It’s All About Team

Coaching is About More Than Championships is About Championships

The “Fab Five” who started the Girls Varsity Swim team in 2016 were vastly outnumbered at meets and competitions. Nevertheless, they persisted. Six years later, the program is at the top of the CHSAA standings and the 2021-22 team celebrated its first city championship. Here’s how it happened.

STUDENT-ATHLET E S COLLEGE CLIPPERS

From 7100 to competing collegiately, these Clippers know what it takes to be a student-athlete.

Became a fixture in the starting lineup for the Pride as a sophomore and averaged 5 PPG.

Led the Red Hawks with 2.23 blocked shots per game; a total that ranked 28th in the nation.

Helped lead the Huskies to an 8th place finish at the NCA National Championships.

Posted a .316 batting average as a freshman catcher for the Crusaders.

Registered her first career goal vs. Ohio State in October and helped the Scarlet Knights reach the NCAA Final Four.

In 2016, John Ward ’81, then head coach of swimming at Xaverian, organized an interest meeting for the inaugural Girls Varsity Swim season. Xaverian had just transitioned to co-education that year and welcomed its first freshman class of more than 120 young women. Five freshman girls — Alexandra Alexandrou ’20, Emma Cassidy ’20, Jennifer Driscoll ’20, Oliva Gullo ’20 and Mary Ronan ’20 — showed up to the meeting and formed the original squad that ultimately became known as “The Fab Five.”

“That was a difficult year to compete,” said former Director of Athletics Anthony Mancusi ’96, citing several obstacles the new Clipper team faced. The team had talent for sure, but not nearly enough swimmers to fill every event. Ms. Driscoll, who now attends The University of Notre Dame, remembers the first meet against Archbishop Molloy High School. “Molloy is in the top three if not number one in the state,” she recalled. “They had a team of 40 to 50 girls and five of us quietly walked in.” The Clippers lost badly but were determined to keep competing. “We showed up to every meet and practice and swam as many meets as we could,” Ms. Driscoll continued. “We were only freshmen, but we still gave it our all. It was up to us to shape the program.”

Shape it they did. Fast forward six years and the Girls Varsity Swim team is the program to beat in New York City. Led by Head Coach Jillian O’Hara and coaches Amanda Duffy and Erin Morgan, the roster grew and the program’s culture of camaraderie and teamwork is attracting more club swimmers. The Clippers remained undefeated during the ’21-’22 regular season and brought the program’s first ever CHSAA championship back to 7100 Shore Road last February.

One of last year’s three captains, Katie Sjolander ’22 credits the Fab Five with laying the foundation that built to the championship season. “Swimming can definitely turn into an individual sport,” she stated. “Being a part of Xaverian made me understand the value of a team rather than an individual,” which kept everyone focused on the positive rather than negative. “Even during senior year, I still thought about races freshman and sophomore year, where we might not have been doing well. The girls who started the program were at the end of the lane, cheering us on. They would always encourage us.”

Sjolander, who swims for Marist College, said the tricaptains (Michaela Moore ’22, Annabella Colavito ’22, and Sjolander) made it a priority to model the standards instilled when they were new to Xaverian and to “not forget where we came from,” even as the program achieved greater success. “Keeping that attitude definitely helped us persist.” In some ways, the program came full circle at the CHSAA championship. The Clippers scored 760 to runner-up Molloy’s 610, the team that vastly outnumbered Xaverian back in 2016.

Ms. Driscoll said she was proud at how far the program has come. “I’m glad the [current swimmers] hold our encouragement in high regard. But they are the ones who put in the hard work and made the program what it is now. I’m so glad to have been a part of it.”

“To see the hard work these girls put in, especially the seniors who lost a season, to come back and compete after two years of COVID-19 and win it, was a very proud moment for this school,” added Mr. Mancusi. “I think it says that your program’s history or stature in the league doesn’t matter. Xaverian is going to show up and do the best we can do every day.” nationally as a kick returner in 2021.

Gained his first career win vs. Delaware and went on to post a 3.18 ERA out of the bullpen. Was a 2021 CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll selection.