Leighann Day, Owner and Co-Founder
Leighann Marcelliano Day is the owner of North Jersey Aquatics. She was an age group swimmer in NJ, specializing in butterfly and individual medley events. She swam for The Pennsylvania State University and the College of Saint Elizabeth, where she was named MVP for 3 seasons and still holds school records in multiple events.
Leighann has been coaching swimming for the past 25+ years. During college, she was the Head Age Group Coach at the Madison Area YMCA. In 2003 she joined the Elite Swim Club, where she was named Head Age Group Coach. During her tenure there, the 12-under program placed 1st at NJ Junior Olympics in 2009, and the team improved from 22nd to 4th at Junior Olympics in 7 years. The success of the age group program led to her nomination for NJ Age Group Coach of the Year in 2009.
Leighann opened her first swim school in 2007. She developed all levels of athletes, including many sectional level swimmers from 2007-2009. In 2009, she moved to Birmingham, Alabama. While there she reopened her swim school as a learn to swim program with the mission to help decrease childhood drowning in Alabama. Within two years, this program enrolled over 100 swimmers ages 2-10.
In 2009, Leighann was named to the Auburn University Swim Camp Coaching Staff, where she worked under Auburn Head Coach Brett Hawke and Olympian Rowdy Gaines. While at Auburn, she was the only assistant coach appointed as a stroke technique session leader. In this role, she planned and led sessions for all 400 campers, coaching alongside Rowdy Gaines.
Leighann is a certified K-8 teacher. From 2002-2007 she held positions in Kindergarten, 4th grade, middle school, elementary computers, gifted and talented, and basic skills. In 2007, she became the Assistant Athletic Director for the Morristown Beard School. While at Morristown Beard Leighann was also the Head Varsity Swim Coach for 4 years and Pool Director. As head coach, she improved the NJSIAA team record from 1-9 to 10-1 in 4 seasons.
Today, Leighann and her husband reside in Morris County and she is the proud mother of two children. She is an avid member of her community and works with many committees to bring other moms and women business owners together. Leighann is a business coach for other small local businesses.
Barbara Huey, Head of Competitive Aquatics
Barbara is excited to be a part of the NJAC team of coaches and instructors. Barbara most recently served as the Practice Manager of a primary care medical office for 13 years, however, has wanted to return to the swimming community full time. In the Fall of 2022, she started back on the pool deck regularly as a part time men’s & women’s assistant swim coach at
Lafayette College, in Easton, PA. Her other coaching positions include 11 years as Competitive Aquatics Director at the Hunterdon County YMCA in Flemington, NJ, where she trained novice to national level swimmers. She also coached at Summit YMCA, in Summit NJ, which is where she started her own swimming career and competed at YMCA Nationals for 4 years.
She coached at the collegiate level at Union College in 1995 as well as at the University of Miami
from 1993-1995. She served as Graduate Assistant Swim Coach at North Carolina State
University from 1991-1993 where she earned her Masters degree in Parks, Recreation &
Tourism Management with an emphasis in Sport Management/Sport Psychology. She received
her Bachelors in Individual & Family Studies with an emphasis in Business at The Pennsylvania
State University, where she also competed as a student athlete. She is the proud mom of two
adult sons, Erik and Sam.
