Contrasting efforts pay off for Shore vs. Freehold

Contrasting efforts pay off for Shore vs. Freehold


Chris Kelly Shore Regional’s Christina Gulian places second in the 100 butterfly, enabling her team to sweep the event during a meet against Freehold Borough on Feb. 1.Chris Kelly Shore Regional’s Christina Gulian places second in the 100 butterfly, enabling her team to sweep the event during a meet against Freehold Borough on Feb. 1.

By chris kelly

Staff Writer

There are many ways to win in the swimming pool, as the squads from Shore Regional High School, West Long Branch, proved last week.

Hosting Freehold Borough at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, the Lady Blue Devils swept all 11 first-place finishes for a 124-46 win, while the boys’ squad only captured two golden spots, yet still captured the 95-68 win.

Even though Shore’s boys only garnered two first-place wins, the 200-meter freestyle relay and the 100-meter breaststroke, they were able to come back after three events to begin to control the meet.

Rich Fuller, John Hegarty, Shay O’Neill and Kyle Clayton (200 freestyle relay), and Ryan Langston (100 breaststroke) gave the team 14 total team points, but it was the team’s second-place finishes which garnered the necessary team points.

Shore grabbed all 11 silver spots, recording 44 team points.

Earning the four team points awarded to second-place relay and individual finishers were Fuller, John Gordon, Ed Marsh and Jon Schultz (200-meter medley relay); Hegarty (100- and 200-meter freestyle); Gordon (200-meter individual medley); Fuller (50-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke); Ed Marsh (100-meter butterfly); E.J. Wright (500-meter freestyle); Mike Snow, Jon Schultz, Langston and Chris Petrillo (200 freestyle relay); Nick Signorelli (100 breaststroke); and Hegarty, Clayton, O’Neill and Wright (400-meter freestyle relay).

Shore earned another 15 team points from individual third-place finishes, and two from third-place relay finishes.

Wright, Langston, Clayton and Schultz rounded out the top three in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 free, and the 200 IM. Clayton posted two third-place times in the 50 and 500 freestyle races.

While the boys didn’t have the lead until the end of the fourth race, Shore’s girls controlled their side of the pool from the onset.

In addition to sweeping all 11 first-place spots, Shore also swept two events.

Stacy Delehanty, Christina Gulian and Nicole Chismar finished in order of the 100 butterfly race, while Lauren Ostrowsky, Dana McMahon and Alicia Decker did the same in the 500 free.

Other first-place times were posted by Chismar, Nicole Chevalier, Gulian and Nicole Mentel (200 medley relay); Ostrowsky (200 free); Lindsey Wallace (200 IM and 100 breaststroke); Mentel (50 free); Liz Palasky (100 free); Palasky, Chismar, Rachael Koechlein and Casey Whalen (200 freestyle relay); Chismar (100 back); and Ostrowksy, Palasky, Gulian, and Chevalier (400 freestyle relay).

Also earning points for their team (one point awarded to fourth place) were Amanda Chisholm (200 free), McMahon (200 IM), Michelle Liptak (100 free) and Ashley Karinja (100 breaststroke).

Amanda Goldfine, Rachael Smith, Lauren Szczurek and Chelsea Lynch also posted a fourth-place time in the 200 freestyle relay; however, points are only awarded to the top three relay spots.

The wins improved the boys’ team to 8-3 and the girls to 9-2.