Email: coach@swimsaluki.com

Jay Newton

Jay Newton comes to Saluki Swim Club from Sevier County, TN where he was the Head Coach of Sevier Aquatic Club from 2001-2008.  During his tenure with Sevier Aquatic Club, Jay helped solidify and grow the small club from 20 swimmers to over 100 swimmers.  During this period, Sevier Aquatic Club produced two Senior National Qualifiers, eight Senior Sectional Qualifiers, and multiple National Top 16 Consideration qualifiers.  From 2002-2008, Jay was the Head Coach for Sevier County High School.  SCHS swimming achievements included 1 State Champion, multiple High School All- Americans, and the first relay teams to make it to the State Finals in 8 years.  Jay also coached with the Southeastern Swimming Zone All-star team as an assistant in 2004 and as the Head Coach in 2005.

Growing up on the Gulf Coast,  Jay swam competitively from age 6 and was a member of Greater Mobile Aquatic Association in Mobile, AL and Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club in Pensacola, FL.  As a swimmer, Jay was ranked in the National Top 16 in 1989, 1991-1996, a Junior National Finalist, and a Senior National qualifier.   Jay swam at Yale University where he was a letter winner and Conference Finalist.

Jay and his wife Stephanie live in Murphysboro with their two dogs Lani and Layla and their two cats Tommy and Kramer.

Saluki Swim Club is excited to welcome Coach Chris Gally back to Southern Illinois. Chris was one of SIU's most successful swimmers. A nine-time All-American in the 100 and 200 butterfly from 1986-91, he owns the school record (47.76) and Rec Center Pool record (48.00) in the 100 Butterfly, as well as the pool record as a member of a 400 Freestyle relay (2:59.02) in 1989, where he swam the lead leg. Gally also ranks second in school history in the 200 Butterfly (1:46.14) and third in the 200 Freestyle (1:37.50). He also swam the anchor leg on the school-record 200 Freestyle (1:20.44), 400 Freestyle (2:58.17) and 800 Freestyle (6:32.10) relay teams, setting the 200 Freestyle relay mark with former head women's coach and Saluki swimmer Jeff Goelz.

Gally qualified for the Olympic Trails in 1988 and 1992, was a former member of the U.S. National Team, won the 1991 SIU Athlete of the Year award and competed at the 1991 World University Games in Sheffield, England where he reached the finals in the 100 Butterfly.

Gally served as the women's head coach from 1997-2001 at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan before returning to SIU in 2001.  Gally coached at SIU from 2001- 2006 and at Army from 2006-2007.  Prior to his stint at Hillsdale, Gally was the assistant men's and women's coach at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania from 1993-1997. He also served as the Tri-Valley Swim Club head coach in Kutztown during that same time. His first job after his swimming career at SIU was as the assistant coach of the Jersey Wahoos in Mount Laurel, New Jersey for the 1992-1993 season.

Chris and his wife Abbe have two daughters, Annika and Rhiannon.

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Natalie McLean -  Assistant Coach Jedi and Group 1
Natalie grew up in nearby Anna, IL.  She swam for 12 years for the Anna Blue Dolphins ('95-'06), 7 years  for Saluki Swim Club ('98-'05), and 2 years for SIU ('06-'08). She was a butterflier.
 
Natalie  attended SIUC '06-'09 and graduated Summa cum Laude with a BS in English Education and a minor in Psychology.  Currently, She is a high school English teacher at CCHS (Freshmen & Sophomores)  where she is also coaching the girls' and boys' high school swim teams.

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Brittany Massengale enters her first season as graduate assistant coach for SIU , after previously swimming under head coach Rick Walker at the 2006 Open Water World Championships in Naples, Italy.  Brittany also helps coach all groups of  Saluki Swim Club.

Prior to SIU, the Alma, Ark. native was a four-year letter winner in swimming at Rice University from 2005-09. She currently holds school records in the 200, 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle.

Massengale earned All-American honors in the 500 and 1650 free at the 2008 NCAA championships, while qualifying for both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Trials. She was also a United States National Team member.

Massengale earned bachelor's degrees in kinesiology and psychology from Rice in 2009. She is currently working towards a master's degree in exercise science at SIU.

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