Coach Mark Tierney is ORCA's head swimming coach and CEO. He started coaching for ORCA in August, 1999 and has since developed several ORCA and high school record holders.  He has been selected to represent Southern California Swimming at their season ending meets in 2006, 2007 and 2008; coaching the 15/18 girls for the 2006 Zone team, and the 17/18 girls for the North American Challenge Cup in both 2007 and 2008.  As well as being the CEO and Head Coach of ORCA, Mark also coaches the Gold Omega swimming practice group.

 

Mark is a graduate of Fort Louis College in Durango, Colorado where he attended on a full-ride swimming scholarship. Mark's degree is in Business Administration.  When he's not on the pool deck, Mark serves as the Director of Marketing and Advertising of a corporation in which he is one of five partner/owners.

 

In 1985 Mark met his wife in Portofino, Italy while he was working in the fashion industry. They were married on Valentines Day in 1987.  He and his wife, Anna, have a son, Kristopher (born in 1992) and a daughter, Kaitlin (born in 2001).

 

When he's not working or coaching, Mark enjoys going to the gym, scuba diving with his son and snow skiing.  He also enjoys seeing the world with his family and frequents Italy often to visit his wife’s family in Milan.

 

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Coach Matt Hamer came to California and ORCA in the summer of 2006 as ORCA’s Head Age Group Coach after relocating from Iowa.  Before coming to ORCA, Coach Matt was the Head Age Group coach for the Iowa City Eels Swim Club (ICE) from April 2001 to February 2006, where they were 4 time 12 & Under state champions.  In 2004 they were the state team champions.  Matt also represented Iowa as a coach of their Zone Team four different years.  Along with his club coaching responsibilities, Coach Matt also coached the Iowa City H.S. boys team from 2004 to 2006, where under his guidance as head coach they achieved their first ever conference championship.

 

Matt attended UNI where he received his BA in History, and he is currently working on a Bachelor of Science degree in Media Arts and Animations at the Art Institute of CA.

 

Matt’s swimming experience extends far beyond coaching; he was the Captain of the UNI swim team from 1998-1999 and UNI record holder as a member of the 400 medley relay (swimming breaststroke), he was the ICE 15-18 boys record holder in the 100 yard breaststroke, Iowa state champion in 100 breast and Junior National qualifier in 1995.  Matt was also his high school team captain and seven time letterman; 4 swimming, 2 track and 1 football.

 

Outside of swimming, Matt enjoys music.  He was part of the Iowa All-State Orchestra where he played the string bass, and played principal bass for Symphony Orchestra for 2 years.

 

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Coach Stephanie Wood is ORCA's Bronze swim coach. She began working with our swimmers in the summer of 2002. Prior to joining our coaching staff Stephanie taught swimming privately.

Although she started coaching for ORCA in 2002, she started swimming with ORCA when she was 5 years old!

 

In addition to club swimming Stephanie was a varsity swimmer and water polo player for Villa Park High School.  She was named "Girl's Swimmer of the Year" in both her Junior and Senior Years. She was also acknowledged as being the "Hardest Worker" during her Senior Year for water polo.   Stephanie was also a member of the Orange Coast College Women's Swim Team in the 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 academic years.  During her second season she won 1st place in the 50 Breast Stroke and 5th place in the 100 Breast Stroke in the Conference Finals. During that same year in the State competition, Stephanie finished 8th in the 100 meter Breast Stroke and 10th in the 50 meter Breast Stroke.  Her team took first at the State Championships for the first time since 1997!  Stephanie is currently continuing her studies at Cal State Fullerton.  Stephanie is a fine example of the long-term benefits ORCA's outstanding stroke technique instruction and club competition opportunities bring to our athletes.  Additionally, she is truly a wonderful role model for our swimmers as she now returns to share her coaching skills!

 

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Curtis Bruner came to ORCA in February of 2008 and currently coaches ORCA’s Silver Alpha group.  He also assists with the Bronze Alpha group.

 

Like the other ORCA coaches, Curtis was a swimmer himself.  He first started swimming in his grandparents jacuzzi at the age of 1. Born and raised near Mountain View, California, Curtis’ parents were also both swimmers.  Curtis swam in high school at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California where he went to the California Central Section (CCS) Championships three out of four years in the 200 and 500 yard freestyle events, as well as in relays. Curtis swam in college at Foothill Community College, in Los Altos, California, where he went to the State Championships in his two years at the school in the 200 yard freestyle, as well as the 100 butterfly during his second year.  Curtis was also part of their relays teams at the State Championships.

 

After attending Foothill Community College, Curtis moved on to the University of San Francisco, where he would earn his bachelors degree in the field of Economics and International Finance.

 

Beyond coaching at ORCA, Curtis’ coaching experience includes coaching at  Mountain View High School and Monta Vista High School in Northern California, as well as at El Modena High School here in Orange.