​Briana McCarthy

​Briana, middle child to the core, began synchro at the age of eight, desperate to be like her older sister who was into the sport. Soon, all three McCarthy sisters were dedicated members of Los Angeles Synchro, not only killing it in competitions, but performing at star-studded events in the backyard pools of Rod Stewart, Sally Field, and maybe celebrities of greater fame (she’ll never tell). At the age of 15, Bri appeared in a synchro-themed Japanese shoe ad, which was plastered all over billboards in Tokyo, or so the producers told her. Suffering through a synchro routine in red suede pumps was worth the alleged fame. 

​Bri loved the performance and athletic aspects of synchro, but soon grew tired of spending all her time and money in the pool, and decided to officially call it quits when a dramatic high dive fall left her knee too damaged to continue. She spent her last couple years of true childhood as a “normal” high school student doing just one sport: swimming. She continued to stay connected to synchro as head coach of a local recreational team until she left for college.

About ten years after leaving the sport, Bri began swimming with Tsynchro in 2008 and rediscovered her passion and athletic prowess. She could freakishly remember all her routines from childhood, and to this day, can recite almost every detail of every routine she’s ever swum. Unfortunately, this talent does not extend into other areas of her life.

In 2014, Bri joined the Tsunami coaching staff and helps the team out with choreography, fine tuning, and technical assistance. If Suzanne is the chef AND sous-chef of the team, Bri is the kitchen staff who sprinkles parsley and arranges carrot curls on plates.

Time not spent with the synchro team is mostly taken up by teaching Biology at Los Medanos Community College, open water swimming, hiking, cooking, biking, beer tasting, and doing yoga.

​Suzanne Baker

Suzanne started doing synchronized swimming at the age of six. She spent most of her childhood hanging upside down in vertical, and killing off brain cells by testing the limits of breath holding.
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With her team, the Cincinnati Synchrogators, Suzanne attended a bazillion competitions, all of which happened before the Internet started tracking accomplishments. She placed 3rd in duet and team at Age Group Nationals, won solo and duet at Junior Olympics, and 7th in team at US Nationals. Suzanne retired from synchro at 18, and was quoted saying, “I will never exercise again!”

Ten years later, Suzanne was recruited to coach Tsunami Synchro when the club first started in 2004, and she’s never left. She has led the team to gold medal performances at several IGLA (International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics) competitions and the first synchronized swimming competition to be part of the Gay Games.

When not on deck coaching the country’s only co-ed synchronized swimming team, Suzanne works at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs in their Medical Imaging group. She does whatever it takes to make the MRI and PET pictures look pretty, whether that be Physics or Photoshop.
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She also spends her time hunting fast-moving abalone (but only April-Nov, excluding July), getting into trouble with her golden retriever (threatened to be sued at least 3 times), lending her power-of-persuasion to Planned Parenthood phone banking, swimming, knitting and sleeping.