The Oceanport Sealions Swim Club team has certainly put its summer season in proper perspective.
"We are a ‘just for the fun of-it’ type of team," said head coach Kelly Stone. "The kids come as often as they want, and when they do compete, they try their hardest and have a good time."
Stone added that this year’s crop of swimmers is as big as it is enthusiastic, making for an interesting summer season.
"I have so many kids right now, it is really incredible to have so much interest in the sport," she said. "I’m sure there are other groups out there that take it much more serious than us, but that’s not the point of our league. It’s designed to give community kids something rewarding and positive to do with their time."
The rewards of the competition, Stone added, are not measured in wins and losses. For her team, progress is the only goal for her swimmers as the season progresses.
"We normally have between six and eight matches in our small league," she said. "Like I said before, the outcome doesn’t really matter. What counts is that everyone is enjoying themselves. I really love working with all of my kids. They are a great bunch."
Stone has quality swimmers in several age groups, starting with her younger girls, including 5-year-olds Rebecca Ley and Amalie Vaa; 6-year-olds Elizabeth Doherty, Miranda Halpern, Colette LaPorta, Dominique Neubelt, Autumn Watts and Abby Weis; and 7-year-olds Michaela Curtis, Meghan Mills and Alicia Moeller.
Andrew Perfetto is the only 7-year-old boy on the team, while Alyssa Campbell, Emma Christensen, Kassiani Chrysanthopoulos, Monica De Los Reyes, Cassidy Egan, Sarah Johnson, Veronica Kampfe, Gabrielle Neubelt, Heidi Neubelt, Maggie Oberle, Jessica Reulbach, Rebecca Vaa, Casey Weis, Jamie Batho, James Lane, Ben Ley, Ethan Neuelt, Max Neubelt and Joey Perfetto are the club’s 8-year-olds.
Hannah Doherty, leads the list of 9-year-olds that includes Natalie Ehret, Keeley French, Allison Kowalski, Ally Leavy, Grace Moeller, Holly Oberle, Victoria Reulbach, Julia Watts, Joao Bonatoe, Christopher Budra, Clark Halpern and Greg Kampfe.
The 10-year-old contingent is made up of Allie Agnostak, Alexandra Carroll, Caitlin Crawford, Jen Kohler, Jenny Lane and Victoria LaPorta on the girls’ side, and Beans McCarthy and Cliff O’Malley on the boys’ side.
Marion Donald, Shannon Godly, Shannon Johnson, Caitlin McCarthy, and Rebecca Reulbach are the Sealions’ 11-year-old girls, while Drake Halpern and Sam Moeller are the boys.
The 12-year-old group is led by Robyn Johnson, Theresa McGroarty, Caleb Doherty and Cody O’Malley, while Danielle Egan, Michelle Walden and Tommy Leavy are the club’s 13-year-olds.
— Paul Salus