At Wednesday afternoon’s Suburban Council Championship swim meet, there were signs of Matt Turner everywhere.

"He’d be very embarrassed that we’re doing any of this for him," said Dirk Francois, who knew Turner for 21 years, and spent the last five coaching the joint Burnt Hills and Scotia Glenville swim teams with him.

The longtime coach’s common sayings appeared on walls and T-shirts through the Shenendehowa Aquatics Center, where the meet was held.

"Not many people can get away with signing an email off with "swimmingly," but that was just his thing," said Shaker High School swim coach Shawna Weaver, who was wearing a T-shirt with the phrase written on the front.

Turner’s name even managed to pop up on a face mask or two.

"He would laugh about this, definitely," said Francois, who wore a mask that displayed Turner’s name in flashing lights.

The only thing missing was Turner himself.

"I’ve never really swam in my life, since eighth grade, without him here," said Alex Farmer, a senior and captain of the Burnt Hills team. "It’s really strange to be swimming without him."

On early Saturday morning, the same day the championship meet was originally scheduled, Turner died after suffering a heart attack.

"It’s like a bombshell goes off with everybody," Francois said. "It’s like, how do you deal with it?"

Prior to the meet, Francois said the team was determined to finish the season in honor of their beloved coach.

"We all knew his motto: You swam no matter what," Francois said. "It didn’t matter who was there coaching or what you were doing, the most important thing is you get in and compete."

Following a moment of silence in honor of his coach, Farmer had only a few minutes to compose himself before his first event.

"It’s a loss I can’t really compare to anything else," Farmer said. "He was a coach, he was a teacher, he was a mentor, and he really helped the team through a lot."

After graduating from Burnt Hills as one of the school’s top swimmers in 2016, Weaver became one of Turner’s assistants.

"That was my first time coaching and it was alongside of him, so it was really special to be able to share that with him," she said.

Now the head coach at rival Shaker, the championship meet was supposed to be Weaver’s first time going against her old coach.

"We were just joking back and forth about what it was going to be like because we were going against each other, and we never really got to do that," Weaver said. "It was really tough."

Known for his dry wit and devotion to his athletes, those closest to Turner say they’ll always feel his presence around the pool, long after he’s gone.

"It’s weird, kind of shocking, that he’s not here with us, but I know he’d be proud," Weaver said. "He loved swimming so much, he cared about swimming and his simmers and his students, and that was his life."