LY COACHES
Head Coach, TJ Liston, has been recognized at the
National level as well as locally, winning the South
Carolina Coach of the Year award five times. His
swimmers have been ranked both nationally and internationally
and hold national records. He has coached a two time
National Champion, an Olympic Trial finalist, two
Junior National Champions, three USA Swimming All
Americans, the 1998 NCAA South Eastern
Conference Swimmer of the Year, and numerous South Carolina Swimmers of
the Year. He coached two Olympic Trial qualifiers in 1996 and qualified two more
swimmers for the 2000 Olympic Trials. He has spent many years on the Board of
Directors of South Carolina Swimming. He was recently endorsed by the
South Carolina Swimming coaches' committee and elected to serve as the Senior
Chair of South Carolina Swimming. He was the Chair of the Eastern Section
of the Southern Zone for USA Swimming for 6 years. TJ currently sits on
the Senior Committee of Virginia Swimming. Phone: 434-384-6338 or cell 434-444-1256
Hours between 10AM and 2PM. Email:
CoachListon@comcast.net
Assistant
Coach Lisa Liston is the wife of TJ. Lisa holds a Masters Degree in English
Literature from Middlebury College in Vermont and was an adjunct English teacher
at The Citadel. She is entering her fourteenth season
of coaching and is responsible for many of the
administrative tasks of running the program. Lisa works primarily with the
8 & under and new swimmers. Lisa's swimmers
include many IM Tough Award winners, state
champions, and sectional finalists. She has been involved in
swimming in the Charleston area for the past twelve years.
Lisa served on the Board of Directors of South
Carolina Swimming for four years and was also the Camp
Coordinator for South Carolina Swimming, running two
very successful Zone All-Star Camps for South Carolina
Swimmers. Lisa currently sits on the Age Group Committee for Virginia
Swimming. Phone: 434-384-6338 Hours between 10AM-2PM
Email: LisaLListon@aol.com
Priscilla Bettis continues with the LY coaching staff this year. Coach
Priscilla Bettis brings twenty five years of coaching experience to the team.
She grew up in Alaska but thawed out after several years of living in the
South. Priscilla is a competitive swimmer herself and has been competing for
the past thirty-four years. She currently trains and competes with the Virginia
Masters Swim Team. Priscilla holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering
Physics from the University of Oklahoma and is able to apply her understanding
of wave mechanics and fluid dynamics when teaching stroke technique. She has
coached swimmers of all ages and abilities including age group, junior high
school, Special Olympics, summer league, and Masters, including a national
Masters champion. In 2000, Priscilla coached the Masters 2000 Long Course
National Champions. Priscilla enjoys motivating young athletes and promoting
the great sport of swimming. Phone: 239-7540 Email:
pbettis@gmail.com
Coach Hank Reed will also be returning to coach with LY and we look forward to having his years of experience on deck and at meets with the LY Piranhas. Hank's experience covers swimmers of all ages, from first grade to high schoolers. Hank works primarily with the Gold group and his expertise and enthusiasm mesh well with this varied group of swimmers. Phone: 525-4959 Email: LYCoach@aol.com
Elisa Morton, raised
in Florida, Elisa Morton was a competitive swimmer from the age of 11. She
graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a double major in English and
Politics. Elisa completed graduate work in Physical Education at Central
Connecticut State University where, as a graduate assistant, she taught
beginning and intermediate swimming. During her career in the fitness industry,
Elisa was a certified Personal Trainer, as well as a certified Cardio Karate
Instructor. After moving to Virginia with her husband in 2006, Elisa was hired
as the Assistant Swim Coach for Jefferson Forest High School. Last summer, Elisa
was an assistant with the Peakland Otters Swim Team.
Hi everyone my name is Brittany Dray. I am 17 years old and a rising senior at Brookville High School. I have nine years of competitive swimming experience during which I swam for the LY swim team for six and my high school for three. This will be my third year coaching at Poplar Forest and I am very excited for summer to come and the season to start. This past winter I also started assistant coaching the eight and unders on LY swim team. I can't wait to see all of my little friends again this year and to look forward to meeting some new ones!