The Erlton Gators may have entered the 2019 Cherry Bowl as the two-time defending champions, but the team saw themselves as underdogs entering the meet.
“We were talking this week about how we’re swimming against Willowdale, we’re swimming against Old Orchard and the way I’m seeing it, we’re going to be underdogs,” Erlton head coach Mike Wilkinson said.
With Willowdale coming off an outstanding dual meet season and Old Orchard also finishing with a winning record in the Tri-County Swimming Pool Association’s B Division, Erlton knew they couldn’t win a third straight Cherry Bowl by relying on past accomplishments. Instead, the Gators showcased their depth and determination, pulling away from Old Orchard and Willowdale in the second half of the meet to finish in first place with 1,003.5 points. Erlton won its third consecutive Cherry Bowl and sixth in the past eight years.
It took a true team effort for the Gators to pull out first place. Erlton received big performances from every age group, allowing them to gradually pull away after they traded the lead with Willowdale and Old Orchard multiple times early on. Erlton swimmer Jack Marble, 16, said the victory was the perfect example of how tight the team is.
“You really see the family aspect of the team come out,” Marble said of the team’s unity at Cherry Bowl.
The family atmosphere is something Wilkinson has built at Erlton over the past two decades and is something he was honored for prior to the meet. Wilkinson was one of this year’s inductees into the Cherry Bowl Hall of Fame.
“I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” Wilkinson said about the induction. “After 20 years at Erlton, coming in with the crew I did come in with was amazing, it was great. I don’t think it’s really hit me that I was inducted into the Hall of Fame and we also won this.”
Wilkinson credits the many swimmers who have dived into the pool for Erlton and have also served as mentors and coaches to future generations as the reason the Gators have been so successful. However, Erlton’s swimmers believe Wilkinson deserves most of the credit.
“Mike makes Erlton swimming easily one of the most fun programs I’ve ever been a part of,” said Erlton swimmer Michael Sheehan, who competed in his final Cherry Bowl this year. “I don’t think you can find a better coach in Tri-County than him.”
Wilkinson’s team has gone from never winning a Cherry Bowl prior to 2012 to taking first place in six of the last eight years. However, Marble believes Wilkinson’s success as a coach goes beyond fast times in the pool.
“He emphasizes sportsmanship more than anything else and showing you what you can do in the pool rather than intimidating others,” Marble said.
The 2019 season didn’t feature a lot of victories in the standings for Erlton. Competing in the Tri-County Swimming Pool Association’s top division, the Gators went 0-5 in their dual meets. However, Sheehan noted the record was not indicative of how good Erlton was and the team’s performance at Cherry Bowl proved the Gators still have what it takes to be one of the top swim teams in the region.
“We might have lost every meet, but we swam the best we possible could out there,” Sheehan said. “Coming out and winning something bigger than five dual meets, it’s totally worth it.”
