Wedgewood Swimming Aims to Keep Perfect Record Intact

The team capped off an undefeated season earlier this month beating Pheasant Run Swim Club in the  summer's final meet and capturing the Tri-County Swimming Pool Association's "A" Division crown for a third straight year.

The 319-235 win over its division rival brought Wedgewood's 2013  
record to a perfect 5-0. The team also posted wins this season  
against Green-Fields, Deerbrook, Erlton and Covered Bridge swim clubs.

Wedgewood Coach Jim Villa called the victory over Pheasant Run, which  
was undefeated before visiting the Haddonfield pool last Saturday, "a  
total team effort" by a program of "homegrown" swimmers. Wedgewood's  
membership guidelines require that swimmers are residents of  
Haddonfield.

"We can't recruit and we don't recruit," Villa said. "Wedgewood's  
swimming program prides itself on developing kids within its own  
program, beginning with the learn-to-swim program and evolving through  
to the swim team."

Wedgewood is unbeaten over the past three seasons, posting a combined  
record of 15-0. It also won the Tri-County Swimming Pool Association's  
"A" Division crown in 2011 and 2012. The association comprises  
36 teams from Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties, competing in  
divisions "A" through "F."

"While winning a division and Tri-county championship is our goal  
every year, the ultimate goal is to keep kids interested in swimming  
and provide them with the best opportunity to succeed," Wedgewood  
Assistant Coach James Villa said. "Wedgewood's success reaches far  
beyond Tri-County swimming, as our swimmers have gone on to compete at  
some of the top amateur and collegiate meets in the country."

During the past season, eight new team records were established by  
members of the squad, and Villa said he expects that trend to continue  
when an all-time, club-record 65 swimmers compete Aug. 3 and 4 at the  
Tri-County Championships at Deerbrook.