Peterfish’s mission has been to give WC swimmers a chance to compete
When he returns to the Division II State Boys Swimming and Diving Championship next season, Worthington Christian junior Sam Zhu might listen for coach Jim Peterfish’s distinctive whistle, but he knows he won’t hear it.
Peterfish, the Warriors swim team coach for the last 24 years, said the Feb. 24-28 state meet in Canton’s C.T. Branin Natatorium was his last meet.
“The one thing I will always remember about races with him is he always whistles very loudly,” said Zhu, who placed 13th in the 500-yard freestyle in 4 minutes, 52.02 seconds and was 26th in the 200 free (1:49.43). “It’s one of the only things I can hear when I swim. When I hear it, I’m able to find an extra gear, and I’m able to push myself, knowing he is in it with me.”
Peterfish has been helping WC swimmers find that extra gear since 2001. Despite dealing with limited numbers, Worthington Christian has sent someone to Canton 17 out of his 24 seasons with the program. In Peterfish’s time with the Warriors, six swimmers and two divers, who Peterfish doesn’t coach, placed in the top 16 at the state meet.
Three of Peterfish’s Worthington Christian swimmers placed in the top eight at state:
- Austin Hickok (WC ’25), now at Ohio State, was runner-up in the 50 free (2024, 2025) and 200 free (2025) and fourth in the 100 butterfly (2024);
- Becca Knapper (WC ’16) placed fifth in the 100 butterfly and sixth in the 500 free (2016) after finishing eighth in the 500 free (2014);
- Justin Peterfish (WC ’05) was seventh in the 100 breaststroke in 2004 and 2005 when the boys competed in one division.
- Although she didn’t fall under Peterfish’s auspices, Lena Morgan (WC ’21) also won the state diving title in 2020 after finishing runner-up in 2019.
Peterfish said he has found his fountain of youth in swimming.
“I’m 68 … but I don’t feel 68,” said Peterfish, who also retired from coaching at the Westerville Aquatic Club, where he has worked for 48 years. “The reason why I did this for so long is probably similar to just about every other coach – you do it because you enjoy being around kids and their enthusiasm. I enjoy watching that whole development of youth.
“Over the years, I’ve had a number of swimmers who continued to stay in contact with me because swimming was a big part of their lives. You’re with them for such a short period of time, but it’s an important time where they develop their lives.”
Peterfish himself was mentored by the late John Bruce, a former swimming coach at the Ohio State University. When he was in junior high school, Peterfish swam with friends on the local YMCA team and joined a club team coached by Bruce.
Bruce saw potential in Peterfish and advised him to go to a junior college in Grand Rapids, Mich., and then return to compete for the Buckeyes. However, when Peterfish returned to Columbus in 1975, Bruce was no longer the coach at Ohio State.
“I had my heart set on swimming for him at Ohio State,” Peterfish said. “(When Bruce’s contract was not renewed), that took the wind out of my sails about competing in college.”
After studying electronics in junior college, Peterfish abruptly switched to education when he transferred to Ohio State.
Bruce asked Peterfish if he wanted to become his assistant coach with his club team. Peterfish became the head coach of the Westerville Aquatics Club in 1985 and, in 1992, its owner.
Despite all his success, Peterfish was initially shot down when he tried to start a swimming team at Worthington Christian. The Warriors had only one state qualifier in swimming – Dana Born, who placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke in 1983 and sixth in 1984 – in their first 28 years. With his two children, Justin and Julie, attending the school, Peterfish offered to start a swimming team, but was told it would be cost-prohibitive due to pool rental expenses.
“The students wanted that opportunity to represent their school,” Peterfish said. “When (then-athletic director Kent Homoelle) heard my plan to volunteer and have the swimmers train with my club swimmers, he agreed.”
With its roster never exceeding eight athletes, Worthington Christian was never able to compete against state powerhouses like Cincinnati St. Xavier or Upper Arlington. However, Peterfish believes there are pros and cons to having just a handful of students.
“The disadvantage is we never had a full team,” Peterfish said, “Most of the coaches around here were always welcoming in terms of allowing us to come in as a third or fourth team at a meet, but we knew we’d never be competing for a team title.
“The biggest advantage is obviously individual attention. They got the opportunity to swim whatever they wanted and focused on that for the end of the season.”
Peterfish’s mission has been to give swimmers a chance to compete, not just at Worthington Christian but all across the state.
Peterfish, who was selected as Ohio Senior Coach of the Year three times and earned the 2008 Ohio High School Swimming Coaches Association Sportsmanship and Ethics Award, coached swimmers at all levels. Two of his WAC alumni, Westerville Central’s Austin Staab, the National High School Swimmer of the Year and an American record holder, and Dublin Scioto’s Kate McNeilis, held state records in their events.
However, not all of his athletes were Division I-caliber swimmers. Peterfish serves as the President of Youthletics, which aids nearly 6,000 children and adults annually in learn-to-swim programs across Columbus. He was named the 2007 Head National Coach of the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes.
Dr. Walt Ersing altered Peterfish’s career path. The professor at Ohio State’s Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, a friend of his father, the late Bob Peterfish, a legendary OHSAA swimming official, was the chief of the adapted physical education program. At that time, only two schools, Ohio State and Texas, were offering a master’s program in that field.
The Ohio School for the Blind hired Peterfish as a physical education teacher shortly after he graduated from Ohio State.
“I was the first person from my program to get a job,” said Peterfish, who served as an athletic director and a physical education teacher at the Ohio School for the Blind for 31 years. “I saw what it took (to be successful) at the level of coaching and teaching.”
The foundation of working with visually impaired swimmers reinforced what Peterfish hopes his swimmers take away from swimming.
“One of the things I hope (swimmers) figure out is that life, like swimming, isn’t always fair and it doesn’t always work out the way you want it to,” he said. “What you learn from swimming is that the effort you give on a regular basis helps you become a better person, and it does prepare you for the challenges you’re going to have through adulthood.
“Over the years, I’ve heard former swimmers say when they are struggling at work, they think back to some of our training practices, and they realize, ‘this is a piece of cake.’ Honestly, that’s the overall goal of swimming: giving athletes a shot at being productive and successful.”
Although he won’t hear Peterfish’s distinctive whistle at the state meet next year, Zhu believes he will still hear the echoes of what his coach taught him.
“Jim cares about each one of his swimmers,” the junior said. “He’s intentional and listens to everything you have to say. He knows when to push you and overall lifts you to be at your best.”
