“Swim Stars Unite: The Exciting Debut of the Alumni Splash at SH Pool!”

The atmosphere at the Sweet Home swimming pool on Friday, Dec. 27, was quite typical, in several regards.

Members of the swim team gathered along the deck, where their team bench is situated. Friends and family occupied the stands. Sweet Home coaches were seated in their camp chairs close to the starting blocks.

However, the rivals weren’t another high school this time. Instead, they were all former Huskies, gathering for the first-ever Alumni Meet.

At least 26 participants, from last year’s graduates to someone who graduated in 1976.

Head Coach A Jay Bronson noted that his team conceptualized the idea of a competition pairing alumni with his current team while planning the season for the Huskies.

“We were seeking a fun competition to host,” Bronson expressed. “During the Christmas break, we engage in a lot of rigorous training and, you know, many people return home for Christmas. Families come together, and this is such a vibrant swimming community, so I thought it would be wonderful to see if we could invite some former swimmers to take part.”

Bronson mentioned that the inaugural occasion was mainly promoted through word of mouth.

Participants who registered included: Blake Arthur, Class of 2024; Meagan Baham (2022); Hunter Calderwood (2021); Bruce Davis (1988); Lucia Davis (2017); Mia Davis (2018); Seth Gaylord (2019); Josie Hewitt (2022); Jacob Kennedy (2022); Anna Leea (2020); Rawlins Lupoli (2018);

Roland Lupoli (2018); Rylee Markell (2024); Olivia Martineau (2021); Garrett Peake (2024); Rachelle Reynolds (1990); Jessica Rice (2017); Cameron Taber (2018); Ben Tolman (2024); Chloe Tyler (2022); Rachel Tyler (1997); Frank Whitton (1998); Caryn Wise (1976); Verna Wise (1980); and Lauren Yon (2018).

“It was a blast,” remarked Bruce Davis, one of the top male swimmers to have competed for the Huskies.

Davis stated that his last competitive swimming experience was at Kansas in 1992 before beginning his career with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. “I haven’t been in the water for 33 years.”

He humorously noted that he and his wife Jennifer, who also swam for Kansas and served as a timer at the alumni meet, “came back and did some laps for, like, three weeks or so, just to ensure I…

could indeed still swim.” 

Chloe Tyler, whose mother Rachel was also an elite swimmer for the Huskies, currently competes for Illinois State University after establishing or helping to set multiple school records and state championships while with the Huskies. 

“I thought it was amazing, just being able to reunite with everyone,” she expressed. “I haven’t seen many of the people I swam with for years, and racing against, like, previous coaches and others, too, has been incredible. It was really enjoyable.

“So it was definitely a great experience to kick this off.”

It was delightful from the sidelines as well, stated Bronson, who was positioned next to former head coach and current assistant Doug Peargin, who has been coaching at Sweet Home since 1972 and personally instructed all of the individuals in the pool, both current and alumni. 

“We had several races where three or four state champions were all competing at the same moment,” Bronson remarked. “It was enjoyable to observe.” 

Peargin noted that he had “a fantastic time.” 

“I believed it turned out exceptionally well,” he stated. “It’s certainly an event we should do annually. We had more alumni present than our current swimmers, and many (of the alumni) were unaware of it. Next year, it will be even larger.” 

He pointed out that the present Huskies performed “well” against the former swimmers, likely due to the challenge they presented. 

“They had a blast,” Peargin noted. “Our breaststroker (Shayne Schuster) outswam Bruce Davis, who holds the school record in the breaststroke. 

“Some of those (alumni) are genuinely swift. The kids see their names on the record board and think, ‘Wow, that’s her. She IS fast.’

“We achieved quite a few personal bests.”

The alumni, Peargin remarked, were not present simply to glide through the event. 

“To return and participate, they still possessed some intensity and competitiveness. They came to contend.”

He noted that Verna Wise was a part of the team when he began coaching at Sweet Home. 

“I still care for each one of them,” he expressed regarding the athletes – both young and old – who were in the water. 

“We shared a significant amount of time together. Not a single one of them is a quitter.”