A true family tradition
ADAMS TWP — When Andrew Pierre officially became a member of the Mars boys swimming team in the fall of 2015, he wasn’t just beginning what he hopes is a strong high school career, he was continuing a family tradition.
All nine of his older siblings — sisters Evann, Jaclyn, Chloe, Gabrielle, Phoebe and brothers Dan, David, Tom and Jimmy — each hit the water for the Planets in previous years.
“I started swimming when I was 6-years-old,” Andrew said. “Swimming is a great sport. You can focus on yourself as an individual, but everybody on the team is counting on you doing your job.”
Some members of the Pierre brood started swimming competitively for the Allegheny Valley YMCA, where their mother, Kathleen, coached for a decade. She then moved on to the Butler YMCA and her youngest children followed. She has been coaching there for four years.
“I always liked swimming,” Kathleen said. “A lot of our kids played other sports, too. They played baseball, softball, but swimming was a lot easier when it came to practices and competitions because they all happened at the same place and time, or at least one right after the other.”
The Pierres involvement with Mars varsity swimming began with Evann, now 33. She and her four sisters each went on to swim for St. Francis University in Cambria County.
Aside from the benefit of athletic accomplishment, Kathleen Pierre believes a sport as demanding as swimming has taught her children important life skills.
“It teaches you what it means to have a strong work ethic,” she said. “I know it helped my kids with their school work. They did their best in school when they knew what they had to do. They had limited time and learned that they had to use it wisely.”
Andrew, now a sophomore at Mars, is the last of the Pierre children. He has seen his older siblings achieve a lot in the pool. Tom and Jimmy Pierre were both on Mars’ 6-swimmer squad that won the PIAA Class AA team title in 2014.
Andrew said what his siblings achieved has inspired him.
“I swim the same events that Tommy did, the 200 and 500 freestyle,” said Andrew. “He has the school record in the 500 (four minutes, 44 seconds) and I want to break it. My best time is 4:55.”
Pierre laid a good foundation for his varsity career as a freshman last season, earning a medal at WPIALs by placing fifth in the 500 free. He swam at states in that event, as well as the 200 and 400 freestyle relay events.
“He has a great attitude, never complains and gets the job done above and beyond expectations,” said Mars assistant coach Erik Bergh.
“My goal this season is to get to states in the 200 and 500 freestyle and make the ‘A’ finals (top eight) in both,” said Andrew.
