Sharks Alumni Directory
1/20/11 – Tim Hill (Shark Coach 1971-76)
“I continue to follow the Sharks and several of the coaches who I had the pleasure of coaching (Go Sherwood!) and at times have visited with a few of the former swimmers. Many fond memories of my years in Sarasota, the tremendous work ethic of so many folks (coaches and parents included and Carl Weinrich – Y Director) and love coming there, which I’ve done for some June meets. Hope to return the summer of 2012 if Steve and Sherwood will have us.”
10/8/10 – Wally Burke (class of 1969)
“Go Sharks!!! I coached with Tim Hill in 1972-75. Tim is now coaching the West Houston Aquatic Team in Texas.”
9/1/10 – Larissa (Stelmashenko) Carmichael (class of 1985)
“I feel so incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to swim for the Sharks growing up. I have so many amazing memories. It was more than just a swim team–it was like a second family. I learned so many important things that carry over to the rest of my life. Determination, hard work, persistence, setting goals, and never giving up are only a few of them. I’m not much of a writer, but someday maybe I’ll find the words to express how much the Sharks have meant to me. After 17 years off of swimming, I am now a Sharks Masters swimmer. All I can say is, once a Shark, always a Shark! GO SHARKS!!! 
“Oh, and now I also have the blessing of being a Shark parent, as my son is swimming for the Sharks. I love it!”
8/30/10 – Ellen (Stuhmer) Bennett (class of 1981)
“One of my favorite trips was the bus trip to Kentucky to swim in the Ohio Valley Championships. What a great facility and the experience was unmatched. The bus trip was a nightmare (diesel fumes for 19 hours) but a lot of fun. Lakeside was one of the most unique places to swim that I can think of.”
8/29/10 – Barbara (Landis) Garcia (class of 2003)
“My time with the Sharks got me into the habit of an athletic lifestyle.”
8/29/10 – Morgan Tweedie (class of 2003)
“I was very lucky to be a part of the Sharks swim team during my high school years. The Sharks allowed my swimming to become competitive and helped me achieve many goals in high school swimming that I would not have been able to achieve if I had not been part of the Sharks. Now that I am a high school coach and a Masters swimmer, I still get to see some of the new Sharks at Regionals, States, or Masters meets and I am still proud to say that I was a Shark at one point. It is also great to see Coach Watts out on the pool deck, and it is nice to be able to coach beside him and see how much respect his swimmers give him. I have always thought of the respect and attitude of the Sharks as a way that I want my swimmers to respect me as well as their teammates.”
8/29/10 – Jeanine Graham (class of 2001)
“I am so blessed to have been a part of the Sharks legacy. I have so many wonderful memories of early morning practices, standing outside of Publix to raise money for the new pool, plane and bus trips to North Carolina, Ohio, and Maryland, and record breaking swims. I look at where I am today in my career and know that all of the credit goes to my incredible coaches and teammates on the SYS swim team. The lessons taught in the pool everyday: hard work, dedication, positive attitude–really translate into life in the business world and relationships with others. Coach Steve Brown used to always say, ‘Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it.’ I can’t tell you how many times I’ve utter this to myself, friends, and colleagues over the years! Thank you, Sharks!!!”
8/27/10 – Leslie (Beckstein) Tilton (class of 1981)
“When I think about my experience swimming for the Sharks, it always brings a smile to my face. The training and commitment were tough but the rewards were always sweet. Even though I graduated high school in 1981, I still keep in touch with several alumni either through personal contact or Facebook. My daughter swam three years (2007-2009) with the program and I think I enjoyed it as much as she did. When she stood on the podium with her teammates after winning Y-Nats, I had a flashback to my own experience. It was awesome.”