(From left) Kaelyn Dougherty, Victoria Coyle, Brianna O’Donnell and Claire DeMarshall celebrate the Bambies’ success at districts. PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA KOMAR
When it comes to his top pupil in the water, Ed Quarry doesn’t mince words.
“Kaelyn Dougherty is the best talent I’ve seen in 25 years, no doubt in my mind,” said Quarry, the head swimming coach at both St. Hubert and Father Judge. “I honestly believe she’ll lead St. Hubert to a Catholic League championship.”
This would be a big deal if for no other reason than the Bambies have never won a league title in the pool, something that the program’s freshman phenom is quickly working to amend. And Quarry isn’t just blowing smoke because Dougherty swims for his team, either; no, he’s also got the credentials and resume to back it up as a highly decorated swimmer, first at La Salle from 1968–72 and then at the University of Florida, where he was an All-American. He’s seen a lot of dynamic swimmers in his day, and Dougherty stands out on a short list of best ever.
“Kaelyn is very good in every event,” Quarry said. “To me, she’s the real deal and will swim upper-level Division I wherever she wants. She doesn’t make mistakes in the water. She gets great starts and turns, has awesome technique and is one of the best competitors I’ve ever seen. She’s fearless, just tough as nails, but also a great kid. She leads by example and never complains; I think other young girls in the area will want to be just like her. She just loves to compete … she needs to compete as much as she needs to breathe. What makes a great swimmer? That.”
As a team, the Bambies finished fourth in the Catholic League standings this season, which on the surface doesn’t sound like much for the program to hang its collective hats on. But then you consider where it’s been and realize just how much progress swimming at St. Hubert has made in the past few years. Ryan and Little Flower have often dominated in the area, but the Bambies are doing everything they can to narrow the gap. The fourth-place finish was “a close fourth,” according to Quarry, and the program had seven All-Catholic selections, most in the entire league. Not only that, but of those seven, only two are seniors, meaning most of the young, up-and-coming talent — led by Dougherty — will return next season and beyond.
St. Hubert won just one meet in both the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons, none in 2011–12 and two in 2012–13. Then, last season, the team went 4–3 overall, and 5–3 this season; interest in swimming at the school has nearly doubled, as the Bambies are carrying about a dozen more swimmers than they were five years ago. This year, the cherry on top was Dougherty becoming the first St. Hubert swimmer to qualify for states since the school joined the PIAA in 2008 (she will compete in at least the 100 breaststroke at states, March 12–14 at Bucknell University, but is hoping to gain at-large berths in at least one other event, the 200 IM).
“It was a goal to make states, because that’s a big accomplishment,” Dougherty said before Monday’s practice as she continued training for Bucknell. “I want to swim Division I, and I figured it might expose me to more colleges. It was very exciting; there’s really no words or emotions to describe it.”
Dougherty’s mother, Diane Dougherty Kelly, swam at St. Hubert and had her daughter in the water “before I could even walk,” according to Kaelyn. A Holme Circle native and St. Jerome product, Dougherty swims year-round and is still just scratching the surface on her true potential.
“She honestly doesn’t compare to anyone that’s been on the team before,” said senior team captain Katie Bamberski. “The program has kept growing and growing and to top it all off, we have Kaelyn join my senior year. It’s just awesome, and her success is definitely going to bring more girls in. They’ll see her and think, ‘Hey, I can do that too,’ and I think that’s great. She has so many years to go, and she’ll keep getting better.”
“What impresses me most about her is she’s one of the most humble swimmers we have on the team,” added junior captain Izzy Goschinski. “She’s never bragged or rubbed anything in anyone’s faces. She’s just incredible, she really is. I have no doubt she’ll do great things at states. She’s already made a name for herself and for St. Hubert this season. It’s been a good omen for our future, and she’s a huge part of that.”
Swimming, though not as popular as mainstream sports like football or basketball, is one of the hardest sports to excel in due to the intense physical and mental strains it places on the body. It takes extra time and commitment to be great, but as other girls see Dougherty soar to new heights, they want to follow suit. Whether or not they are as talented as her is irrelevant, because Quarry and company are just happy to see interest in the sport and program swelling.
“The will to win, the competitiveness and toughness it takes, Kaelyn has that all of the time,” Quarry said. “To me, that’s the biggest thing, because that’s what it takes. The CYO programs in this area have a lot of interest and it’s a great winter sport for the kids, health-wise, so I think the amount of girls interested will only continue trending upward. I’d like to see more kids get involved and have an opportunity to swim in college. It’s not happening as much as I’d like, and it’s important.”
Quarry worked on Wall Street as a floor trader with the American Stock Exchange for 25 years, but returned home to the Northeast Philly area in the early 2000s to give back to the sport that provided him with so many opportunities.
“He’s helped me understand there are days or times where you fail, but you still have to pick yourself back up and keep going,” Dougherty said. “Ever since I was 7 or 8, I’ve wanted to swim in the Olympics. That’s what pushes and motivates me, and this program is a great place for me to be. It’s definitely going up, and we hope in the next three years more girls will join and we’ll have enough to win a championship. It would be exciting to be the ones to do that because it would put the school and the program on the map.”
As far as her goals for states, Dougherty is taking the experience in stride. After all, she’s got the next three-plus years to hone her craft, so she’s got nothing to lose once she arrives at Bucknell.
“I’m anxious waiting for it to happen, but I’ve prepared myself,” she said. “If I don’t win, that’s OK; I just want to get my best time and put my best foot forward going into it. I’m excited to see the competition. There will be very good swimmers there, and the exposure will only help me and the team down the line.” ••
Follow Ed on Twitter @SpecialEd335.
Dougherty with her first-place medal for the 100 breaststroke for at the District 12 champions meet. Dougherty is the first St. Hubert swimmer to qualify for states since the school joined the PIAA in 2008. PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA KOMAR
Dougherty (right) talks to teammates and St. Hubert swimming co-captains Katie Bamberski (left) and Izzy Goschinski during a recent training session. BILL ACHUFF & MICHELLE ALTON / FOR THE TIMES
Dougherty has been swimming since “before I could even walk.” Her mother, Diane Dougherty Kelly, also swam at St. Hubert. BILL ACHUFF & MICHELLE ALTON / FOR THE TIMES
Teacher and pupil: Ed Quarry, who swam at La Salle from 1968–72 before becoming an All-American at the University of Florida, is in his first season as the St. Hubert swim coach. Here, he talks with freshman Kaelyn Dougherty, who recently became the first Bambies swimmer to qualify for the state tournament since the school joined the PIAA in 2008. BILL ACHUFF & MICHELLE ALTON / FOR THE TIMES
