The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
The562’s coverage of water polo & swimming is sponsored by the Aquatic Capital of America Foundation.
After nearly three decades in charge of the Wilson girls’ swim program, head coach Maggi Twinem announced her retirement on Tuesday, stepping down as swim coach and PE teacher at Wilson.
“These past 29 years, I have been blessed to have been a part of each and every one of your lives,” wrote Twinem in a letter to her team. “This decision, a plan that I had put in motion five years ago, did not come easily for me; my entire life has been built around the sport that I love. I have maintained from the beginning of my career at Wilson that when I was done teaching, I would also walk away from coaching. And that time has come.”
Wilson girls’ aquatics flourished during Twinem’s tenure, winning 20 Moore League titles while producing countless collegiate swimmers, All-Americans, and future Olympians. At one stretch from 1999-2009, the Bruins won 11 consecutive Moore League girls’ swim titles.
Twinem also led the Wilson girls’ swim program to both of the program’s CIF-SS championships, winning them a decade apart in 1995 and 2005.
“It is a beautiful feeling to know that the legacy that was built before I arrived will continue to grow after I leave,” Twinem told her team. “That is all I could ever want for you and for this program.”
No replacement has been named yet, and a coaching search is expected to begin sometime next week.
