THE GRANITE STATE FLASH COACHING STAFF

Bantam Teams (Born 1999 & later)

Lisa Lambert (Head Coach, Bantam Girls) is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach, and has assisted in coaching track and field for the Amherst Recreation Track Club for the past four years.   She has coached 3 National Jr. Olympic qualifiers, 1 Regional Jr. Olympic champion, 13 Regional Jr. Olympic qualifiers, and 2 New England Jr. Olympic champions in the long jump from 2007 - 2009.  She also assisted in coaching the Bantam Girls' 4x100m relay team, which qualified for the National Jr. Olympics in 2008.  She has been with the Flash for the past three seasons, and this is her first year as coach.  Lisa played field hockey and competed in track and field throughout high school and college (Tufts University).  She specialized in middle distance and jumping events.  Lisa earned all-ECAC honors in the 600m and captained the track team while at Tufts.  She has been running for over twenty years, and has competed in various races in Massachusetts, including the Tufts 10K, James Joyce Ramble, and the 101st Boston Marathon.  She loves to run recreationally with her husband Brian and Flash daughters Amy and Elise.  Lisa currently works as a Senior Information Analyst for Fidelity Investments in Merrimack, NH. Contact Coach Lisa at Lisa.Lambert@FMR.COM

Mary Ann Dempsey (Assistant Coach, Bantam Girls) is entering her third season coaching the Bantam Girls and Boys with Granite State Flash. She formerly coached both cross-country and track & field at St. Joseph's Regional Junior High School. Mary Ann enjoys long distance running and has run two marathons (Hyannis and Disneyworld), and over ten half marathons. She has also completed two sprint triathlons (Timberman). Mary Ann is a litigation partner at the law firm of Wiggin & Nourie in Manchester, NH.

Justin Platt (Head Coach, Bantam Boys) is a USATF Level 1 Coach candidate, and has been Team Photographer for Flash since 2004.  He is a coach of the Flash summer track distance runners, and has substituted as coach for cross-country practices and meets when called on. He has been a parent volunteer for the Amhers Middle School cross-country team, as both meet photographer and running parent at practices. Each year he and his wife Jan direct and coach a popular and successful youth running camp in upstate New York. Previously he has been a wear tester for the Saucony brand of running shoes. He is an active member of the Nashua, NH- based Gate City Striders, competing and scoring in many of the USATF New England and New Hampshire series races.  He has completed three marathons, six half marathons, as well as many races between 5K and 10 miles. He is also an avid road cyclist, raising in excess of $3,000 over the last three years for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and completing 4 century (100+ miles) rides averaging 17+ mph. Along with his wife Jan, Coach Justin lives in Amherst with his two sons Ben and Ethan, who both run for Amherst Middle School as well as Flash.  Contact Coach Justin at jsplatt@comcast.net

Midget Teams (Born 1997-1998)

Cathy Merra (Head Coach, Midget Girls)   is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach and one of the founders of both the Granite State Flash and the Amherst Middle School cross country and outdoor track & field programs.  In 2005 she became boys & girls assistant indoor and outdoor track & field coach at Souhegan High School. Over the past ten years five of her runners have won individual state cross country titles and sixteen have finished in the top 10 of their respective age divisions.  Her 2005 midget girls team won the National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship. In 2007 the Souhegan High track team won its first ever state championship.  She has lived in New Hampshire since 1985 and is a member of the Gate City Striders and a supporter of the Strider's Fitness University program. Cathy is currently one of the top masters division runners in New England. She holds New Hampshire State age group records in the 5k, 6K, 10K, half marathon and on May 17, 2008 set a National Age Group Record in the 12K.  At the Peak Performance Maine Marathon on October 5, 2008 (her first marathon) she won the Women's Master Division (4th woman overall) in a time of 3:16:37 qualifying for the Boston Marathon 54 minutes under the qualifying standard.  She was named RRCA Northeast Region Masters Marathon Champion. At the 2009 Boston Marathon she finished 4th overall in the women’s 50-54 year old age category in a time of 3:11:59.  Cathy’s sons Christopher and Anthony participated in the Flash and Anthony now competes at the collegiate level for Columbia University where he is a junior.  Coach Merra can be contacted at CMerra@comcast.net

Mike DeChane (Head Coach, Midget Boys) is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach, having coached the last two seasons with Flash as well as coaching experience at the high school level. In his first year with Flash he assisted Coach Jan Platt with the Bantam Boys team, which earned 5th at the 2007 Nationals in Lawrence, Kansas. In December 2008, Mike coached the Midget Boys team to 9th in the Richmond, Virginia National meet.  Mike has been running for over thirty years, completed in National Championships and has won many races in the Greater Merrimack Valley area. His wife Doreen and himself are very busy and are actively involved with their three sons. Myles competes for his high school in cross country and track, Kyle plays for the school soccer team and baseball in both AAU and GSBA teams, and Tyler runs for his junior high school and as a member of Flash. His love of running has allowed him to be involve with the product development of athletic footwear for the last 29 years, and he currently works for New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. Contact Coach DeChane at michael.dechane @newbalance.com or mdechane@gmail.com

