Barbeau retires; Pratte named head swim coach at Plymouth State

By: Christopher J. Kilmer, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletics Communications

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University Director of Athletics Kim Bownes introduced Tuesday that head males’s and ladies’s swim coach Anne Barbeau has retired and Lisa Pratte has been employed to steer the Panthers’ swim applications.
 
Barbeau led the ladies’s program for the reason that begin of the 2018-19 season and oversaw the boys’s program when it was established in 2020-21. Under her management, the ladies’s program loved probably the most profitable stretches at school historical past. Diver Casey Allaire ’20 earned back-to-back LEC Diver of the Year honors in 2018-19 and 2019-20, whereas Madelin Svetin ’22 grew to become the primary Plymouth State swimmer to win a person LEC championship occasion in 2021-22. Most not too long ago, Olivia Bailey ’26 and rising senior Ollie Kramer (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) mixed for 5 medals on the 2025-26 LEC Championships.
 
On the boys’s aspect, Barbeau coached three swimmers to LEC championship medals, together with convention champions Alex Wasyliko in 2022-23 and Lyden Fogg ’25 in 2023-24. Fogg completed his profession with six championship medals, probably the most by any males’s or ladies’s swimmer in Plymouth State historical past.
 
“Anne has been an outstanding representative of Plymouth State University throughout her time leading our swimming programs,” mentioned Bownes. “She helped elevate the competitiveness of both teams while fostering a culture that emphasized hard work, sportsmanship and personal growth. We’re incredibly grateful for everything she has done for our department and wish her all the best in retirement.”
 
Pratte involves Plymouth State with greater than 20 years of highschool teaching expertise, in addition to teaching expertise on the membership, summer season league, YMCA and Masters ranges. Pratte started her aggressive profession with the Lowell Boys Club earlier than serving as captain of Chelmsford (Mass.) High School’s inaugural ladies’ swim workforce throughout the 1978-79 season. She later competed at Keene State College, the place she was workforce captain throughout her senior season in 1983-84 earlier than graduating with bachelor’s levels in elementary schooling and normal particular schooling.
 
She began her teaching profession as the top coach for the joint Manchester Memorial / Manchester West High School workforce throughout the 1987-88 season and remained within the position for 9 years. She spent 5 seasons with a regional New England swimming workforce, teaching the Manchester coaching group which included a number of qualifiers for Junior National Championships. Most not too long ago, Pratte spent 12 seasons as an assistant at Bedford High School from 2010-15 and once more from 2019-26, serving to the Bulldogs seize 14 NHIAA state championships between the boys’ and ladies’ applications.
 
Along the best way, Pratte continued her schooling, incomes a grasp’s diploma in particular schooling from Notre Dame College and extra particular schooling certifications from Plymouth State and the University of New Hampshire. She has spent 26 years as a particular schooling trainer, together with 25 years at the highschool stage.
 
“I am incredibly honored and excited to take on the role of head swimming and diving coach at Plymouth State University,” mentioned Pratte. “We will continue to honor the values and culture that make this program special while pushing ourselves toward new levels of swimming and diving success in the Little East Conference and beyond. I look forward to working with our talented student-athletes and connecting with our alumni as we enter this next chapter of Panther swimming and diving!”
 
“Lisa brings a tremendous amount of experience, energy and passion for the sport to Plymouth State,” mentioned Bownes. “She has a proven track record of developing swimmers and building successful programs, and just as importantly, she understands the importance of creating a positive environment where student-athletes can thrive. We are excited to welcome her to our Panther family.”
 
Plymouth State kicks off the 2026-27 season with an exhibition on the Keene Pentathlon on Oct. 10, earlier than opening the common season on the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Oct. 24.
 
 
 

– 30 –