Erlton wins Cherry Bowl for the 5th time in a row
Erlton dominates at the 62nd annual Cherry Bowl
Erlton swim club won the 62nd annual Cherry Bowl this Saturday, earning a score of 1119.5.
Every summer the 12 swim clubs in Cherry Hill gather at one of the clubs for an all-day swim event that allows swimmers to demonstrate their skills and compete against one another. For many, Cherry Bowl creates a sense of community and provides healthy competition.
“This is what Cherry Hill is all about…the swimming clubs,” said Mayor Angulo.
Old Orchard and Willowdale battled throughout the event, with Willowdale eventually taking place with 972 points and Old Orchard falling behind with a close 962.5 points.
Erlton started off the meet with Katherine Brown winning the female 12 and under 100-meter medley, and they continued to dominate from there in the medley relays. At every checkpoint in the meet, Erlton was in first place so it was no surprise when the winner was announced.
The Erlton team prepared throughout this summer and before the big meet, coined the motto ‘Get Up’.
“It is simple, yet poignant,” said Pat Behen, Erlton’s chapter representative. “Get Up and swim your best. Get Up and cheer for your team. Get Up and be proud to be a Gator. Get Up and win our 5th straight Cherry Bowl Championship.”
Outside of the pool, Erlton’s gator’s fans also showed up. Bleachers were packed with friends, family and swim team members who weren’t swimming at Cherry Bowl. Under the leadership of Coach Mike Wilkinson, Erlton’s swim team members have become a family.
“It is a special bond and it all starts with our seniors and our coaches,” said Behen. Dermot Sheehan, Colleen Maynes, Caden Balkey, Courtenay Mackey, Ethan Albert, Wyatt Marble, Jenna Price and Aidan Groff have been true gifts to this team not only because of their successes in the pool, but the leadership, the kindness and the sportsmanship they exhibit day after day.
Erlton swimmers also broke two Cherry Bowl records this weekend. Ben Schlotterer earned a 28.23 in the boys 13-14 50-meter backstroke while Ryan Quinn earned a 26.97 in the boys 13-14 50-meter butterfly. Old Orchard swimmer Peter Moon also broke the boys 12-14 50-meter breaststroke with a time of 31.83.
With Cherry Bowl bringing the swim season to an end, all 12 swim teams look forward to meeting again next year.
