Year In And Year Out, North Penn HS Produces The Region's Top Water Polo And Swim Teams

LANSDALE, PA — When it comes to high school sports, North Penn rules the pool. Whether it’s water polo in the fall or swimming and diving over the winter months, few high school teams in any sport can match the legacy of sustained league, district, and state successes that the Knights have racked up in the pools.

Perhaps more so than any other high school sport, the nature of swimming requires year-round commitment and long hours of practice even during the “offseason.” That dedication has been a hallmark for the Knights swimmers, but beyond all the hard work and countless hours in the pool, much of the teams’ success boils down to the fact that the program is a family. Both literally and figuratively.

While blood may be thicker than water, at North Penn, the water makes the family.

"It’s become a family—one of the things that makes it so successful is that as each season ends and a new one begins, they always see similar faces and the same coaches," said Jeff Faikish, the head coach of the boys and girls swimming teams.

Faikish is assisted by Jason Grubb, the head coach of both North Penn water polo teams, who serves as the assistant coach of the swim teams. Faikish also oversees the North Penn Aquatics Club’s Age Group Program, where he and Grubb hold the same positions as they do with the high school programs. Along with longtime diving coach Kyle Goldbacher, the setup provides the kids with stability and familiar faces from the moment they begin their journey with North Penn swimming until they graduate high school.

“When I started 10 years ago, the age group aquatic club program was all run by different people, and one of the reasons for me coming in was to unify everything,” Faikish said. “The three of us worked so well together, we came up with a program with no conflict and everyone moving forward in same direction. We set up the structure of practices to kids could swim, kids could play water polo, and there’s never any conflict as far as practice times."

By the time the athletes reach the high school level, they’re comfortable with their coaches and teammates, and they know what’s expected of them.

The results are indisputable. The North Penn girls’ team finished second at the 2021 District One meet after winning the previous eight straight district team titles. The North Penn boys have won five straight District One Class AAA team titles and have claimed the team crown seven times in the last eight years. In 2021, the Knights garnered four individual District championships and two relay titles, with the 200 freestyle relay of Max Bachman, Matthew Harkrader, Mason Potts, and Nick Clark going on to win the PIAA State Championship. North Penn has seen swimmers advance to even higher levels of success. Recently, Class of 2020 graduate Sean Faikish competed on the USA Swimming's World Junior Team in the summer of 2019.

Likewise, the high school water polo squads have seen remarkable successes in the pool, with a number of state championships between the two teams.

“One of the things we take a lot of pride in is the number of athletes who participate in both sports,” Faikish said. “About 90%–95% percent of the kids on the water polo team also swim. I think a big reason why our program is so successful is that those kids are around each other so much. The water polo and swimming programs see each other more than most families do. They spend so much time together. It’s a very unique experience.”

It’s also a common occurrence for former athletes to return to the aquatic club program to train for their respective college seasons. In addition to the family reunion feel, it also provides the younger athletes with examples of just how much they can accomplish and how far they can go if they put in the work. Indeed, there is no shortage of former North Penn athletes visible even after aging out of the program.

And of course, there is the literal family connection in North Penn swimming. It’s not uncommon to see the same last names over and over, as siblings, cousins, and even children of swim team members continue the legacy. Faikish himself will see his daughter and two nephews as members of the upcoming seasons’ squads, their names joining the long list of Faikish family members who have progressed through the programs.

“We have kids come back from college and train with us,” Faikish said. “My nephew Sean came back and trained with North Penn in the summer months to prepare for his sophomore season (at Notre Dame). That breeds success, too."

“My brother Brian is one of our assistant coaches, he’s a Hall of Fame coach, Jason Grubb is a Hall of Fame coach, I’m striving to be like those guys. My age group program, almost all the assistant coaches have come through the program itself, or have some form of education or work with children. They have all come through North Penn.”

In the end though, every individual success is the result of a team effort. That does not go unrecognized. After all, that’s what family is all about … being there to support one another.

“When we get recognized in the District, it’s never individual, it’s always the program,” Faikish said. “When we go in front of the school board, the entire team shows up. Everybody is a contributor, our individual efforts are supported by everyone’s efforts in training, in practice, in meets. Swimming can be individualized, but in the end, those successes come because everyone is working together.”