Coaches Update: Hawken Swimming
The Hawken Swimming Program has had a few major changes this season. This past summer, Hawken announced that Mr. Tim Hable would be joining the school as the Head Coach of the Swimming and Diving Team.
Coach Hable has a long history with Hawken School; after all, he attended the school as a highschooler, graduating in 1973. Throughout his career as a swimmer, Coach Hable received a lengthy list of accolades for his aptitude in the pool. Among his accolades are: 4x All American, ISSL Champion, and numerous Hawken school records, such as the record for the 200 and 400 freestyle set in 1972. Hable went on to continue his swimming career at Dartmouth College, where he competed at the NCAA level as captain of the swim team.
It is no doubt that Coach Hable’s outstanding skills as a swimmer have translated over to his coaching career. In an interview with swimmer Kennedy ‘22, she said, “Coach Hable is a really serious coach when he has to be but knows how to have fun, so we enjoy ourselves. He’s technical based, so he’s not just worried about how fast we are, but also how efficiently fast we are. He’s really smart and you can tell he knows a lot about swimming.” She continued to explain, “During practice, we don’t just swim 24/7. We do a lot more dry land work now and we have a much more positive team dynamic. Everyone has been a lot closer. Not swimming all the time boosts our morale.”
This season, the Hawks have continued to expand their prestigious reputation as one of the top swimming programs in Ohio. The program has accumulated 32 state championships throughout its history. The Girls Team has won 21 consecutive state championships of 29 total. The Boys Team has won 3 state championships; the most recent one being in 2017. With the Boys Team being runners-up in the state championship for two years in a row, the desire for first place is at a high. The team proved that when they beat the previous boys state championship winners, University School, in early January. The Girls Team looks to continue their historic win streak this year as they dominate any competition. Most recently, Hawken has competed in the Chagrin Valley Conference Meet, where both the Girls and Boys Teams have won with ease. However, it should not be any surprise that the Swimming Program has reached impressive feats. The hard work that the swimmers put in on a day-to-day basis is unmatched. Wish the swimmers luck as they move on throughout their outstanding season!