Bulldogs Swim Team Undefeated for Fourth Year

students have a lot to be proud of. The Bulldogs co-ed swim team has broken all the school relay records and is undefeated for the fourth year in a row – and, according to eighth-grader Tyler Helmle, it has the best pool in the area and the best coaches, too.

This year, the Bulldogs have outswam Ferndale (twice), Country Day (twice), Berkley, West Bloomfield and Clawson. In January alone, school records have been set in the 200-yard medley relay, 50-yard butterfly and 200-yard freestyle relay.

“The kids think more about breaking records than being undefeated,” said Julie Breen, whose son Chris has been on two record-breaking relay teams. “They are getting used to being undefeated.”

Breen said her son is very competitive. “Swimming is his sport," she said. "He has size 14 feet, which get in his way when he’s trying to run and jump. But in a pool, those feet act like fins.”

Wednesday, the Bulldogs swam in the Hazel Park Patriot Relays at Royal Oak's middle school pool.

"Hazel Park had their event here because our pool has the eight lanes, which makes it nice," Royal Oak swim coach Kevin Ryan said.

The relays are for just for fun, and the coaches don't keep track of points, Ryan said. But that didn't keep eighth-grader Danny Wade from keeping score. "We've won almost every relay here today," he said.

Ryan called the relay event “chaos,” but clearly he is doing something right. At least four of his former swimmers are swimming at the college level.

“Coach Ryan is so good with all the kids,” said Linda Bateman, whose son Everett in on the ROMS team. “He has the right temperament for this age group. He is very patient.” 

Bateman has had three sons swim in Ryan’s program. Her oldest son, Austin, is on the swim team at Albion College. Chad Batemen is a senior on the team.

The Bulldogs have been training since mid-November, including through the Christmas break.

“We have a really dedicated group of eighth-graders that have been together since the sixth grade,” Ryan said. “They’ll all go to the high school next year and help build up the program there.”