Annalise Campbell has been coaching for four years now, and she absolutely loves being part of the team and teaching kids how to swim. She spent nine years as a swimmer herself, and her favorite memories include the excitement of swim meets and the fun tradition of decorating each other's backs before races.

Annalise is currently pursuing her business education at Iowa State University after graduating from St. Charles North High School, with dreams of becoming a CEO.

When she's in the pool, Annalise prefers swimming backstroke, where she can show off her technique and precision. Her philosophy is simple yet effective: she believes in listening to others and taking their advice to improve and grow.

Outside of her swimming and career ambitions, Annalise enjoys shopping, the color blue, and treating herself to delicious pasta dishes.

Joseph D’Agostino is a sophomore at North High School, where his favorite subject is math. With a decade of swimming experience, Joseph's love for the sport has only grown stronger. He aspires to share this passion by helping others learn to love swimming as much as he does.

Joseph enjoys breaststroke and also enjoys playing water polo. His positive outlook is encapsulated by his belief that with 8 hours of sleep and a smile, you can achieve anything.

Outside of swimming, Joseph’s favorite color is green, and he enjoys eating pork. He dreams of becoming an algebra teacher, merging his love for math with his desire to help others.

Alex Jones is a sophomore whose favorite class is Principles of Engineering. He was a member of the swimming team for 8 years and always looked up to the coaches for inspiration. In 2024, he joined the coaching staff. His favorite team member is his first banquet.

Alex’s favorite stroke is butterfly. He believes that maintaining a positive mentality is just as important as the hard work put into training. Outside of swimming, he participates in track and field as a thrower and enjoys playing basketball. His favorite color is purple, and he loves chicken. Alex aspires to become an engineer.

Sarah Koch has been passionate about teaching and swimming from a young age, beginning her swimming journey at just five years old. She has coached for the past eight years, from 2017 to 2024, and ultimately took on the head coach position. Her new motivation for coaching is to see the team thrive as a family.

One of Sarah's favorite memories is from her last relay as a swimmer. Despite her relay team being far behind, she managed to catch up to the first place swimmer, securing a victory for her team while the whole team cheered her on.

Sarah is a senior at Grand Valley State University, majoring in Elementary Education with a PK-6 Math Emphasis. Her favorite stroke is breaststroke and she also enjoys playing water polo. Her favorite color is navy blue, and she loves watermelon. Aspiring to be an elementary school teacher, Sarah values bravery and encourages her students to speak up. In her free time, she enjoys reading, live music, and piano.

Zoe Rutishauser is entering her third year of coaching, driven by her passion for spreading her swimming knowledge to younger swimmers to ensure they stay safe while having fun in the water. She swam on the team for about two years and cherished the experience of swimming outdoors in good weather with friends.

Zoe, whose favorite color is hot pink and favorite fruit is oranges, is going to be a junior at Bowling Green State University, where she is pursuing a career as a forensic scientist. She specializes in backstroke and freestyle and emphasizes the importance of self-care, including taking rest days when needed.

In addition to swimming, Zoe used to play water polo. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching TV, and doing her nails in her free time.

Lilyana Spyrnal is diving into her first year as a coach at Thornwood Thunder with excitement. She spent 8 years as a swimmer, and the team holds a special place in her heart. One of her best memories is from the all teams relay meet, where everyone—swimmers, coaches, and parents—cheered each other on while swimming relays with friends.

She's a senior at Saint Charles North High School, where math is her favorite subject. Besides hitting the books, Lilyana is a competitive dancer at Elite Academy of Dance, where she channels her love for dance. When she's not busy with sports and academics, you can find her buried in a good book, jamming out to music (and playing the violin!), and enjoying anything pink or the occasional sushi and chocolate.

Looking forward, Lilyana dreams of becoming a dance judge, fueled by her passion for dance and performance. Her top coaching advice? Always cheer on your teammates! To her, Thornwood Thunder isn't just a team—it's a family that supports each other through thick and thin.

Rachael Stratton has been coaching for 3 years, driven by her passion for helping kids improve their swimming skills and have a blast in the pool. With 7 years of experience as a swimmer herself, she cherishes the excitement of game days, especially enjoying "ships and sailors" with her team.

Her favorite colors are black and lavender, and she has a soft spot for comforting mac n cheese. This fall, she's off to the University of Missouri to pursue a business degree. Her preferred swim stroke is freestyle, reflecting her love for speed and technique.

Rachael believes in the power of consistent effort, advising others that showing up every day and giving their best will lead to a sense of accomplishment. While she used to dive in high school, these days she finds fulfillment in weightlifting at the gym. Beyond athletics, Rachael enjoys staying active, listening to music, and indulging in a bit of shopping whenever she can.

Malee Todd is a senior at Saint Charles North, excelling in both swimming and math. She has been member of the team since she was little and thought of becoming a coach when she first started swimming. Over the past five years, Malee has cherished game days with the coaches, which have become a season highlight.

Malee specializes in freestyle swimming and is also an avid water polo player. She believes in maintaining a positive attitude, even on the gloomiest days, and finds joy in activities like pottery and painting. Her favorite color is purple, and she loves French fries. Malee dreams of becoming a marine biologist. 

Camden Vine has been coaching for three summers now, and it's been a passion project each year. He loves seeing swimmers improve through hard work and fun, and starting his day with the swimmers, coaches, and parents is always a highlight.

Having spent seven years as a swimmer, Camden's fondest memories come from racing in swim meets, particularly enjoying the energy of the all teams relay. His favorite color is teal, and he has a hearty appetite for steak.

Looking ahead, Camden dreams of becoming a pro basketball player, a goal he's working towards as he prepares to enter his senior year at St. Charles North High School. Social studies is his favorite subject.

Camden's favorite swim stroke is butterfly. His advice to fellow swimmers is simple yet effective: always stay in the water and give high fives to everyone in your lane until the race is over.

Beyond swimming and basketball, Camden enjoys his summer hobbies of fishing and golfing.