Athletics History

Introduction: Athletics at Erlton

The athletic programs here at Erlton are a huge part of the club and have had immense success over the years. Our swim team has experienced many division wins, records set, and dominations in championship meets. The dive team at Erlton has also expanded greatly over the years and has become a well-developed and fantastic program. The athletics here at Erlton have taken this club above and beyond, and is such a valued part of the club’s culture. The athletic programs have created a sense of not just community within the club, but a family-like environment that is welcoming and uniting. We always say, “Once a gator, always a gator” and that could not be more true for both of our athletics programs here at Erlton. The swim and dive teams have made Erlton Swim Club into what it is today.

Swim Team

A year after it opened in August of 1966, the Erlton Swim Club had added its own swim team going into the summer of 1967. 6 years later, Erlton hosted its first Cherry Bowl. The Cherry Bowl has been a longtime Cherry Hill tradition. Starting with just 6 teams in the meet, the swim clubs of Cherry Hill faced off in Erlton’s own pool in July of 1973. 3 years later on the weekend of August 7, 1976, Erlton hosted its first Tri-County Championship, during the 10 year anniversary of its opening. Fans and competitors from 36 clubs in the Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester County areas were expected to attend this meet. The first Cherry Bowl and Tri-County meets were just the start of swim team excitement at Erlton. Through the decades, the team has grown into an exceptionally successful program that has welcomed countless swimmers throughout the years. Led by longtime head coach Mike Wilkinson, the Erlton Gators have seen through many championships, especially in the last decade. Though Wilkinson has coached since 1999, he has definitely reached a peak in his coaching career this past 2026 season, going undefeated in A Division, winning Cherry Bowl, and winning Tri-County. In his early coaching days at Erlton, he coached only a fraction of the amount of kids who were on the team this past season. Coaching 200+ kids can be challenging, but his mindfulness and motivation has enabled the team to become as strong as it is today. A team that used to fight for a spot in the top 5 has now, in the last 15 years, won Cherry Bowl 9 consecutive times with additional wins in 2012, 2014, and 2015, won the Tri-County Championships twice, are 6 time division champions, and have broken countless records. Mike Wilkinson began coaching a team that had more of a leisurely attitude, but eventually created a competitive legacy for the Erlton Gators.

Notable Persons Of Involvement

Paul Patterson: Paul was the father of Leigh-Anne and Courtney Patterson, and husband of Marcy Patterson. His appreciation for the Erlton Swim Team and summers spent at the club was unlike any other. Throughout his life, he had a deep love for watching his daughters swim and compete, along with the lasting connections he made with other families at Erlton. He was a member of the Board of Directors and served as Erlton’s Tri-County Representative. He was additionally on the Board of Directions for the Tri-County Swim League. Paul's memory is kept alive each year by the Paul Patterson Memorial Scholarship, gifted to a member of the swim team who exhibits the same Erlton loving spirit as he once did.

Tri-County Representative: Jenelle Quinn

Swim Team Coordinator: Courtney Mills

Swim Team Photographer: Teri Kasko

Achievements In The Last 20 Years

2007: Hosted Tri-County Championships

2008: C Division Champions

2012: B Division Champions, Cherry Bowl Champions

2014: Cherry Bowl Champions

2015: B Division Champions, Cherry Bowl Champions

2017: Cherry Bowl Champions

2018: B Division Champions, Cherry Bowl Champions

2019: Cherry Bowl Champions

2020/2021: Cherry Bowl Champions

2022: Cherry Bowl Champions (record set for highest winning score), Tri-County Champions

2023: B Division Champions, Cherry Bowl Champions

2024: Hosted Cherry Bowl, Cherry Bowl Champions

2025: A Division Champions, Cherry Bowl Champions

2026: A Division Champions, Cherry Bowl Champions, Tri-County Champions

Team Records

Dive Team

The Erlton Dive Team has been coached by head coach Sean Courtney since 2000. When Courtney began his first head coaching job here, there were only a handful of kids on the team. Some summers, Courtney remembers looking for kids to join the team mid-way through the season. Since those early days, the size of the team has tripled, and the number of kids on the team has had to be capped in more recent years. Courtney notes that one of his favorite aspects of the team is how he has seen it grow over time. The team is now filled to the brim with eager, hard working divers who live for accomplishing a new dive or skill. Courtney additionally notes that he is always proud to see the divers thrive throughout the season, especially in championship meets. The Erlton dive program is a special place to be, as it is a highly encouraging outlet for kids to express new talents. Families with multiple children have gone through the dive program showing the positive and comfortable environment of the team, thanks to Coach Sean Courtney.

