Michael McGraw Murray

Program Director/Head Coach

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Program Director and Head Coach Michael Murray will begin his third year with Mercury Swimming in September 2012. Since Mike’s arrival in November 2010 our club has experienced unprecedented success including: 

• MERC Earned its highest team finish at the Niagara LSC Championships, 4th Place, 2012 LCM. 
• MERC Swimmers Danyel Johnson, Sarah Mosca & Makayla Sargent Qualified for Jr. Nationals
• MERC Swimmers competed in both the Santa Clara & Minneapolis Grand Prix Events
• MERC Swimmer Makayla Sargent notched two top 8 finishes at 2012 Minneapolis Grand Prix.
• MERC qualified over 12 athletes to the Speedo Champions Series, top 25 Women's Team finish. 
• MERC Swimmers won 6 titles @ The Eastern Zone Age Group All-Star Meet(s). (Mosca/Sargent)
• Makayla Sargent reset the 200 IM Meet Record at 2012 Long Course Eastern Zone Championships
• Mercury Swimming won its first ever invitational meet @ Sertoma, 2012 LCM. 
• Over 6 MERC Swimmers are currently competing at the collegiate level. 
• MERC Swimmers Jessie LaRue, Sarah Mosca & Makayla Sargent all have top 100 IMX Rankings. 
• Mike Murray Appointed to 2013 USA Swimming Eastern Zone Select Camp Staff. 

Coach Mike's Coaching History:

• 2004-2005-Assistant Coach @ St. Lawrence University for Bob Clemmer, Mike's mentor. 
• 2005-2006-Assistant/Aquatic Director @ Vassar College, Coached a 2006 All-American in 2 events. 
• 2005-2007-Spent 3 Summers living in Palo Alto, CA working at Stanford University Swim Camp. 
• 2006-2010-Assistant Coach-Marist College; 3 MAAC Conference Titles; 1 ECAC Title. Worked with Legendary Marist College Swim Coach Larry Van Wagner.
• 2006-2010-Head Senior Coach Marist Swim Club- Now "Red Fox Aquatic Club." Coached multiple Speedo qualifiers, Junior National Qualifiers, US Open Qualifiers, and 1 US Olympic Trial Qualifer. 
• 2006-2010-Served on Technical Planning, Age Group Committee, and Zone Staff for Metro LSC.
• 2010-Present-Head Coach, Director-Mercury Swimming INC
• 2012-Present-Aquatic Director, Livonia Central School. 
• 2012-Niagara Zone Team Coach/Niagara BOD Member-Safety Chairman. 
• 2012 Nationally Published in The ASCA Spring Newsletter: "Reinventing, Reinforcing and Redefining American Educational & Athletic Culture."

Coach Mike's Swimming Career:

• Swam for Club Coaches Jeff Maxwell, Ken McLaughlin and Jerry Adams as a club swimmer
• Swam for High School Coach Scott Young @ The Albany Academy.
• 1998 & 1999 NYS Finalist 50,100 Freestyle, 200 & 400 freestyle relays, multiple school record holder.
• 1999 Honorable Mention All-America Selection; Jr. National/US Open Qualifier-50,100, 200 free. 
• 2000-Big East Qualifier-Swimming @ Rutgers University
• 2004 NCAA Qualifier St. Lawrence University; 2004; Multiple former school record holder. 
• 2005 Nominee for Martha Finch Outstanding Senior Athlete, St. Lawrence University

Coach Mike graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2005 with a degree in English/Political Science, with a minor in Education. In 2012 he received an American Swim Coaches Association Level 4 certification and has also completed his certified pool operator's course. In addition to Mercury, Mike works at Livonia Central School as the aquatics director. Coach Mike was recently appointed to the Niagara LSC Board of Directors as the Safety Chairman and serves on the Niagara Zone Team and Age Group committees. In 2012, Coach Murray was named to the International Society for Coaching Swimming.  Mike and his wife Kelly, live in Wayland, NY with their daughter Claire and Chocolate Lab, Hank. 

Brett Desmond Leader

Head AG Coach/Learn to Swim Director

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Brett joined Mercury in the spring of 2011 after a 2 year stint as the head coach of Quick Water Swim Club. As a state level competitor for Livonia in high school, he is very excited to return to the area where his love for swimming originated. Brett has served as an assistant coach for the HF-L Varsity Girls program, and the Livonia Varsity Boys program, and also as head coach for the Livonia Modified program. Brett brings to the program, a wealth of enthusiasm and a desire to help Mercury Swimming become an established perennial force in the Niagara LSC.

As a high school swimmer in Livonia, Brett qualified for the NYS Championships in 2005 in the 50 & 100 yard freestyle events. Brett is proud to have been a member of many successful Livonia teams that were led by legendary coach Chris Martin.

