Karen Bisnett

karen@swimbayside.com

Head Coach

Marist College, BS Psychology/ Special Education

Loyola University, MEd Special Education

Coach Karen started swimming in Salisbury, Maryland when she was 5 years old. During her high school years, she swam for the Three Village Swim Club on Long Island, New York. She continued her swimming career as a member of the NCAA Division I Marist College swim team from 2002-2006. During her time at Marist, the women’s team was MAAC Conference Champions from 2004-2006 and ECAC Champions in 2006. She was an individual MAAC Champion in the 200 backstroke and a member of multiple winning MAAC and ECAC relay teams. She was also a school record holder in the 200 Backstroke, 800 Freestyle Relay, and 400 Medley Relay. Coach Karen began her coaching career in college as an assistant coach for Marist Swim Club. After college, she moved to Hawaii to start her teaching career. While in Hawaii, she was a coach for Pearl Harbor Aquatics as well as Radford High School. Coach Karen moved back to Maryland in 2008 and took some time off of coaching to focus on getting her masters degree in Special Education and starting a family. She started coaching again for Meade High School in 2013 and has been the head coach since 2015. She also coached for Annapolis Swim Club before starting Bayside Aquatics.

Coach Karen is married and has two kids who are members of Bayside Aquatics. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach and spending time with her family and two dogs. She also enjoys open water swimming and has completed the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim three times.

Coach Abbey

Coach, Juniors, Novice

Coach Abbey started swimming at the age of 6 in Crofton has been involved with a variety of teams throughout her years. She grew up swimming for the Crofton CATS and also spent time swimming for ASC & NAAC growing up and spent her high school years swimming for the Retriever Aquatic Club. 

Coach Abbey swam at the division 1 level for UMBC from 2017 to 2022, where she competed in the backstroke, breaststroke, and IM events. She helped the team win an America East Conference championship in 2019 and was named a team captain for the 2020-2021 season.

She has also served as a coach of Waugh Chapel Swim Club for the last five summer seasons in the CMSL, and helped lead the team to win the Division 2 championship during the 2018 season. 

Coach Abbey believes in having fun while also working hard and that proper technique is the most important skill for swimmers to learn. She is passionate about the sport of swimming and enjoys sharing her love for the sport with the next generation of swimmers and is excited for her first season with Bayside!

Coach Mary Fleckenstein

Mary began her swimming career in Poughkeepsie, NY while growing up as an age group swimmer. She has not looked back.

Mary coached for various clubs in Maryland and New York for over 30 years before retiring from full time coaching in 2020. She has been a swimming administrator for over 20 years, serving in various positions on the Maryland and Metro LSC boards. Most recently, Mary was the Administrative Manager for Metro running the day-to-day operations for the LSC. She is also the Secretary/Treasurer for the Eastern Zone.

Mary also owned her own Masters Swimming Club. Due to her dedication, Mary has been awarded the Eastern Zone Volunteer Service

Award and named a USA Swimming Life Member for her work in the swimming community.

She recently moved back to Maryland to be closer to her grandkids and help Coach Karen with Bayside Aquatics. She still keeps ties in NY doing administrative work for Condors Swimming.

Coach Karla

Discovery Coach

Coach Karla grew up in Michigan and started swimming competitively when she was seven. She swam for Anne Arbor Swim Club and also Wolverine Aquatics and competed at several state and national-level meets. Her favorite event is the 400 IM, and she currently coaches the 5–11-year-olds at Bayside Aquatics. Coach Karla has a passion for helping young swimmers develop their stroke technique while building sportsmanship. 

This coach is awesome!

This coach is awesome!

This coach is awesome!

This coach is awesome!

This coach is awesome!

Coach John Beyer

Head Age Group Coach, Lead Performance Coach

Coach John Beyer grew up swimming for Buckeye Swim Club in Columbus, Ohio, before continuing his swimming career at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. During his collegiate career, he was a four-time finalist at the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships and earned multiple top-ten rankings in program history. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management.

Now in his 10th year of coaching, Coach John is passionate about helping athletes reach their fullest potential. He is currently in his second season at Bayside Aquatics, where he serves as the Head Age Group Coach. In addition, he is proud to be a member of the Team USA Paralympic Coaching Staff. Over the course of his career, Coach John has guided swimmers to compete at the highest levels of the sport, including Age Group Zones, Sectionals, Futures, and the U.S. Paralympic Trials.

