BLUE HAWK AQUATICS FOUNDATION
Pioneers
Bill Palmer
1938 - 2020
Bill Palmer (1938–2020) was one of New Jersey's most influential swim coaches and the founder of the Shore Aquatic Club, which later became the Central Jersey Aquatic Club (CJAC). Under his leadership, CJAC captured the 1976 AAU National Championship and produced numerous Olympians, including Olympic gold medalist Wendy Boglioli and world record holder John T. Skinner. Palmer's commitment to athlete development helped establish Central Jersey as one of the premier swimming programs in the nation, leaving a lasting legacy on competitive swimming in New Jersey and beyond.
Frank Elm
1929 - 2021
Frank Elm (1929–2021) was a legendary Rutgers University coach whose impact on swimming spanned more than three decades. A two-time All-American swimmer at Indiana University, Elm built Rutgers women's team into a national powerhouse while coaching 10 Olympic swimmers including medalist Kathy Heddy, serving on three U.S. Olympic coaching staffs, and leading the 1980 U.S. Olympic team before the Moscow boycott. Along with Bill Palmer, he helped shape the Central Jersey Aquatic Club into one of America's elite age-group programs, influencing generations of swimmers throughout New Jersey and the Northeast.
Dick Steadman
1914 - 1991
Dick Steadman was a pioneering collegiate swimming coach whose leadership at Monmouth College helped elevate the school's swimming program during the 1970s. He was instrumental in recruiting and developing Olympic champion Wendy Boglioli, one of the earliest female scholarship swimmers in collegiate athletics. His influence on New Jersey swimming was so highly regarded that the International Swimming Hall of Fame established the Dick Steadman Award, recognizing coaches who exemplify sportsmanship, mentorship, and a lifelong commitment to the sport.
LEGACY