Cherry Bowl

Every summer, the swim clubs of Cherry Hill come together to execute this fantastic experience of a swim meet: Cherry Bowl. Including all 12 clubs in the Cherry Hill Pool Association, this meet is one of the most thrilling and competitive of the season. Each team is allowed just one entry in each event of the meet. Cherry Hill is a town divided for this one special day of the year, as these teams duke it out to see who will come home with a big bowl of cherries. The first recorded participation of the Erlton Gators was when it was first hosted at Erlton in 1973. It started off as a competition between just 6 teams, and now has evolved into one of the most highly anticipated events of the summer season. Specifically for the Gators, Cherry Bowl is treated like a holiday. The week leading up to this event is one of the most exciting times of the year. The agenda is packed full of fun traditions led by the 15-18 aged swimmers, including getting ice cream at Primo’s Water Ice with teammates of all ages, the infamous 15-18 progressive dinner on Wednesday night, a pasta dinner the night before the big day, and a party with the swimmers and families after the conclusion of the meet. The culture surrounding Cherry Bowl plays a huge role on the team at Erlton, and has increasingly become a part of our competitive identity. Not winning a meet til 2012, the Cherry Bowl used to be in the back of Gator’s minds up until the first time they brought home a little bowl of cherries. Since then, Erlton has consistently placed in the top 3 spots and has won the meet every year for the past 9 competitions. One of the most notable Cherry Bowls for the Erlton Gators was bringing home first place in 2022, with a winning score of 1,119.5 points, the highest score ever recorded in a Cherry Bowl meet. Certainly right next to it is Erlton’s win in 2024. The 64th Annual Cherry Bowl Championship was hosted at Erlton Swim Club and was the most uniting event for our club in recent years. All hands on deck were needed for this event, and it was beautifully executed by our Board of Directors, Pool Managers, Lifeguards, and members who volunteered their time to help the meet run smoothly. Cherry Bowl 2024 was an excellent fund raiser for our club and a very successful event overall, in terms of execution and competition. The Gators were able to celebrate yet another win and the cherries tasted even sweeter in our home pool. The Cherry Bowl is one of the most widely appreciated events in Cherry Hill and here at Erlton Swim Club, there is no exception.

Cherry Bowl Wins: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020/21, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

2024 Cherry Bowl Championship Livestream

2024 Cherry Bowl Meet Program Available For Download

Coaches

Swimming

Mike Wilkinson is the Head Coach of the Erlton Swim Team. He has been coaching for 27 years, starting at Erlton in 1999. He started off coaching a team with just 76 kids and a steady position in C Division. In an interview with Wilkinson, he explained that over the course of his time here, the atmosphere of the team has shifted from just wanting to “come in and swim” to now having more of a competitive nature. He notes that his favorite memory as a coach is winning the Tri-County Championships in 2022 by just 7 points, along with finally breaking into the top 3 at the Cherry Bowl Championships. This past 2026 season has also significantly stood out for Wilkinson, as he led the team through a completely undefeated season, winning A Division, Cherry Bowl, and Tri-County. Wilkinson believes the factor that sets Erlton apart from other teams in our league is the amount of leadership that goes into the team environment and the traditions, which include our Cherry Bowl week and the Final 50 for the Senior swimmers on their last day of practice. Coach Mike’s words of advice for our swimmers is to “have fun and believe in yourself!”

Current Swim Team Coaching Staff

Mike Wilkinson – Head Coach

Violet Ortega – Assistant Coach

Colleen Maynes – Assistant Coach

Tre Cottrell – Assistant Coach

Diving

Sean Courtney is the Head Coach of the Erlton Dive Team. He started coaching in the year 2000, coaching for 26 years. He began coaching a small handful of kids but over the years, the amount of kids on the dive team has tripled. In recent years, Courtney has had to cap the number of kids on the dive team because of the eagerness to join the program. Courtney describes the current program as a “well oiled machine.” Some of his best accomplishments were watching the team evolve into what it is today and feeling proud when the divers make accomplishments of their own. Courtney noted that he enjoys watching them place in championship meets and, “Seeing their faces light up when they realize that all their hard work has paid off is a great accomplishment as well.” Coach Sean Courtney has truly made a positive impact on our dive program at Erlton.

Current Dive Team Coaching Staff

Sean Courtney – Head Coach

Wyatt Marble – Assistant Coach

Henry Hall – Assistant Coach

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