It’s hard to believe that there was a time when St. X swimming didn’t win a state championship, but there was.
Some people may think the history of the program has always been victorious. In fact, when Coach Todd Larkin, Class of ’86, was swimming for the Tigers, the team never won a state title.
Dr. Reid Brown, Class of ’90, and Mr. Schuyler John, Class of ’93, shared their experiences from the Tiger swim team. As pioneers of the record-breaking streak, this nationally ranked program means a lot to them.
“Prior to my arrival in 1990, there was some strong competition between a few other schools to capture state year in and year out,” John said. “It was not a given that state would be won by St. X. That feeling of uncertainty & competition was incredible leading into the state meet.”
The previous alumni have made a profound impact on the program. The current winning streak has been occurring since Ronald Reagan was president.
“I take tremendous pride in being a part of the team that started the nation’s longest high school sports winning streak,” Brown said. “I still remember the ’89 championship like it was yesterday. The painfully close loss in ’88 was still fresh in our minds, and it was not a foregone conclusion that we would win in ’89.”
Both Brown and John emphasized the brotherhood on the swim team. Club swimming was also the foundation for these friendships built during their four years at St. X.
“A lot of the swimmers had deep personal relationships due to club swimming in the 80s & 90s,” John said. “Swimmers spend a ton of time in the water at many practices each week, 11.5 months a year. That bond carried over to the high school team. As I said before, competing at state with your St. X teammates was a feeling like no other in club swimming. Club swimming usually boiled down to your personal times & achievements.”
The St. X swim team created a band of brothers that was unmatched in club or collegiate teams.
“One thing that was clear in my time and I know it’s still clear, is that when you put that St. X swim suit on, you were all an equal and important part of the team,” Brown said. “I remember the passion and intensity of those meets, and it was greater than anything I had experienced in my career through USA swimming or in collegiate swimming. You weren’t swimming for yourself; you were swimming for St. X, which allowed you to achieve what you thought wasn’t possible.”
Over the course of the streak, the Tigers have continued to perform at the highest level. One of the most notable alumni is Clark Burckle, who competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. Swimmers like Burckle are a testament to the hard work and dedication in the pool.
With the current leadership of Coach Todd Larkin, the Tiger swim team continues to raise the bar every season. He emphasizes the importance of the ‘big picture.’ Larkin is always motivating his swimmers and continuing the legacy of the best program in the state.
Brown and John have been proud alumni watching the Tigers excel under the leadership of Coach Larkin. “When Coach Larkin took over, it was like adding gas to the fire,” Brown said. “He has taken the program to heights never imagined.”
