Devilfish Competitive Swim Team Kicks Off New Season

Coming off a record-breaking 2023-24 season, the Westfield Area Y Devilfish swim team kicked off their season last week.  The lanes in the pool were filled with returning swimmers, excited for another great season to begin. The team was also happy to welcome many new swimmers across all the age groups!

The Devilfish are looking to build on some notable accomplishments from the 2023-24 season including;

• 8 Short Course records broken
• 13 Long Course Records broken
• Top 18 finisher at Nationals
• 50% increase in the number of swimmers qualifying for and attending States
• Over 95% of swimmers qualifying for a championship meet
• On average, 65% of participating swimmers achieving best times at any given meet 

In addition to all that the swimmers accomplished in the water, they were also busy outside of the pool, participating in several fundraising and community service events, including a swim-a-ton that raised money for the Y’s Strong Kids Fund as well as volunteering at the NJ Food Bank and at Greta’s Run.

The Devilfish is a competitive swim team run by Head Coach Meg Myers, currently in her fourth year leading the team.  Coach Meg took over the reins in November 2021, becoming one of the youngest head coaches in the NJ YMCA system and one of the only females to lead a program of this size.

Coach Meg is joined by two full time Assistant Head Coaches, Ryan Carlucci and Fred Filler, as well as a number of age-group specific coaches and a dedicated dry-land coach.  This dynamic coaching team brings years of experience (over 100 years combined!), including experience at the collegiate level.  They are focused on building strong swimmers in the pool and community leaders out of the pool.  

The quality of the Devilfish program has attracted swimmers from not only Westfield, but many surrounding towns, including; Scotch Plains, Maplewood, Edison, Short Hills, Mountainside, Clark, Berkeley Heights, Cranford, South Plainfield, Warren, Roselle Park, Metuchen, Parlin and Edison.  The team supports swimmers as young as five years old all the way through High School.

During Coach Meg’s tenure, the Devilfish have continued their trend of athletic and academic excellence with graduates of the program having  gone on to enroll at a variety of colleges including Vanderbilt, Lafayette, University of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, George Washington, Penn State and Iona.  

While many are swimming at the collegiate level, others have continued to be involved in swimming in different ways, including coaching for their former teams during the summer and school breaks.  

No matter the path, all Devilfish alumni take with them the leadership skills, appreciation of teamwork, a dedicated work ethic, and the many friendships that were developed and fostered during their time on the team.

The Devilfish program is more than just a competitive swim team, it is a place where swimmers learn and grow and where they make lasting connections with teammates and coaches.

The Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Visit www.westfieldynj.org to learn more about Westfield Area Y programs. Financial assistance is available for YMCA programs and membership to those who qualify.