Returning swimmers are encouraging coach
By:Neil Hay
Having won only two meets last year, goals are decidedly modest for this year’s edition of the Hightstown High School boys’ swim team.
Coach Ellen Mace, beginning her fourth season with the Rams, has plenty of returning swimmers on deck. Helped out by several newcomers, the team has ample numbers to fill all the lanes this year. How well the team does in the pool, ultimately, will be determined by how quickly the team improves.
"We are going to do better than last year," vowed Mace. "We have a nice group. They’ve bonded nicely. I am looking forward to having a good time and winning some meets."
Four Jesses – count ’em, four – are on the squad to give the Rams depth. They include sophomore Jesse Berman (freestyle), junior Jesse Hayward ( backstroke, butterfly), and sophomore Jesse Kuhn (freestyle), all returnees, plus freshman freestyler Jesse Parsons.
Also back are senior tri-captains Vinnie Civitillo (freestyle) and Youssef Ezzyat (breaststroke), Brian Patterson, the third tri-captain who swims freestyle and butterfly, junior J.B. Cossart (breast), sophomore Antoine Cossart (free), sophomore Nick Nunez (backstroke, freestyle), senior Richard Ohanian ( breaststroke, freestyle), junior Stu Ringelman (freestyle), junior Dan Falman ( IM, freestyle), senior Dan Shebses (fly, free), junior Zach Starks (free), and sophomore Chris Wong (free, breast).
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‘We are going to do better than last year. We have a nice group. They’ve bonded nicely. I am looking forward to having a good time and winning some meets.’ Ellen Mace
HHS boys’ swim coach |
Other additions include freshmen Alex Wood (back, fly), Anthony Damasco (free), Andrew Epifanne (free), and Robert Porche (free, back). Wood, Patterson, Nunez, Falman and Civitillo look to be the team’s leading point scorers this winter.
Wood, who swims year-round with Peddie Aquatics, should make Hightstown a better team this season. Already Mace is counting on him for big contributions. Unfortunately, Wood is Hightstown’s only year-round swimmer.
"He’ll place at counties in the backstroke," predicted Mace of the freshman.
"This is a young team. We hope to be competitive. But it is hard to compete against schools with year-round swimmers."
The new season got off to a rocky start Tuesday when the boys lost to Rancocas Valley, 129-41, at home. Wood had the boys’ only first place when he won the 100 backstroke in 1:07.16.
In other results Wood, Ezzyat, Patterson and Falman were third in the 200 medley relay (2:10.48) Patterson was third in the 200 (2:33.52) and 500 ( 6:57.25) freestyles. Wood’s 1:09.59 was second best in the 100 butterfly, and Falman (29.93) was third in the 50 free.
Also, Izzyat, Starks, Antoine Cossart and Civitillo were third in the 200 freestyle relay in 2:06.25. Ezzyat’s 1:24.02 was second in the 100 breaststroke. Nunez, Patterson, Salman, and Wood went 4:41.86 for third place in the 400 free relay.
"It was kind of what I expected," said Mace of Tuesday’s results. "It was good experience for the younger swimmers. There is a lot of work to be done."