Coach Jackson was born and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he competed for the Council Bluffs Swim Club. He was a two-time IHSAA state champion (100- and 200-yard freestyle), two-time NISCAA Automatic All-American, three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, and three-time Midwestern LSC Swimmer of the Year. Jackson went on to compete for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes in college, where he competed at the Big Ten championships. During his time as a Hawkeye, he achieved two top-ten Iowa all-time top performances in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly, in addition to being a part of a school record in the 800 freestyle relay. Jackson earned his bachelor's degree in Sport and Recreation Management in the summer of 2021. He also earned his master's degree in the same field of study in the winter of 2022.

Coach Jackson accepted the position as Head Coach of the Linn-Mar Swim Team in August of 2022. In his tenure, he has been the Lead Coach for the Gold, Platinum, and Diamond practice groups. During his time, he has coached multiple All Star and Zones qualifiers, IASI championship high point winners, and top ten swims in the country. Jackson has served in leadership roles across the Iowa Swimming LSC, serving as a coach at the Central Zones Championships and at the Inaugural Iowa Senior Altitude Select Swimming Camp at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and as a member of the Senior Swim Coaches' Committee. Prior to his time at LMST, Jackson coached at the Council Bluffs Swim Club, the Iowa Flyers Swim Club, and at the Iowa Hawkeye Swim Camp.

Jackson currently resides in North Liberty with his wife, Alleyna, who also swam for the University of Iowa, and his Miniature Schnauzer named Boots.

This coach is awesome!

Ozgur (Oz) Celik brings over 25 years of coaching experience and expertise in sports physiology to the Linn-Mar Swim Team. He holds a Ph.D. in Sports Physiology and has trained with world-class coaches such as Bob Bowman, Dimitri Mancevic, Stefano Nurra, and Peter Mankoc, coaching athletes across Turkey, Japan, and the United States, giving him a truly global perspective on athlete development.

Before LMST, Oz was Head Coach of the METU Sharks in Turkey, guiding swimmers to national-level success. He also completed an intensive coaching practicum at NBAC under Bob Bowman, working with elite athletes including Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt, and Jessica Long. At NBAC and other international programs, Oz coached swimmers across a wide spectrum—from high-performance Olympic-level athletes to groups equivalent to today’s Diamond Group at LMST—giving him extensive experience across all stages of competitive swimming. He also spent a year as a visiting scholar at the University of Delaware, volunteering as a swim coach and contributing to the university’s swimming program.

A former triathlon national team athlete, Oz represented Turkey at the European Championship and twice at the World Universities Championship, and he still enjoys local triathlons when time allows.

Oz’s coaching philosophy emphasizes discipline, teamwork, and Long-Term Athlete Development. He currently leads the Diamond Group in the Train-to-Train phase, focusing on increasing swimmers’ tolerance for longer, more intense, and higher-quality practices. This phase builds endurance, technique, and resilience, helping athletes approach challenging workouts with confidence.

Outside the pool, Oz loves spending time with his wife and three daughters, skiing, gravel cycling, and exploring new countries and cultures. While his wife moved to Iowa for her job at Collins Aerospace, Oz and his family have fallen in love with Iowa and the Linn-Mar community, embracing it with energy and enthusiasm. He is passionate about helping swimmers develop as athletes and individuals, combining fun, motivation, and growth in practices.

This coach is awesome!

Coach Julia began swimming at the old Downtown Y pool at 6 months old. One of her first memories is jumping off the diving board into her mother’s arms and swimming down to join the Waterbabies class. The rest of her youth was spent at the pool(s), swimming and synchronized swimming.     

Coach Julia graduated from Linn Mar HS in 1992. Vowing to escape the snow forever, she fled to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. At USC she was in Thematic Option (General Ed Honors,) Omicron Delta Epsilon, URSC, and was President of the Academic Honors Assembly. Coach Julia graduated in 1996, cum laude with a BA in International Relations and a BA in Economics. She was named to the Order of Troy at USC. In 1998 Julia graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a Masters of Economic Science in International Relations. She speaks German, and some French.   

Julia has taught swimming for many years. She began officially coaching club swim in 2016 with Cedar Rapids Aquatics Association, later Eastern Iowa Swimming Federation. Since 2021 she has been coaching at LMST. She took over as Silver Lead Coach in May 2022.   

Julia is married to Jim Wittnebel. Jim can often be found at the timing table as an AO. They have three sons: Alex, Peter and Greg. Besides club swim, the entire family is involved with Scouting. Julia, Jim, Alex and Peter are all Open Water PADI certified scuba divers.   

This coach is awesome!

This coach is awesome!

This coach is awesome!