Rockfish Head Coach - Silver Group Coach
Coach Justin grew up in Waldorf, MD and began swimming at the age of 6. He started his competitive swimming career at 8 years old with the Potomac Raiders. Eventually he joined Rockfish and swam here until he graduated. He attended Thomas Stone High School where he not only swam but played lacrosse and ran cross country.
Justin attended Saint Vincent College where he studied Anthropology and Psychology. In college he played Rugby as an inside center and wing. After graduating, he found himself curious on what he wanted to pursue and started coaching for Rockfish. He has found that coaching the same team he swam for is more rewarding than swimming on it. Coaching has grown into chasing his Masters degree to teach social studies.
Email Coach Truitt
Assistant Coach - Gold Group
Coach Chris’s swimming career took off when he was thrown off of a dock into the Tybee River in Thuderbolt Georgia at age 5. He learned right then and there that it was either sink or swim, and he chose swim. Since then he joined the US Navy and learned how to out swim the sharks during swim calls.
His coaching career kicked off in 1998 where he coached with the Tsunami Swim Club in Suffolk, Virginia. It was during this tenure that he discovered his passion for coaching and became a lifetime member of The American Swimming Coaches Association. Coach Morgan holds an ASCA level 5 education certification and level 4 competitive swimmer certification. He obtained these certifications during his tenure as Head Coach of Huntingtown High School (2005-2017). During this time he led HHS to three conference championships and four regional titles. Eighteen swimmers were recognized as state champions and eight of those earned new state records in the MPSSAA. Coach Morgan was selected as SMAC Conference Coach of the year in 2008 and 2014.
Founding Head Coach of Kings Landing Swim Team, Huntingtown, MD. Led the team to two divisional championships in the Prince Mont Swim League. KLST was the catalyst in the creation of New Wave.
Coach Chris has a history of motivating good swimmers to reach the next level. While coaching The New Wave Swim Club (2012-2017) the team boasted one third of it’s swimmers qualifying for the MD State Championships, and one fourth of the senior swimmers qualified for Eastern Zone Sectionals in 2015. The team was also well known in the community of Calvert for it’s volunteer efforts with organizations like Farming for Hunger.
In 2017 Coach Morgan Hung up his coaching whistle when he moved his family to St. Mary’s County. But in 2023 the Chesapeake Bay Aquatic Club was in need of coaches so he returned to the pool deck. Coach Morgan joined Rockfish in 2025 and resides in Drayden with his wife Thirza of 35 years. They have 6 children, 8 grandchildren (so far), and 4 Labrador Retrievers.
Email Coach Morgan
Assistant Coach - Gold Group
Justin has a lifelong love of swimming. Starting in summer league swimming at 6 for a few years. He returned to swimming in Texas high school and year-round age group club swimming, where he made states in both, and Jr. Nationals for the Dallas Aquatics Club and Longhorn Aquatics. He swam at the University of Texas, Austin, and was a student coach for the summer swim camp for two years. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy.
During his Navy career, he coached an age-group team for a season in Pensacola, FL, and had the opportunity to compete in swimming and water polo as an exchange officer in the Royal Navy (U.K.) during his three-year tour. Whilst stationed in Nevada, he volunteered as a high school coach at Churchill County High School.
Having served as a Southern Maryland Swim League judge and referee for nearly 10 years, he encouraged his two children in their love of the water and sport. After finishing his Ph.D. in Systems Science, he was invited to become the Gold group assistant coach, where he is very excited to help swimmers reach their potential.
Email Coach Shoger
Assistant Coach - Copper Group
Coach Joanna started swimming at the local pool in Michigan at the ripe old age of 5. As a military brat, she learned how to swim on various teams and made many friends along the way. When her family settled at PAX, she joined the PAX River Dolphins summer team and then SMAC and STAR age group teams. In high school, she was an assistant coach for the Dolphins and later coached for an age group swim club in Mechanicsburg, PA. Meanwhile, she continues to swim laps almost on a daily basis and has been on two masters swim teams. Swimming provides kids many opportunities for making lifelong friendships, lessons in overcoming obstacles and pushing yourself outside the comfort zone. Coach Joanna strives to teach these lessons in every practice while focusing on stroke technique and having fun. Joanna is married with two children who have enjoyed swimming on Rockfish and the local high school teams.
Email Coach Rooney
Assistant Coach
Coach Abby started off her swimming career right here in St. Mary's County! As a beginner, she swam for years on the Elk's Summer Swim Team, before getting convinced to head to the "big leagues" of club swimming. She is a proud Rockfish alumni, having swam on the team all throughout middle and high school, and occasionally joining in for practices after that! In high school, Coach Abby served as a 2x captain and 4 year varsity athlete for the Leonardtown High School Raiders!
Post high school, Coach Abby competed at the NCAA Division 2 level for Frostburg State University. There, she became a 4x Women's Swimming Mountain East Conference Champion, 2x captain, and served as a vital part of the future recruiting processes. This experience provided her with a wealth of knowledge she wants to bring to our athletes.
Throughout all this time, Coach Abby was Head Coach of the Elks Summer Swim Team for 5 years. She was a well known lifeguard and swim instructor throughout the county for various pool systems. Coach Abby is super excited to be moved back to St. Mary's to start her elementary teaching career in 4th grade and for the opportunity to give back to USA swimming and coach for Rockfish, the team that helped her become the athlete she was!
Email Coach Rooney
