Mark Daum enters his 35th year in coaching and his 20th year as Head Coach of Five Star Swim Club. His previous coaching experience includes: Lancaster YMCA Head Girls coach 8 years, West Chester Suburban Swim Club 3 years, and Four Seasons Swim Club 4 years. He has coached athletes at all levels of swimming. Mark has a B.S. in Elementary Education and an M.S. in Physical Education and Athletic Administratin.
John started coaching in 1960 after teaching swimming at the Lancaster YMCA for three years under master instructor Ray Baker. He then prepared for a coaching career by obtaining a BS degree in Physical Education from West Chester State College. In 1964 John was granted a teaching assistantship at Indiana University where he earned a Masters Degree and assisted Dr. James Counsilman (U.S. Olympic Coach 1964 & 1976). In 1970 he received another teaching assistantship at Louisiana State University where he pursued additional graduate study and acted as assistant swim coach/head diving coach. While at LSU he was acting head swim coach at the 1970-71 S.E.C. Swim Championships. After coaching for 20 years at Millersville University, John retired from college coaching. Shortly thereafter he became involved in United States Swimming as an age group coach and presently continues this interest at Five Star Swim Club under head coach Mark Daum.
Ashley Singer began swimming competitively at nine years of age with the Lititz Springs Swim Team. She then joined Five Star Swim Club and continued to swim with Five Star through her high school career. She graduated from Warwick High School in 2004 and Kutztown University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and early childhood. While at Kutztown, Ashly participated on the university swim team and was named "MVP" for four years. She was a 2008 PSAC Champion in the 500 Freestyle and set seven school records, four of which currently stand. SHe has been head coach of the Lititz Springs Waverunners summer swim team for the past four summers. Currently, she is a first grade teach at the Landisville Primary Center in the Hempfield School District. Since Ashley was a member of the Five Star Swim Club for eight years, she feels it is an honor to be able to coach a team where she was involved as a swimmer.
Krysta Barnhart began teaching swimming when she was 14. She helped the Conestoga Valley swim team "babies" to compete and learn all four strokes. In 1992 she officially became a coach at CV, although she is no longer coaching at CV. She has been coaching at Five Star since 1997. Krysta is married works at Clipper Magazine as a Graphic Designer. She has 3 older brothers and graduated from Conestoga Valley High School in 1992. She has a degree in Graphic Design from Pennsylvania College of Technology (1997).
Barb Raasch began swimming at 6 years of age under the tutelage of John Apple. She swam for Skyline through her senior year in HS. She also swam for Manheim Township High School, LAC, Lancaster YMCA, and the University of Pittsburgh. Many of those years she swam under Mark Daum, before beginning her coaching career with him at Skyline. After he left, she was the head coach at Skyline for several years. She also coached at the Lancaster YMCA for a year. In the mid 1980's, she gave up coaching and worked as a manager in the restaurant industry. She managed Mr. Steak/Finleys American Restaurant for about 7 years before marrying Matt Raasch. They have three children. She stopped working after her first child was born and loves being a mom. Barb returned to coaching when Mark asked her to join the Five Star staff. She enjoyed it so much that she returned to coaching at Skyline as well. Now that summer is over, she is happy to be back coaching those fun and energetic swimmers at Five Star.
Ryan Mitten began her swimming career when she was eight years old at the Lancaster YMCA in the winter and on the Skyline Swim Team in the summer. From there, she began swimming year-round for the Trident Swim Club for about six years. After moving to the Five Star Swim Club in 2001, she finished out her high school years swimming for Manheim Township High School and Five Star. The next stop in Ryan's swimming career was Rider University in New Jersey, a Division 1 school. At Rider, Ryan excelled in the 100 Fly, 200 Fly, and 200 IM. Ryan graduated from Rider earning a B.S. in Elementary Education and a B. S. in Psychology. Ryan is excited to be back at Five Star, now coaching and teaching what she has learned throughout her swimming career.