Jim Robinson (Assistant Coach, Midget Boys) is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach, returning this year after having coached with the Flash from 2005 to 2007. In 2005, Jim assisted with the Midget Boy’s team, earning a 14th place and a 1st place team finish at the National Championships in Smithfield, RI. In 2006, Jim became the Head Coach for the Youth Boy’s team. The team finished 13th in a strong field of 20 teams at the National Championship in Spokane, WA. In 2007, Jim was an assistant with the boy’s teams throughout the Flash season. Jim has been an avid runner for over 25 years, competing in events from 1 mile to 50 mile trail runs. This summer, Jim and his older son Michael- a 3 season Flash runner and a member of the 2005 National Champion Boy’s Midget team- both achieved the status of USATF-NE Mountain Goat by completing 6 mountain races in 7 weeks. His younger son Matthew is in his 3rd year as a Flash member and also competes in XC and Track at his middle school. Jim and his wife Susanne live in Derry, and are kept busy “running around” trying to keep up with all the boy’s activities. Jim is employed as an Assistant Controller at Sterling Corp. in Billerica, MA. Contact Coach Jim at jim.robinson4@comcast.net

Youth Teams (Born 1995-1996)

Janice Platt (Program Director and Head Coach- Youth Girls) is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach and serves as the assistant coach for the Amherst Middle School cross country program. Coach Jan was head coach for the Flash Bantam Boys team from 2003 to 2008. In 2005 the Bantam Boys captured the bronze medal at the Nationals in Smithfield, RI.  Along with her husband Justin, each summer she directs and coaches a youth running camp in upstate New York. She is a member of Gate City Striders and helps coach their Fitness Unitversty program.  One of only a few dozen women in New England, she achieved USATF Iron Runner status in 2007 and 2008, and in 2009 achieved New Hampshire's Granite Runner status.  She has run 5 marathons, qualifying and running the Boston Marathon twice. Along with Justin, Coach Jan lives in Amherst with her two sons Ben and Ethan, who both run for Amherst Middle School as well as Flash.  Coach Platt Contact Coach Jan at coachplatt@comcast.net  

Mike Merra (Head Coach, Youth Boys) is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach and one of the founders of the Granite State Flash.  He has coached youth cross country for many years including coaching cross country and track & field in the Manchester and Nashua school systems.  He has coached both youth and midget levels for the Flash and his midget boys teams won successive National Junior Olympic team titles in 2005 (Smithfield, Rhode Island) and 2006 (Spokane, Washington). Coach Mike’s youth boys captured the bronze medal at the Nationals in Lawrence, Kansas (2007) and in December 2008 won the National Championship in Richmond, Virginia.  He is also an avid runner having competed in five marathons (including two Boston Marathons) and numerous local road races and recently re-qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:07 at the 2009 Steamtown Marathon held in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His wife Cathy is a top area masters runner and also a founder of the Flash and his sons Christopher and Anthony participated in the Flash. Anthony now competes for Columbia University.  He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a practicing attorney at Merra & Kanakis in Nashua, N.H. www.mklawnh.com  Coach Merra  can be contacted at m.merra@gmail.com

Rick Collopy (Assistant Coach, Youth Boys) is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach, having served as an assistant coach to Mike Merra and the Youth Boys team for the past two seasons.  In those two years, the Youth Boys team earned a 3rd place finish at the 2007 Nationals in Lawrence, Kansas and a 1st place finish at the 2008 Nationals in Richmond, Virginia.  Rick has been running for over 30 years and enjoys competing in races ranging in distance from 5K to marathons.  In the past year he has run two marathons (Steamtown in Scranton, PA and Boston) along with several other longer distance races. Rick lives in Durham, NH with his wife Kate and their six children. Their youngest son Jack was a four season Flash member, earning National All-American status four times and helping his teams earn three National Championships. Jack currently runs cross country and track for Oyster River high school .  Contact Coach Rick at rscollopy@gmail.com.

Annie Quinn (Assistant Coach) is new this year to Granite State Flash and got involved through her brother, Brett, who runs for Flash.  She has been running since high school, when she discovered her love for long distances.  She has run in 3 marathons, including Hyannis, NYC, and Chicago, and over a dozen half-marathons.  Annie recently graduated from the University of New Hampshire with her master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology and currently works at a charter school in Lowell, MA.  If you would like to contact Annie, she can be reached at anniequinn@gmail.com.   

Intermediate Teams (Born 1993-1994)

Kurt Schulz (Head Coach, Intermediate Boys and Girls)