Meet Our Coaches

Coach Petracco is a former Division I cross country/track runner at American University. After sustaining an injury that shifted her path, she turned to coaching, channeling her knowledge and love for the sport into developing student-athletes. Since 2021, Coach Petracco has served as the Head Coach of Cross Country, Winter Track, and Spring Track at West Essex High School, where she has built a reputation for creating a supportive, team-first environment. 

Her coaching philosophy centers on building strong interpersonal relationships and fostering an environment where athletes can grow and thrive. Coach Petracco is thrilled to join the coaching staff at Kent Place and is excited to continue empowering young athletes to grow, compete, and achieve their personal bests — on the course, on the track, and in life. 

Contact: petraccof@kentplace.org

Kerrie Burns is entering her fourth season as head coach, bringing a wealth of experience from both international and Division I collegiate play. Originally from Northern Ireland, Kerrie has represented Ireland at the U18 national level and has coached and competed locally and abroad.

Before joining Kent Place, Kerrie spent five years at Rutgers University, where she was a standout member of the Division I field hockey team. In the fall of 2021, she played a pivotal role in helping Rutgers secure the Big Ten Championship title and was named MVP of the Big Ten Championship Tournament.

In addition to her role at Kent Place, Kerrie coaches with Mid-Jersey Knights FHC and USA NEXUS, where she continues to mentor and develop young athletes. She is passionate about guiding student-athletes who aspire to compete at the collegiate level, while also fostering a love for the game among newcomers.

Contact: burnsk@kentplace.org

Coach Erica began her coaching career at KPS as the Head JV Soccer Coach in 2019 and transitioned to the Varsity Assistant Coach role in 2021. During the winter and spring seasons, Coach Erica is the Assistant Varsity Coach for Track, helping mainly with jumpers and hurdlers. Coach Erica graduated from Morris Knolls High School as a three-sport athlete participating in soccer, and indoor and outdoor track. She then went on to play Division II soccer at Felician University as a starting outside full-back. She received All-Academic CACC Honors and graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Coach Erica continued her educational career at Montclair State University, receiving a master’s in clinical child psychology and school psychology certification. She currently works as a school psychologist in the Millburn-Short Hills school district.

Contact: evanse@kentplace.org

Coach Dave Phimsipasom has been a part of the Kent Place Tennis program since 2009. Under his leadership, the Dragons have earned multiple titles, including Union County Championships (2016–2024), NJSIAA Team State Championships in 2017 and 2019, and a runner-up finish in the 2020 NJSIAA Regional State Championship. He has also guided players to outstanding individual success, including three top-8 finishes at the NJSIAA Individual State Tournament and the program’s first-ever doubles state championship.

In addition to tennis, Coach Dave serves as Co-Head Coach for the Kent Place Squash team, bringing his passion for racquet sports to multiple programs. Beyond campus, he is the Head Professional at Glen Ridge Country Club and remains an active figure in the local tennis community. He is certified through the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR) and continues to expand his expertise across emerging racquet sports, including pickleball, paddle, squash, and padel.

Contact: phimsipasomd@kentplace.org

Coach Arjona brings a decade and a half of volleyball excellence, consistently building successful programs and developing skilled athletes. A USA Volleyball CAP I Trained coach with knowledge of Gold Medal Squared, Coach Arjona’s impact on the court is clear through his impressive track record.

He recently served as the Varsity Boys Head Coach at Millburn High School, where he led the team to become the 2025 Essex County Volleyball Champions and reach the Group 3 North Section Finals. This past season, the Millburn Boys achieved a historic milestone, breaking into the Top 20 for the first time. His tenure at Millburn also includes six seasons coaching Girls JV Volleyball, consistently producing winning records, and leading the Girls Freshman Team to an undefeated season in 2016. Additionally, he coached the Boys JV team for four seasons and successfully guided Millburn's JV/Freshman summer teams in the Crush Volleyball Summer Leagues to Bronze, Silver, and an undefeated League Championship. Prior to his current role, Coach Arjona served as the Varsity Coach at Arthur L. Johnson High School for seven years, where he notably won the Valley Division of Union County in 2019. 

Beyond high school athletics, Coach Arjona's expertise extends to club and high-performance settings. He coached for Impact NJ Girls Volleyball Club for four seasons and was a valuable member of the Garden Empire Volleyball Association (GEVA) High Performance Coaching Staff in both 2017 and 2018. His extensive experience also includes coaching with various other volleyball organizations throughout New York City and New Jersey over the past 15 years. 

