Swimming
In the fall of 2017, Jesuit became the first Hillsborough County school to capture a swimming State Championship in 71 years – and launched a dynasty. In 2018, the Tigers did it again, repeating as State Champions, a feat achieved only one other time by a Tampa Bay area school, by St. Petersburg High a century ago. In 2020, Jesuit did it a 3rd time - State Champions. The Tigers followed up the three State crowns with State runner-up results in both 2021 and 2022 to make it nine consecutive years with a Top 3 finish at State.
Heading into the 2023 season, Jesuit stands alone as the best swimming program in Tampa Bay area history. Under the direction of head coach Bill Shaffer since 1996, the Tigers have been one of Florida's elite programs for decades, producing numerous All-County, State Champion, and collegiate swimmers while accumulating am incredible record of 212-7-1. The Tigers were State runners-up in 2014 and '15 before winning the 2017, '18, and '20 crowns. Entering 2023, Jesuit has claimed a remarkable 26 straight District titles, 14 consecutive Region crowns, and numerous City Relays titles, including in 2022.
The success has been spurred by a series of outstanding swimmers and great performances. In 2022, the 200 freestyle relay of Liam Schindler '23, Erick Magalhaes '23, Sasha Fiola '23, and Jordan Jansen '23 captured the State title with an All-American time of 1:25.72. In 2021, the Tigers finished as State runner-up while securing three State titles: two relays (the 400 freestyle and 200 medley) and Aiden Clements '24 earning the third title in the 100 backstroke. The 400 free relay gold was won by Clements, Schindler, Jansen, and Brayden Hohman '23, and the 200 medley gold was earned by Clements, Schindler, Magalhaes, and Fiola.
The 2020 season was arguably the school's best ever. The Tigers were unblemished, sweeping all of their dual meets plus the Tampa Bay Classic and District-Region-State. At State, two relays won gold: the 200 medley (Nick Shaffer '21, Liam Schindler '23, Erick Magalhaes '23, and Sam Prabhakaran '21) in school-record time, and the 200 freestyle (Prabhakaran, Geoff Trieloff '21, Schindler, and Shaffer). Shaffer (who signed with Florida Atlantic) also claimed individual gold in the 200 IM in school-record time and placed third in the 100 backstroke.
When the Tigers began their run of State titles in 2017, they were propelled to the 2A crown with silver medal results in three relays and Brendan Driscoll '19 claiming an individual State title in the 500 freestyle. Driscoll also earned the prestigious Hicks Award as the county's Outstanding Swimmer. In 2018 at State swimming, the Tigers earned 1st, 2nd, and 4th in the pivotal relays, while Driscoll repeated as State Champion in the 500 free and Jesuit won the State title again. In 2019, the Tigers won the City Relays title and went 8-0 in dual meets. Nick Shaffer '21 won four events at the Region Meet, while Anthony Kirchner '20 won three. Shaffer led the way at State with four bronze medals (200 IM, 100 back, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay) as the Tigers placed 3rd.
Several Tigers have continued their swimming careers in college, including Schindler (Loyola Maryland), Nick Shaffer (Florida Atlantic), Driscoll (Duke University), Tommy Shaffer '16 (Army West Point), Byrne Litschgi '16 (University of Chicago, where he set numerous school records and won the NCAA DIII National Championship in the 200 backstroke), Austin Sellers '15 (University of North Carolina), and Chris Swanson '12 (University of Pennsylvania), who became the first-ever collegiate National Champion at Penn, winning the 1,650 freestyle NCAA DI crown.
COACHES
Head Coach
Bill Shaffer
- Head coach since 1996 (2023 is his 28th season)
- 212-7-1 record in dual meets through 2023
- State Champions - 2017, 2018, 2020
- State runner up - 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022
- 26 consecutive District titles
- 18 Region titles in 19 years
- 14 consecutive Region titles
- Top 10 at State 19 of past 20 years
- Top 3 at State past 9 years
Assistant Coaches
Charlie Hahn '87 (since 1997)
Kathie McNeil (2005)
2023 ROSTER
SENIORS JUNIORS SOPHOMORES FRESHMEN |
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