When Tiffany Watson took over as head coach of Eastside swimming 13 years ago, the word “dynasty” was the farthest thing from her mind.
After 19 state championships between her boys and girls teams in the last 11 years, however, there’s no other word to describe it.
Both Eastside girls’ and boys’ swimming teams took home state championships this week in Columbia. For the girls, it was their eighth in the last 10 years.
For the boys, it was their 11th-straight state title.
“We absolutely could not do any of this without our incredible coaching staff,” said Watson. “And we focus on leadership. We like our seniors to really lead and set the example, to pass down the tradition.”
That tradition? Winning.
Winning has become such a norm for Eastside swimming that when the girls' team came in second last year to Fort Mill, it lit a fuse in the Lady Eagles. They were determined not to let that happen again.
“Losing last year like that and coming in second, I think it made winning it back this year so much sweeter,” said Eastside girls senior swimmer Laila Harvey.
“It was a reflection of all the hard work we put in,” said senior Anna Kate Barr. “You could just see in practices how bad we wanted it. You could see how bad we wanted to get back to the top.”
The girls took home the title on Thursday, and on Saturday, the boys did the same.
Despite the pressure of knowing every swim team in the state has a bullseye aimed at them, the Eagles made it happen once again.
“We’re just confident in what we know we can do,” said senior boys swimmer Reynolds Chilton. “If one of us fails, we use that as momentum to drive us to work harder and go faster.”
“Even if someone doesn’t do well, we have enough people on this team we trust,” said Levi Smith. “Not to sound cocky, but even if our best swimmers don’t do good, we know we have other guys on this team that will carry the weight.”
Chilton was a part of the first-place group in the 400 freestyle relay, and he finished third in the 200 individual medley. Smith finished as part of the first-place group in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, and he earned second place in the 50 freestyle and third place in the 100 freestyle.
After the boys earned their 11th-straight championship on Saturday, one of Watson’s former swimmers, Brady Cawthon, came down to congratulate her and the team.
Cawthon talked about the camaraderie each year and the closeness of every Eastside swim team — what he says contributes to the continued success.
“When I was a part of the team, the spirit and the culture were what pushed us to success, for sure,” said Cawthon. “We’re determined and disciplined, but we also know how to keep it light. That’s what drives us to compete every year for the state championship — the fact that we’re doing it as a team, as friends, and not just as individuals.”
“I’ve grown up in swimming for 30 years, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like I’ve seen here,” said five-year Eastside assistant coach Tyler Sites. “We do the work and the things no one wants to do. The team-building, the socials, all the things that build the camaraderie. That’s the glue that makes the difference. Because then, you’re swimming as a family and not just for yourself.”
Watson loves the championships and the consistent winning ways of her teams.
But at the end of the day, what drives her swimmers the most, she says, is the fact that she’d love them the same even if they weren’t winning a thing.
“These kids are like extended children of our own,” said Watson. “And they know that we’re proud of them regardless of what they do.
“They know we believe in them and love them no matter what they do in the pool.”
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