Outside of volleyball,  Coach Arjona is a full-time dance educator at Millburn High School and an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts, holding a Master's in Dance Education from NYU. 

Contact: arjonaa@kentplace.org

Coach Sudberg is excited to begin his third season as Head Coach of Varsity Basketball at Kent Place. Coach Sudberg brings a wealth of experience to this position. Over the past two seasons, he has focused on building a culture centered around team support, hard work, resilience, and accountability. Under his leadership, the Dragons have achieved the most wins since the 2018-2019 season.

Currently, Coach Sudberg works as a physical education teacher in New Providence, where he also coaches varsity football and serves as the head coach of the girls' varsity golf team. Prior to that, he spent eight years as a physical education teacher at Stevens Cooperative School, where he coached both the boys' and girls' championship-winning basketball teams.

Coach Sudberg played Division I baseball at Long Island University in Brooklyn before transferring to the University of Arizona to pursue his teaching degree. He is passionate about motivating student-athletes to reach their full potential and strives to develop leaders both on and off the court.

Contact: Sudbergm@kentplace.org

Kent Place welcomes Coach Tristan Decker as the new Head Varsity Fencing Coach. With a decade of high-level fencing experience, Coach Decker brings a true passion for both teaching and continuous learning to his role. His competitive background is extensive: he was a former Division I starter for NJIT and remains a consistent USFA national fencer, having earned his first A rating at the age of 16. Coach Decker has several years of valuable assistant coaching experience gained at both Kids Can Fence and Medeo Fencing Club. Coach Decker is a firm believer in a holistic approach to proper training, focusing on creating a fun yet challenging training experience designed to help student athletes take the next step in their fencing careers. Coach Decker encourages open conversations with his student athletes and their parents to ensure everyone understands the full scope of personal and athletic growth that the sport of fencing offers. Coach Decker is excited to bring his perspective to Kent Place and help all students reach their goals.

Contact: Deckert@kentplace.org
 

Coach Wujek has been with the Kent Place Ice Hockey team since 2017.  In his first season the team won the inaugural MUGHIL Championship against a tough Chatham team as well as the Summit cup.  Coach Wujek has also been successful outside of KPS, as one of the few girls’ coaches in NJ since 2001, winning the GAL. Long time Montclair Blues coach as well winning  NJYHL boys States, Silver Sticks tourney, and many more.  As a USA Hockey Atlantic District Associate Coach in Chief, and member of USA Hockey’s coaching education program for the last ten years. Wujek has enjoyed educating coaches around the country in the values a coach can teach through this great sport.  Over his career Coach Wujek has taught; Learn to Skate, Hockey Development, Mites, Squirts, Peewee, Bantam, Midgets, HS and Adult, girls and boys, House and Travel, etc.... (However, I’m still looking for that NHL position). USA hockey certification- Lifetime Level 5 attained in 2005, 2013 awarded a trip to Minnesota USA Hockey Advanced Girls Clinic, USA Hockey Coaching Instructor, USA Hockey instructor for Philadelphia Blind Hockey Clinic, USA Hockey Sled hockey championship representative.

Contact: Wujekm@kentplace.org

Geoff Mitchell runs Mitchellsquash and is the head squash profession at the Chatham Club.  Geoff was ranked #1 in the US over 45 in 2010/2011.  He finished 2nd. in the world over 30’s, has reached the US national semifinals in his age group several times and has been ranked as high as #1 in his age group in the US.  As a former squash professional himself, with national and world rankings he has developed hundreds of juniors to play intercollegiate squash as well as lead successful juniors to US National titles and rankings. His students have competed on US National teams for the world juniors as well as the Pan American Games.  Geoff coached the USA Bu19’s at the 2015 British Open and is currently the head regional squash coach for the NJ, NY junior squads.  For the past three years Geoff Mitchell has been the chairman of the board of StreetSquash Newark, a non-profit after-school youth enrichment program that provides intensive academic support, squash instruction, one-on-one mentoring, service learning, college access and preparation, and professional development for young people from adolescence through college graduation.  Geoff was awarded the United States Olympic Committee National Coach of the Year Award in 2016.

