Green Wave squads continue to improve in the water
Wave post over
100 points for
the second time
It might be a little early to say, but there may be a new competitive power within the Monmouth County swimming scene before long.
For the second time this season, both of Long Branch’s swim teams won a meet, breaking past the 100-point plateau in doing so.
During their latest endeavor, the Green Wave defeated Colts Neck 122-8 (boys) and 103-66 (girls).
Despite facing a Colts Neck team of only two boys, Long Branch gave another impressive performance.
One of those efforts came from newcomer Brian Mejia.
Mejia set a new school record for the 100-meter backstroke.
He shattered the old record by three seconds, posting a time of 1:00.3.
Along with Mejia’s winning the backstroke, Long Branch captured the other 10 first-place spots, placed second 10 times and garnered third-place honors four times.
First-place honors were awarded to Mejia, Jim Mazza, Bill Kelly and Brian Fish (200-meter medley relay); James Burkimsher (200-meter freestyle); Kelly (200-meter individual medley); Fish (50 and 100-meter freestyle); Mejia (100-meter butterfly); Mazza (500-meter freestyle); Kelly Burkimsher, Fish and Mejia (200-meter freestyle relay); Chris Galatis (100-meter breaststroke); and Galatis, William Yeung, Mazza and Burkimsher (400-meter freestyle relay).
On the other side of the pool, the Long Branch girls faced a greater number of competitors but still found commanding results.
Eight times the Wave took home the gold, with five silver and five bronze finishes to secure the win.
Melissa Penn, Ashley Stone, Aimee Edson and Mary Ellen Kelly started things off by winning the 200 medley relay.
Individually, Kelly went on to win the 200 and 500 freestyle races. Heather White won the 50 free, Edson the 100 butterfly, Penn the 100 backstroke and Stone the 100 breaststroke. Long Branch capped off their first-place performances with White, Tania Sousa, Penn and Kelly winning the 400 freestyle relay.
Second place went to Ashleigh Layton, Vera Matos, Carolyn Ging and Kayla Fish (200 medley relay); Penn (200 IM); Edson (50 free); Fish, Stone, White and Edson (200 freestyle relay); and Layton (100 backstroke).
Third place was awarded to Melissa Eilers (100 butterfly), Layton (500 free), Sousa, Aimee Trower, Kelly Credle and Alex Gonzalez (200 freestyle relay), Matos (100 breaststroke), Gonzalez, Hailey Rosas, Trower and Fish (400 freestyle relay).
Long Branch now stands with a 2-1 record.
They will return to the pool today when they face their toughest opponent yet in the Red Bank Catholic Caseys.
RBC is off to another solid start and is once again one of the top teams in the Shore Conference.
A strong showing against the Caseys could go a long way toward giving the Green Wave girls the type of attention they covet.
The meet will take place at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls, starting at 7 p.m.