In addition to an accomplished swimming career, Coach Brett has already contributed major success as the Mercury Age Group Coach. At the 2011 LC Niagara championships, Brett's 11-12 200 freestyle relay won the event, which was the first ever relay event victory for Mercury Swimming in club history. Brett has also been instrumental in helping Mercury develop, engage and create new club dynamics to our program. In the spring of 2012 Brett completed the certification process for ASCA level 1 certification. 

Coach Brett has inspired and developed one of the best AG Swimming Programs in Niagara LSC, including:

• A total of 5 MERC Top 10 Niagara LSC IMX Point Scorers; most of any club in Niagara LSC
• MERC's 1st Ever LSC Championship Relay.
• MERC Athlete Jessie LaRue Top 200 nationally IMX Point Scorer. 
• MERC's AG Program has grown from 4 Swimmers in 2010 to 18 Currently. 
• MERC's AG Program has Contributed over 2500 points to team's VCC score in 2012.
• MERC has two of the fastest 11-12 Relay Events in Niagara LSC.
• MERC's Learn to Swim Program doubled in size. 
• MERC Swimmer Jessie LaRue won high point award for 10 & Under AG @ LSC Championships.
• MERC AG Swimmer Amy Li qualified for the Niagara Zone Team. 
• Brett is the first ever MERC AG Coach with ASCA Certification. 

Brett is a certified LG/CPR First Aid Instructor and also is a certified pool operator. Brett lives in his hometown of Livonia, NY. 

Chris Conway Everett

Wayland Site Director, Sr. Assistant

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Mercury Swimming welcomes Chris Everett to the coaching staff.  Chris comes to Merc with a wealth of both swimming and coaching experience.  Chris was a Speedo sectional qualifier in several events as well as an Eastern Zone finalist as an age group swimmer for the Canajoharie Crocodiles, a USA team in the Adirondack region.  Chris was also a multiple event finalist at the NYS high school championships from 1996-1998 for Canajoharie High School.

Chris and Head Coach Mike Murray have had a long history of swimming with, against, and for one another.  Chris went on to swim at St. Lawrence University and had an extremely successful collegiate career.  He was named team captain for both his Junior and Senior campaigns as well as an All-Conference selection in the 100 and 200 yard butterfly events. Chris would go on to an assistant coach at his alma mater where he guided both the men’s and women’s team to set several school records, five of which were set by our coach, Mike Murray.  Chris also helped guide Mike to his first NCAA Championship meet. Chris also was Mentored by Head Coach Bob Clemmer while swimming & coaching at St. Lawrence University. Chris holds a degree in Geology and Education from St. Lawrence University. 

Chris lives in South Dansville with his wife Jana, and his sons, two future Mercury Swimmers Ben and Sean. 

Nicole Welch

AG-Developmental Coach

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Coach Nikki Welch joined the Mercury Swimming family in the spring of 2012 as the Age Group Developmental Coach. Nikki adds tremendous depth to our coaching staff, experience, knowledge and a versatile background in coaching at many competitive levels in the sport. Nikki's family has contributed an enormous amount to the sport of swimming in the region and comes from a family of well known, exceptional coaches. Her father Jim has created a local powerhouse in Dansville's Varsity programs, with big help from Nikki and her brother, Jim Jr., who serves as the head boys & gilrs varsity swimming coach in Mt. Morris. Nikki is a former LCAA Senior Swimmer of the Meet and Section V 100 backstroke finalist  and a former Dansville school record holder. Coach Nikki went on to swim collegiately for Brian Tobin (a former Marist Swim Club Athlete) at Cortland State; where she was a multievent SUNYAC qualifier. 

Tyler Monroe

Wayland Site AG Coach

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Tyler Monroe, a Mercury Swimmer his entire life, joins the MERC coaching staff for 2012. Tyler will be an assistant site coordinator for the Wayland-Cohocton satellite program and additionally serve as a senior level assistant coach. During his competitive high school career Tyler swam with MERC Head Age Group Coach Brett Leader, under the direction of Chris Martin's Livonia Swimming Dynasty. Coach Martin's Bulldogs swimming program was one of the finest in NYS; winning several LCAA and Sectional titles. During that time Tyler broke, and still holds the Livonia High School record in the 500 freestyle. Tyler went on to Swim for Coach Brian Striker at Alfred University, where he was a member of several Empire 8 teams that went undefeated in dual meet competition. Tyler cites Chris Martin and Brian Striker as major influences and positive role models in his life. Tyler comes from a family  rich with Mercury heritage, as his parents are former members of the MERC Board of Directors and his brother Ryan is a former MERC athlete. Tyler has previously coached at KVAC and looks forward to continuing on in the profession with Mercury.