Contact: Mitchellg@kentplace.org

​​We are delighted to announce and welcome back Coach MacCornack to the Kent Place Squash community as the Co-Head Varsity Coach. Coach MacCornack has been a true inspiration and trailblazer in the Kent Place squash program, and we are thrilled to have her back!

Coach MacCornack has been playing squash for most of her life. She began playing competitively after college in New York City, where she competed on the city's Howe Cup team.

Coach MacCornack has been coaching for over 25 years, including 12 seasons at KPS. She took a hiatus from coaching to fulfill more academic responsibilities, but is happy to be back on court with the dragons. Coach MacCornack reminds us that squash is a lifelong sport that can be played anywhere in the world.

Contact: maccornackk@kentplace.org

Marlene Curtis has been coaching at Kent Place since 2021. Marlene has been involved in coaching or teaching swimming for 25 + years. She continues to coach at Berkeley Aquatic Club during the year.  In addition to coaching Marlene has taught at Kean University for 36 years in the Health and Human Performance Department. During the summer months she keeps busy as the Pool Director and Head Swim Team Coach at Echo Lake Country Club. Marlene also serves on the NJ Swimming Board of Directors as the Registration Chair and Safe Sport Chair. This past season was an exciting season as Kent Place made it to the second round of the state tournament.

Contact: Curtism@kentplace.org

Coach Petracco is a former Division I cross country/track runner at American University. After sustaining an injury that shifted her path, she turned to coaching, channeling her knowledge and love for the sport into developing student-athletes. Since 2021, Coach Petracco has served as the Head Coach of Cross Country, Winter Track, and Spring Track at West Essex High School, where she has built a reputation for creating a supportive, team-first environment. 

Her coaching philosophy centers on building strong interpersonal relationships and fostering an environment where athletes can grow and thrive. Coach Petracco is thrilled to join the coaching staff at Kent Place and is excited to continue empowering young athletes to grow, compete, and achieve their personal bests — on the course, on the track, and in life. 

Contact: petraccof@kentplace.org

Ashley Quinn took the reins of the Kent Place lacrosse program in the spring of 2017. Since then, she has steadily grown the program, coaching both the Middle School and Upper School teams. Coach Quinn is driven by her experience as a Division I player at Loyola University, and her coaching philosophy is influenced heavily by her late coach, Diane Aikens. She believes in the value of hard work, commitment and dedication in order to develop leaders on and off the field. Prior to Kent Place, Coach Quinn coached at Stevens Institute of Technology, STEPS Lacrosse, and for various youth programs. She is also a certified yoga instructor, influencing the value placed on developing the whole student-athlete. Since her arrival, the programs have grown in size and their ability to compete, bringing home an undefeated Conference Championship in 2022.

Contact: quinna@kentplace.org

As a previous assistant high school flag coach and coach with USA Football and NFL 60 organization, Coach Ransom is a dedicated flag and football coach with a strong background in player development, game strategy, and team leadership. A former collegiate football athlete, Coach Ransom brings years of hands-on experience to every role, having worked at various high schools in both female and male sports programs to inspire players and elevate team performance. Coach Ransom is known for fostering positive team cultures and developing winning strategies. He has a proven ability to motivate athletes to excel both on and off the field.

Contact: ransomd@kentplace.org

Contact: torresj@kentplace.org

With over six years of playing experience and two years dedicated to coaching, Tom brings a well-rounded and passionate approach to golf instruction. Known for creating a supportive and motivating environment, he helps players of all levels refine their skills, improve their mental game, and build confidence on and off the course.

In addition to coaching, Tom has hands-on experience in tournament organization, offering unique insights into competitive play and course strategy.

Contact: montesiont@kentplace.org

Bio coming soon.

stevensonm@kentplace.org

Coach Petracco is a former Division I cross country/track runner at American University. After sustaining an injury that shifted her path, she turned to coaching, channeling her knowledge and love for the sport into developing student-athletes. Since 2021, Coach Petracco has served as the Head Coach of Cross Country, Winter Track, and Spring Track at West Essex High School, where she has built a reputation for creating a supportive, team-first environment. 

Her coaching philosophy centers on building strong interpersonal relationships and fostering an environment where athletes can grow and thrive. Coach Petracco is thrilled to join the coaching staff at Kent Place and is excited to continue empowering young athletes to grow, compete, and achieve their personal bests — on the course, on the track, and in life. 

Contact: petraccof@kentplace.org