Swim Cadets to perform annual show March 9–11

The 2017 Cleveland Heights High School Swim Cadets.

The Cleveland Heights High School Swim Cadets, a 20-member synchronized swim team and the school’s oldest extracurricular club, established in 1939, will hold its annual performances on March 9, 10 and 11, at 7 p.m.

The year’s theme, Swim Cadets Break Your Heart, is set to break-up songs, and is the culmination of five months of practice.

The shows will be held at the Warrensville Heights High School pool, 4270 Northfield Road in Warrensville Heights. Tickets are $8 and are available from team members and at the door.

The 2017 Swim Cadets are: seniors Lilli Cruz, Aubrey Fort (president), Maeve Hackman (sergeant-at-arms), Sophie Levan (vice president); juniors Ally Boyd, Jenna Dent, Lily Kerr-Jung, Isabella Marotta, Clare Peppler, Emma Routh, Hannah Thellian (treasurer); sophomores Emma Henninge, Georgie Jolivette, Judea Lowe, Julia O’Donnell, Brynn Pierce, Olivia Sormaz; freshmen Sydney Ball, Emma Hubbard, Charlotte Piszel. The team’s coach is Esther Bergson, a Heights High graduate and former Swim Cadet.

“My freshman year I joined Swim Cadets in hopes of finding and meeting new people,” said Fort. “When I joined the team, I joined part of a family. They made me feel welcome and involved, and while I was able to have fun and experience the joys and traditions of the historical team, I was able to become close to a great group of girls each year. We lift each other up. We fight, we laugh and we cry together, and at the end of the day, we are able put on a stellar show with people that we've come to love.”

It is not uncommon for the girls to be second- or even third-generation Swim Cadets. “My mom and cousin were previous Swim Cadets and I wanted to carry on the tradition,” said Hackman. “Ever since I joined, the team has been a large part of my life. There are so many things that make this club stand out.”

Thellian concurred: “The traditions that I experienced for the first time my freshman year are something I'll never forget. Now, as a junior, my favorite part is getting to know the new members of our team at the beginning of the season! I love to be a part of the traditions and surprises that help make the new girls' experiences magical.” 

“Swim Cadets is so much more than just a club. Sharing the exciting traditions that go back years builds the experience and keeps its legacy alive. It's not only a great physical activity, but it also creates lifelong friendships with amazing girls,” said Cruz.

Levan said, “Swim Cadets has taught me to handle a great amount of responsibility while still having so much fun every day with a great group of girls. It's great to see the progress we make as a team throughout the season and how dedicated girls become to making our performance the best it can be.” 

Mary Pat Jolivette and Kara Hamley O'Donnell

Kara Hamley O'Donnell and Mary Pat Jolivette are parents to Cleveland Heights High School Swim Cadets.

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Volume 10, Issue 3, Posted 11:04 AM, 03.01.2017