Viking swimmers pack a 1-2 punch

Girls finish first at Raider Sprint Meet while boys take second

By: Carolyn M. Hartko
   It may be one of the newest programs on the South Brunswick High School sports scene, but the girls’ swim team is already putting itself in the history books.
   The Lady Vikings took first place in last weekend’s Raider Sprint Meet held at North Brunswick High School. After a spectacular showing in the final relay, SBHS edged the hosts 221-210. The Piscataway girls finished third (193), with Old Bridge a distant fourth (102).
   In the boys’ competition, the Vikings placed second with a total of 138 points. The Raider boys dominated, winning the meet with 238.5 points. Old Bridge came in third (107) and Piscataway was fourth (48.5).
   "The girls were pretty excited," Viking head coach John Harding said. "It’s the first time we’ve ever beaten North Brunswick in any type of swimming thing, even if it was just a sprint relay. Even with only four teams being there, it’s always nice to be on top."
   There were only three different events contested in the meet, all of them requiring just two laps of the pool per swimmer. However, each of the events was flighted by age. Freshmen and sophomores got to swim against each other, and juniors and seniors had their own races. Points from both age groups were added to produce the school’s total score.
   The outcome of the girls’ meet was a surprise to everyone involved. South Brunswick led the field after the first two races, but only by a slim margin. By the middle of the meet, South had dropped to third behind the Raiders and Piscataway. It was the team’s performance in the final event (the 200 freestyle relay) that tipped the scales in South’s favor.
   The 9th- and 10th-graders swam first, and the Lady Viking A team won the race. Freshman Amy Wolf anchored that team, behind sophomores Jen Kamm, Alison Rossi and Chris Tupe. But the Viking B team also placed, earning third place points. That relay was an all-sophomore squad with Davanshi Patel leading off, followed by Jessica Mandel, Samantha Siegel and Stephanie Haddad.
   Not to be outdone, South’s upperclassmen won their heat, missing the school record by a shade more than a second. Senior Maria Petrov posted a personal best time in the second leg, and her classmates Carin Muchanic, Jenn Pizzo and Rachel O’Holla were close to theirs.
   "I wasn’t really paying much attention to our place," Harding said. "I was more concerned with how the girls were swimming, whether they were having good times, or whether they were performing well. I was trying to keep track of my 40 kids that were there. So, winning was a nice surprise."
   Earlier in the meet, the Lady Vikings had won the junior/senior flight of the 200 medley relay (Muchanic, Danielle Eige, Pizzo and Petrov). O’Holla placed second in the only individual race of the day, the 50 free.
   The Viking boys’ squad also had a good time at the inaugural Raider Sprint. The 9th- and 10th-graders won the 200 free relay. Sophomores Justin Cohen and Brett Niebanck and freshman Brandon Lee all swam their best times, and sophomore Kevin Loester was close to his.
   The boys also took third in that event, and second and third in the 9th/10th grade 200 medley relay. In individual competition, senior Nathan Parker and junior Eric Robinson placed fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 50 free sprint.
   "Having our boys come in second was a big morale booster for the team," Harding said. "They performed very well to come in second behind the North Brunswick boys who are very strong this year. I was pleased."
   This was the first year that North Brunswick has hosted a sprint invitational. Judging by the positive remarks from coaches and athletes, this could become an annual affair.
   "The conference coaches had talked at the end of last year about having a relay-type of carnival thing to start the season off," Harding said. "I think this was a very positive experience. The teams that were there represent some great coaches and great kids to be around, and I think everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It went pretty quick. The whole meet was over in about 2 ½ hours. It was a lot of fun. I was just a little disappointed that a few of the other teams in the conference weren’t there."
   This week, it’s back to dual meets for the Vikings. They were scheduled to swim against Piscataway Wednesday night, and they will be at Southern Regional on Friday night. There are no meets scheduled over winter break.