Tanner Jones’ high school swimming experience was an incredible one.
There were memorable times and gigantic wins at some of the biggest races in South Jersey. And there was the day-to-day interaction with two of the most dedicated coaches to ever wear a whistle in the Garden State.
Jones, along with Gloucester Catholic High School head coach Kevin Nolan and Rams’ assistant coach Nancy Curtis, walked off into the sunset following the 2022 New Jersey Individual State Swimming Championship at the Gloucester County Institute of Technology on March 5-6.
“It’s pretty special,” Jones said “Leading up to the last month or so, this is the only thing I’ve been thinking about.”
Jones made it all worthwhile by finishing second in the state in the 500-meter freestyle at a time of 4:32.54, while adding a second trip to the podium with a fourth-place finish in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:41.54.
Jones, a four-year swimmer at Gloucester Catholic who is heading to the University of Alabama on a swimming scholarship, was the reason Nolan and Curtis hung around another couple of years after the two discussed retiring from coaching at Gloucester Catholic a few years ago. After joining Gloucester Catholic’s staff as an assistant for two years starting in 1986, Nolan has been the head coach of the Rams for 35 years, while Curtis has been at his side as an assistant the last 27. They were also classmates at Gloucester Catholic together. They decided to wait until Jones’ final high school race, which was March 6.
“We’re all out at the same time,” Nolan said with a smile. “We’re done. But it’s been really fun.”
There were lots of wins, and lots of wisdom along the way. Nolan finished with a 435-140-1 overall record, which included four state championship appearances. He picked up a few tricks of the trade at large gatherings at big meets, which is the reason for the outlandish, colorful shirts he and Curtis always wore.
You can always find us,” said Nolan, who wore an orange gradient multi-colored Hawaiian shirt to the Meet of Champions. “I always wear a bright, colorful shirt so my kids can find me anywhere. Nancy and I have had matching ones, and it became a traditional thing.”
One particular tradition started after tragedy struck Gloucester Catholic in 2005, when Scott Kaplan, who had just graduated, was killed in an auto accident. Kaplan was a well-liked swim team member who started an incredible winning streak in the 200 freestyle at the Tri-County Conference Swimming and Diving Showcase during his freshman year. Kaplan won all four years, and the Rams have won that event every year since then.
“We’ve just kept it going and we’ve never lost it since. Obviously Scott is on my mind when we do it,” Nolan said, as he revealed a laminated photo of Kaplan on his swimming clipboard. “His parents come, and they’re part of it. It’s a traditional thing.”
Several stand-out swimmers have passed the baton by winning the 200 free at Tri-County including Jacob Narvid, who is currently swimming at the University of Tennessee. In 2020, it became Jones’ responsibility, and he kept the streak alive. This year, on the day of the Tri-County meet, Narvid texted Nolan with an image of Kaplan’s photo hanging in a swimming locker at Tennessee. Jones saw it and responded by not only winning the event for the Rams for the 20th consecutive time – he broke Narvid’s meet record in the process with a time of 1:43.75.
“That 200 free race is really important to us,” Jones said. “It’s an amazing race to swim because you’re not just doing it for yourself. It’s something bigger than that.”
It speaks volumes to the tightness of the team and the connection to the alumni. It’s something Nolan and Curtis have seen rollover through the decades.
“My three kids went to Gloucester Catholic and swam here, too,” said Curtis, who also coaches at Green-Fields Swim Club in West Deptford during the summers. “There’s a lot of pride and a lot of loyalty to the school.”
At Alabama, Jones will swim distance events. Curtis will continue to coach Green-Fields in the summer in the Tri-County Swimming Association, where her team of Turtles competes in the highest division. Nolan figures to catch up on family time while still teaching science at Deptford High School. He plans to devote a little more time to his hobby of collecting model toy trains. They will all think fondly of their time at Gloucester Catholic, whether it was four years, 27 or 37.
“It’s been awesome,” Jones said. “The last four years, even outside of swimming, have been great. I love this school. Swimming wise, [Nolan] was always excited for me. He’s a great guy and a great coach. He knows how to win meets and put lineups together.”
Nearly four decades has spawned some pretty great relationships.
“It’s all about the kids,” Nolan said. “You can take all the wins and losses and everything, but in the end, it’s the kids. They come back and they talk to you and remind you of great things. Gloucester Catholic was very good to me and my family. To give something back to them all these years is pretty special.”
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
