It took 17 years, but in his final season as coach at Georgetown Prep, Kirby Weldon is on the verge of perfection. With a win this weekend in the Washington Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Championships, the Little Hoyas can send Weldon off in style — five championships and 11 dual meet wins without a loss, the first perfect season in school history.
“I do not like to rank my teams,” said Weldon, who refuses to comment on his departure. “It is the deepest team I’ve had. But more than that, it’s got all the intangibles — heart, leadership, and willingness to work and sacrifice for the good of the team.”
Developing individual standouts has long been a Weldon trait. At a school the size of Georgetown Prep, however, building a team capable of winning championship meets has been difficult.
But this season with a roster of 38 (compared to 68 at Gonzaga and 60 at DeMatha), the Little Hoyas have overcome long odds to win their first National Catholic and Washington Metropolitan Prep School Swimming and Diving League titles.
Prep is led by North Carolina-bound senior Josh Hafkin, who in three seasons has won all six of the Metros events he has entered. Senior Robert Grimmett-Norris, also bound for UNC, and sophomore Brady Fox have Metros victories on their resume too.
In addition to star power, this year’s team brings more from top-to-bottom. Freshman Won Ho Chang, who won the 100 fly at the WMPSSDL, has been a strong addition. Senior Jon Pool, junior Andrew Relihan, and sophomores Adam Spencer and Jerry Seawright round out the relays.
In a season during which the Prep swim team moved to a gleaming, new pool in its $23 million Center for Athletic Excellence, the Little Hoyas have a team to match. For years, however, the old pool at Prep served the Little Hoyas well.
“It was a luxury to be able to train kids at the school and establish a year-round program,” said Weldon. “It gave us a big advantage.”
The Weldon file
» The inaugural Metros meet was held at Georgetown Prep in 1965, when Weldon was a freshman at the school.
» Weldon won a Metros title in 1968 and continued his career at Johns Hopkins.
» Weldon’s three sons — John, Kirk, and James — graduated from Georgetown Prep.