Coach John began his coaching career at CLE Swimming, where he assisted both senior and junior programs, helping the team earn multiple top-ten finishes at the Lake Erie Age Group Championships. He then served as an assistant coach at Hiram College, where he helped the program achieve fifteen new top-ten school performances, a school record, and its best NCAC Championship finish in more than a decade.

In 2020, he moved to Maryland to join Calvert Aquatics Club (CAC), first as an assistant and then as head coach. Under his leadership, CAC grew from 95 to 185 swimmers, broke more than 315 team records, and reached new levels of success on both national and international stages. He coached Noah Busch to the USA National Team, where Busch went on to win one gold and two bronze medals for Team USA at the Para Pan American Games and World Series Mexico. Coach John also led CAC swimmers to a girls’ team championship at the 2024 MPSSAA 3A/2A/1A High School State Meet, guided multiple LSC and high school state champions, and elevated the team to a top-ten finish at the 14 & Under Maryland State Championships.

Beyond the pool deck, Coach John is a strong advocate for swimming as a lifelong sport. He continues to compete in U.S. Masters Swimming, where he has finished in the top three nationally at several USMS Championship meets, earned numerous top-ten times in his age group, and was part of the 2023 USMS National Championship team with SFTL Masters.

Coach John lives in Chester, MD, with his wife Erika and their baby girl, Margo.

John Mason

john.mason@swimbayside.com

Coach, Age Group

John Mason's journey through the world of swimming began over six decades ago when he first dipped his toes into competitive waters. From his early days as a varsity swimmer at Michigan State University, where he earned his varsity letter, to conquering the challenging Great Chesapeake Bay Swim an impressive 15 times without the aid of a wetsuit, John's dedication to the sport has never wavered.

Transitioning from athlete to coach, John has left an indelible mark on the swimming community through his extensive coaching experience spanning over four decades. As Head Coach of various esteemed swim clubs, including the Pointer Ridge Swim & Racquet Club and the Central Chesapeake Swim Club, John has honed his craft, nurturing countless young talents to reach their full potential in the water.

John's coaching journey has taken him across the United States. Coach John was the head coach St. Petersburg Aquatics (78-84) and the Assistant Senior Coach for Mission Viejo Nadadores (76-78). His expertise and leadership have not only shaped individual swimmers but have also contributed significantly to the broader swimming community. Serving on the Board of Directors of the American Swim Coaches Association and various United States Swimming Committees, John has been at the forefront of shaping the future of competitive swimming.

His passion for the sport has transcended national borders, as evidenced by his role as Head Manager for the 1992 National Junior Team in Paris, France, and his involvement in the 1990 Goodwill Games. Whether mentoring young swimmers at the grassroots level or managing national teams on the international stage, John's commitment to excellence and sportsmanship remains unwavering.

Coach John is currently working with the Age Group programs with Bayside Aquatics, continuing to inspire the next generation of swimmers on our team.

Coach Ryan started swimming in Niagara Falls, NY, when he was 8 years old. During his youth, he swam for the Niagara Falls YMCA and LaSalle High School in Niagara Falls. From 1990–1994, he continued his swimming career as a member of the NCAA Division I Niagara University swim team. During his time at Niagara, the men’s team won the first MAAC Conference Championship in school history. He was also the conference champion in the 100 freestyle and multiple relays. Ryan was the school record holder in the 100 free, 400 IM, 200 fly, 200/400 medley relays, and the 200/400/800 freestyle relays.

Coach Ryan began his coaching career in college as an assistant coach for Niagara University. After college, he accepted the Niagara Falls head coach position. In three years at Niagara Falls High School, he coached the only three state qualifiers in school history. Coach Ryan started coaching again for Bayside as a coach starting in October 2022. He is a stroke and turn judge in the summer for the Crofton Village Swim Team. Coach Ryan also swims for the Maryland Masters in Severna Park, where he owns two records for the 50+ age group.

Coach Ryan is married and has four kids. All but one of them are members of Bayside Aquatics. In his free time, he enjoys going to the pool himself to just relax and going on vacations around the world with his wife. His favorite destination has been Ireland.

Coach Jeremy fell in love with the water by age 4. He swam competitively for 13 years, competing at the county and state championship levels in high school. Over the years, coach Jeremy's fascination with understanding how to be more efficient with technique and movement in the water has continued to grow. Coach Jeremy currently works with Age Group.

This coach is awesome!

This coach is awesome!

This coach is awesome!

This coach is awesome!