It’s All In The Swim Team Family
Siblings shine as individuals and as a team
Swimming at Loyola has become a Hayburn family tradition. (From left) Patrick, ’25; Annie, ’20; Luke; Joe, ’27; and Jimmy, ’22 - Photo Courtesy of Teri Hayburn
Three of Joe Hayburn’s older siblings were Greyhounds, so he has been going to Loyola swimming and diving meets since he was in sixth grade.
When he began figuring out his own college destination, though, he started out with a different idea.
“Initially, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m going to go to Loyola. I have to be different. Someone has to be different here,’” said Joe, ’27. “I looked at a ton of different schools. But at the end of the day, I loved Loyola. I loved the team atmosphere. I love the balance between the work and the pool and just how much free time we have outside to pursue things we’re passionate about.”
Joe, now a sophomore, is not part of an unusual story at Loyola. Teams often fashion themselves as families. The Greyhounds under Brian Loeffler, ’91, have become a magnet for them.
Loeffler is in his 37th consecutive year with the program—four while competing as an undergraduate, one as an assistant, and then the last 32 as the school’s longest-tenured current head coach. And while he’s not sure emphasizing family ties was intentional at the start, it’s worked out that way all the same.
“I think parents who send their first child to Loyola—and to our team—really like the experience that they’ve had, both educationally and with the team. So, they end up sending their sibling here as well,” Loeffler said. “Other students who come here feel like they're part of something bigger, and so I think it’s a natural fit when actual siblings come here as well.”
Take the Dwyers, who grew up just north of New York City. Grace Dwyer’s older brother swam at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, so she had spent time in the area and knew she would like the experience of attending college in Baltimore.
But what really hooked her in the recruiting process was when she spent time with former Hound Stella Meyerhoeffer, ’24, who introduced Dwyer to her friends and guided her around campus.
“I feel like when I saw that, that’s when I knew I wanted to go to Loyola,” said Grace, now a junior backstroker. “I loved how close-knit they all were. The campus was by far my favorite. I just felt it was the perfect fit for me, both school and swim-wise.”
Two years later, it was her brother Luke Dwyer’s turn. The family’s familiarity with Loyola helped and so did one of Loeffler’s biggest priorities: making sure everyone on his team felt they could have their own identity.
In other words, no one gets labeled as someone’s kid sibling.
“I didn’t want to be known as Grace’s younger brother,” said Luke, a first-year student. “It was definitely made known that I’d be my own person, and I’d be treated separately from Grace.”
That was already a given by the time Patrick Hayburn, ’25, decided to attend Loyola. He grew up in the Annapolis area and had already seen his sister, Annie, ’20, and older brother, Jimmy, ’22, come into the program. A senior sprinter who swims freestyle and butterfly events, Patrick recently finished his Loyola swimming career with Joe by his side while earning Patriot League Men’s Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
After all the time he’s spent around the Greyhounds over the years, it’s clear to him the common thread that has made the program so welcoming.
“I’m so grateful to Coach Loeffler and the relationships he’s formed with my family over the years,” Patrick said. “He is a great coach. Everyone has had a positive experience with him. There have been a lot of swimmers that have succeeded through his program, and it continues to this day. The program keeps getting better and better, and it’s a testament to his leadership here.”
Loeffler’s longstanding knowledge of the school matters, too. He touts to recruits that professors and administrators will get to know and invest in students. He also understands the University’s mission and roots, ensuring the schedule has opportunities for athletes to attend Mass on the weekend.
“The Catholic piece for me is huge—and that family atmosphere,” Joe said. “It kind of fosters a relationship that’s deeper than, ‘We’re going to swim together and we’re going to see each other.’ It’s a lot deeper, and it’s so special. It goes beyond the four years of swimming.”
"My brother Jimmy’s getting married, and his wedding party is pretty much his siblings and his teammates at Loyola,” Joe added. “I think it’s a testament to the impact that both the team and the University have on the individual student-athlete.”