LHS swimming teams dominate Knight Relays

Lawrence swimming

By: Jim Green
   The Lawrence High School swimming team never knows what to expect from its opponents when it competes in the Knight Relays at West Windsor-Plainsboro North. But the Cardinals always know what to expect from themselves — an outstanding performance.
   The Cardinals, as they often do, dominated the annual meet, with the boys and girls teams combining to take first in 13 out of the 20 total races.
   "The kids swam really well," Lawrence coach Dean Mason said. "It’s nice because we get to swim two different teams in each relay. It gives the kids a lot of opportunities to swim. To take 13 out of 20 relays was really positive for us."
   The boys team won seven of its nine events. Josh Rosen, Steve Goldberg, Jordan McGrew and Eric Hoover claimed the 200-meter medley relay in 2:03.46, J.P. Kelly, Owen Henn, Chris Thiel and McGrew won the 200 freestyle (1:49.15), and Eric Einstein, Darick Smalls, Ryan Schmid and Goldberg took the 200 breaststroke (2:23.43). Jordan Hawthorne, Goldberg, Thiel and Hoover teamed to win the 400 medley (4:36.88), McGrew, Kelly, Hawthorne and Henn won the 4×100 medley (4:46.64), Nick Carey, Thiel, Goldberg and Hoover claimed the 400 freestyle (4:04.28), and Schmid, Matt Berit, Tomasz Modzlenski and Hoover pulled out the 200 composite freestyle (1:54.16).
   The girls team captured four first places, with Katelyn Fecak, Steph Hulette, Nancy Zeng and Julia Senerth winning the 200 breaststroke (2:39.81), and Bradleigh Stearns, Erica Nagy, Lindsay Stern and Senerth taking the 200 backstroke (2:24.65). Fecak, Stern, Nagy and Senerth claimed the 4×100 medley (5:15.45), while Kim Greenfield, Stern, Maddie Emde and Julia Wrobel placed first in the 400 freestyle (4:31.58).
   Senerth was particularly impressive, as she anchored three winning relays, bringing two from behind.
   "Julia Senerth had a great meet for us," Mason said. "She had a really strong day. That’s the way she started this year. She’s looking really strong. We’re very happy with where our girls are at."
   Lawrence also displayed its talent and depth in the mixed relays, winning both the 200 mixed medley with Rosen, Einstein, Allison Webber and Greenfield (2:15.97) and the 200 mixed freestyle with Kelly, Wrobel, Emde and McGrew (1:56.01).
   "It was a fun day," Mason said. "We like to get out and swim. Most teams haven’t even swum a dual meet yet. It was good for us."
   Lawrence kept the ball rolling Tuesday at Hightstown, with the boys team winning 125-47 and the girls team triumphing 123-47. The Cardinal boys (4-0) received wins from McGrew in the 200-meter freestyle, Henn in the 100 butterfly, Hoover in the 100 freestyle, Josh Rosenbluth in the 100 backstroke and Goldberg in the 100 breaststroke. The girls team (3-1) had victories from Jillian Franc in the 200 freestyle, Greenfield in the 50 freestyle and 500 freestyle, Emde in the 100 butterfly, Wrobel in the 100 freestyle, Emily Steiner in the 100 backstroke and Senerth in the 100 breaststroke. Lawrence also won all three relays on both the boys and girls sides.
   The Cardinals next have their first big Colonial Valley Conference meet of the season, as they visit Princeton at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
   "We do have a lot of depth," Mason said. "We’re going to need it in some of these meets coming up. The Princeton boys are very good. We have our work cut out for us next Tuesday against Princeton."