Montgomery Co. pool gets new name, honors swim coach killed in crash

WASHINGTON — Montgomery County’s Western County Outdoor Pool in Poolesville, Maryland, has a new name, honoring a coach who died in a traffic accident nearly 15 years ago.

The pool is now named after Sarah E. Auer, who coached the Poolesville Piranhas Swim Team and also served as a coach for the Rockville-Montgomery Swim Club.

Auer was killed in a crash while traveling to her coaching job for RMSC in December 2002, according to a Montgomery County news release. 

Her brother, Tim Auer, tells NBC Washington that Sarah would have been “extremely happy” and overwhelmed by Sunday’s renaming ceremony.

“Plus, she’d be a little embarrassed and say, you know, ‘why are you making all this fuss about me?’”

Before the ceremony, an annual mini-swim meet fundraiser was held for the memorial scholarship in Sarah’s name.

The annual Sarah E. Auer Mini-Swim Meet has awarded scholarships to graduating seniors from Poolesville High School, the Poolesville Piranhas Swim Team and the Montgomery Swim League.

Watch a report from WTOP’s TV news partner, NBC Washington:

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