THE GRANITE STATE FLASH COACHING STAFF

Sub Bantam & Bantam Teams

Lisa Lambert (Head Coach, Sub-Bantam & Bantam Girls) is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach, and has coached cross country and track & field with the Flash since 2009. Prior to joining the Flash, Lisa served as the long and triple jump coach for the Amherst Recreation Track Club for 4 years. She played field hockey and competed in track & field throughout high school and college (Tufts University), specializing in middle distance and jumping events. She has been running for over twenty years, and has competed in various races, including the Tufts 10K, James Joyce Ramble, and the Boston Marathon. She loves to run recreationally with her husband Brian and Flash daughters Amy and Elise. Lisa currently works for Fidelity Investments in Merrimack, NH. Contact Coach Lisa at Lisa.Lambert@FMR.COM

Justin Platt (Head Coach, Sub-Bantam & 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. Along with his wife Jan, Coach Justin lives in Amherst with his two sons Ben and Ethan, who run for Souhegan High School and Amherst Middle School, in addition to Flash.  Contact Coach Justin at jsplatt@comcast.net

Midget Teams

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. Cathy is the head Merrimack Girls Cross Country Coach.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. In 2010 Cathy again placed 4th at the Boston Maraton runnnng 3:10:04. 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 senior.  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/Youth Boys) is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach. Jim has been coaching with the Flash on some level, since the 2005 season when he assisted with Mike Merra’s midget boy’s team that were crowned National Champs in blizzard conditions at Smithfield, RI. Since then, he has been an assistant coach for two seasons and a head coach for two seasons, only missing the 2008 season because of work demands.  In the two years Jim was head coach, he lead his youth boy’s teams to a 13th and 12th place finish in Spokane, WA and Hoover, AL respectively.  Jim has been an avid runner/ endurance athlete for over 28 years, competing in a variety of distance events and multi-sport competitions. His focus recently has been on ultra road/ trail races, where each year he is racing only 2 to 4 events, but of the marathon distance and longer. In 2010 Jim completed his first Vermont 100 mile Ultra Endurance run. Jim’s son, Michael was a 3-time National Qualifier with the Flash, and his son Matthew, still a current member of Flash, has also qualified and competed at 3 National XC events. Jim and his wife Susanne live in Derry. Contact Coach Jim at jim.robinson4@comcast.net

Youth Teams

Janice Platt (Program Director and Head Coach- Youth Girls) is a USATF Level 1 Certified Coach, Head Coach for the Amherst Middle School cross country program, and a coach for Team in Training. In her first year Coach Jan led her middle school boys team to 4th in the state and her girls to 1st in the state. 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.  SInce 2008 Coach Jan has coached the Youth Girls team to National final appearances, as well as having a runner gain All-American status in 2010. Along with her husband Justin, each summer she directs and coaches a youth running camp in upstate New York. She is a member of and Women's Masters Coach for 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, 2008 and 2010, and in 2009 achieved New Hampshire's Granite Runner status.  She has run 6 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  

Kevin Winship (Assistant Coach, Youth Girls)

Kevin is an avid and dedicated runner. He began as a sophomore in High School and went on to be undefeated in the Massachusetts Tri-Valley league his senior year. He ran for a period at the collegiate level at Fordham University (NY) and finished his first and only Boston Marathon in 1990 with an unofficial time of 2:56:58. Kevin trained his younger brother through the 1986 Foot Locker National Championships. Presently he is training his 4 children, who have earned back-to-back NH Middle School State Individual first place and one second place titles, and have qualified with Granite State Flash eight times for the USATF National Championships where his daughter has attained 3 time All-American status. Kevin has been with Granite State Flash for 5 years assisting the Girls Youth team and is CPR certified. He enjoys working with children and helping them achieve their highest potential through improved running form and strategy.

Curt Fischer (Head Coach, Youth Boys) Curt's athletic passion was ignited in college where he rowed crew for 4 years for a highly ranked Florida Institute of Technology, earning 4 consecutive Southern region championships. He has competed in a few triathlons and bike races but has found his true passion in running. He is an active member of several adult running clubs, competing and scoring in many of the USATF New England and New Hampshire series races. He has run 10 marathons and finally broke the 3 hour barrier this spring on a windy Narragansett course. Curt has run a 50 mile and 53.5 mile ultra-marathon and has his sights set on competing in a 100 mile race next year with his wife. Curt began assistant coaching with Flash during the 2011 Track season. He has four young children who are also a successfull and active part of the Flash family.

Intermediate Teams and Young Adult

Kurt Schulz (Head Coach, Intermediate Boys and Young Men. In his collegiate years Kurt was a 3 time All American at Keene State College, where he still holds the mile record (4:07.5, 1975). Kurt  has coached Cross Country and T&F at Manchester's Memorial High School since 1995, where he coached several Flash runners, some of which became NH Class L Champions. If you would like to contact Coach Kurt he can be reached at k_schulzff@yahoo.com.

Paula Schulz (Head Coach, Intermediate Girls and Young Women). Paula has been the High School Coach at Salem (NH) High School as well as West High School, where she had the opportunity to work closely with Flash runners. She was the New Hampshire Coach of the Year in 2005.