The Dolphins went undefeated in the TCSPA C Division in 2018 and will compete in B Division next year, the highest division the team has reached in decades.
The Willowdale Dolphins swim team in Cherry Hill finds itself somewhere it hasn’t been for a very long time.
Willowdale wrapped up a perfect season over the weekend of July 21 as the Dolphins defeated Greenwood Park, 340–214, in their final meet to clinch the Tri-County Swimming Pool Association’s C Division title. The first-place finish means Willowdale will compete in TCSPA’s B Division next year, something the team hasn’t done in more than 20 years.
The C Division title is the culmination of years of hard work from the athletes, coaching staff and Willowdale community. The team has seen incremental improvement since head coach Ryan Fish took over the team in 2013.
The year before Fish became head coach at Willowdale, the Dolphins went 0–5 in the TCSPA’s D Division in 2012. In the TCSPA, there are six divisions, A through F, with the top programs competing in A Division. At the end of each regular season, the first place team in each division is promoted up one division and the last place team is demoted down a division. Willowdale’s 0–5 mark in 2012 dropped the team to E Division for 2013.
Fish and his friend, Alex Soult, were co-head coaches at Willowdale for their first three seasons with program. The pair had swum together at the now-defunct Westwood Swim Club in Mt. Holly and brought a ton of enthusiasm to Willowdale.
“We had a coach who just brought a lot of enthusiasm to the sport,” Fish said of when he and Soult were younger. “That reflected on us.”
Six seasons ago, Willowdale had about 75 swimmers on the team and Fish felt there was plenty of talent, especially among the relay teams. However, to be even more successful, Fish wanted to build a strong developmental program beginning with the club’s youngest swimmers. Much of the recruiting came from the coaching staff reaching out to swim club members with young kids who were just getting their start in the pool.
“It’s a great community at Willowdale,” Fish said. “Every year, we have new families and new people who are interested in swimming.”
Since 2013, Willowdale has improved a bit each year. The Dolphins won the E Division in 2013, the D Division in 2014 and have clawed their way up the C Division standings the past four years.
This season, Willowdale had to contend with nearby rival Woodcrest Swim Club in C Division. The Dolphins edged out Woodcrest, 290–264, in an early July dual meet. That meet would end up deciding the division title.
“My coaching staff is passionate about improving the kids,” Fish said. “I have families who are getting involved and excited about watching their kids swim and excited about watching the other kids swim.”
Willowdale’s success this season is apparent in the number of swimmers who are topping the TCSPA’s times list. Numerous Willowdale swimmers qualified for multiple events at the upcoming Tri-County Swimming Championships on Aug. 4, including Josh Seidman, who has Tri-County’s best time in the 13–14 50-meter backstroke this season and Erin Cortes, who has Tri-County’s second-best time in both the 50-meter freestyle and 25-meter backstroke. In addition, Willowdale’s boys 13–14 200 freestyle and medley relay teams put up the fastest times in all of South Jersey this season and will be going for gold at the season-ending championships.
Next year will be the first time Willowdale will compete in B Division in at least a couple of decades and it has brought an air of excitement to the swim club. Even though the 2018 season is just wrapping up, anticipation is already building at Willowdale for 2019.
“You’re putting yourself in that higher tier of Tri-County. It’s a big step for your club,” Fish said. “The kids are excited. The parents can’t believe it. As coaches, we’re already starting to think about next year.”
