowledge of swimming and became head coach of the Bloomington Aquatic Club, and within his six-years turned the Bloomington Aquatic Club around from a struggling club to a championship program. Next, Dave was part of one of the first ever coach owned clubs in Minnesota: Marauder Aquatic Club, winning age group titles, sending athletes to junior nationals, senior nationals, and the Olympic trials. With that level of success, it’s no surprise that Dave was recruited to coach at the newly opened University of Minnesota Natatorium with the Gopher Swim Club; his success continued with him sending swimmers to senior nationals, and taking one athlete from the state to the world level.

After an attempted retirement from the swimming world, the siren song of swimming brought Dave back to once again coach at Northern Lights Aquatics (formerly ABC Aquatic). Dave went on to found our Great Wolf Swim Team in 2004 and once again found himself master of rapid success, coaching athletes to achieve: state records, national records, Olympic trial qualifiers, NCAA individual titles, and a 13-year old NCAA record.

We are honored to have David Bentz as our founder, head coach, and living testimony of our mission to help all swimmers maximize their potential.

Jason has been coaching club and high school swimming since the late '90s. As a swimmer, he found national-level success where he swam Backstroke, Breaststroke, and IM events. Some of his highlights include winning USA Junior Nationals in the 200 backstroke, placing top 16 at US Nationals in both backstroke events, selected to multiple US Olympic Developmental Camps at Colorado Springs, 4-time Oregon High School state record holder in the 100 back, as well as back to back state champion in both 100 Back and 100 Breast in his Junior and Senior years. Jason swam for the University of Florida and then later transferred to the University of Minnesota where he graduated with a BS in Sport Management. He has been trained and mentored by some of the world’s best swim coaches.

Some of Jason’s coaching highlights include: 

• Coaching 7 athletes to National Age Group Top 10 times 
• Coaching several athletes to NCSA and USA Junior Nationals
• MSHSL 5AA Section Coach of the Year
• Coaching athletes to several High School All American Times
• Several State and Central Zone Champions as well as state record holders.  
• Has coached 6 swimmers selected to attend USA Swimming Central Zone Select Camp
• 4-time lead coach for the Minnesota Zone Team

Jason’s coaching philosophy is based on providing meaningful experiences to his athletes while enhancing their skills and values in life through sports. He emphasizes kicking, technique, and IM training which allows individuals to develop into well-rounded athletes. He believes that in order for an athlete to realize their full potential, they must master both the mental and physical sides of the sport. We're glad he's part of our team! Go WOLF!

Location: Jackson Pool

Tracy grew up in the Twin Cities swimming for the Mounds View Swim Club and swam at Mounds View High School. She attended college at UW-Green Bay and competed on the Nordic ski team there. After college, Tracy moved to Wausau, WI where she coached both swimming and Nordic skiing for the Wausau School District. In addition, she coached age group swimmers with the WYNS swim club in Wausau.

We welcome Tracy as our new Pups and Trackers coach at our Champlin location! 

Always living in the pool, Katie started swimming for Northern Lights Aquatics (NLA) at age 7 following in the footsteps of her two older sisters, who started swimming when it was ABC Swim Club (all former iterations of Great Wolf Swim Team). She fell in love with backstroke and IM events and swam competitively through high school, swimming varsity and lettering as a 7th grader at Champlin Park. She set multiple pool and team records and achieved All-Conference and All-State througout her high school swimming career.

Katie's first job was teaching swim lessons and lifeguarding at Jackson Pool. Kaite graduated from the University of Minnesota, with a degree in Kinesiology. Even though her professional career landed her in Human Resources, her heart (and that sweet fragrance of chlorine) always draws her back to the pool.

After college, she swam masters for Twin Cities. She was an assistant swim coach for CPHS and now she enjoys coaching with GWST whenever and wherever she can. She has coached the Pups, Trackers, Hunters and Alpha groups. Katie loves to see swimmers work hard to achieve their goals and believes that great swimmers need to focus on both sides of the sport - the mental and the physical.

Katie resides in Dayton with her husband Jason, and kids Kylie, Calvin and Cameron. GWST feels like family, beacuse it is! We are so happy to have Katie on the team - GO WOLF!

I have loved being involved in organized sports since I was old enough to participate.  I found my love for running early on, making varsity cross-country and track in 8^th grade.  I continued to find ways to challenge myself and decided to join the Army National Guard when I was 17.  I served for 8 years as an Army medic and graduated for basic training with honors having the high physical training score.

After graduating high school I continued my passion for running as a member of the cross-country and track and field teams for Minnesota State University Mankato.  I qualified for the MN Army Marathon Team and ultimately qualified for the All Guard Marathon Team, consisting of soldiers from the Army and Air force.   We were given the opportunity to compete in races all over the US.  

I graduated college with a degree in Early Childhood Education.  Before having my own children, I coached Middle School track and field for two years at Becker and two years at Big Lake.  Currently, I teach preschool outdoors for the Big Lake School district. 

I am excited to start my new adventure as a dryland coach for the Wolf Swim Team.

Coach Josh has been an active swimmer since 2010 and has been coaching since 2019.
As a coach he has served as Assistant for the Edina Country Club, Head Coach for Life Time Swim, and Head Coach for Neptune Aquatics. Josh is excited to bring his experience and passion for coaching to Great Wolf.

Josh has coached multiple swimmers to podium finishes at State, including first place. He has coached swimmers to Zone times including podium finishes. He’s also coached swimmers to Speedo Futures and Speedo Sectionals. Josh enjoys working with swimmers of all skill sets to help them improve.

Josh’s coaching philosophy is to prioritize improving the technique of starts, turns, strokes, and finishes of each athlete while improving their aerobic and anaerobic abilities. Most importantly he strives to provide a fun, positive, and encouraging environment that makes the athletes feel supported and feel motivated.