Plas plays role in MHS swim success

Cougars hope to reach potential

By: Justin Feil
   Mike Plas found out pretty quickly last season that the Montgomery High boys’ swimming team was doing much better than it usually did.
   "I had heard from the seniors that our swim team wasn’t that good in the past," said Plas, whose family moved to Montgomery before the start of his freshman year. "It was nice winning 11 meets last year."
   Particularly since as a freshman, Plas had his entire high school career ahead of him. Now as a sophomore, he’s part of a Cougar team that is hoping to better last season’s 11-6 record and sectional B finalist finish. It’s been a difficult start as MHS has run up against some of the top A public schools in the state in the early going, but no one doubts its potential to reach its goal.
   "It’s been a lot harder," Plas said. "We have a better team than last year. We have another good freshman class. Every year, we get closer and closer to beating (the big schools). They don’t beat us by as much as they used to. We just shake it off and go to the next meet."
   The Cougars evened their record at 2-2 with a 108-62 win over South Brunswick on Friday. The MHS girls also defeated South Brunswick, improving to 4-1 on the season. The convincing victory for the boys was further indication of just how much better they are this season.
   "When we raced South Brunswick last year, it was a lot closer meet," said Plas, who won the 100 backstroke and placed second in the 200 freestyle. "It showed we’re a lot stronger."
   Plas, too, is a lot stronger this year.
   "This year, I’ve done a lot better," he said. "I feel I’ve had better times this year. A lot of hard work pays off.
   "I put a lot more effort into getting faster this year," he added. "I just started training harder."
   He changed club teams from Whitewaters to Somerset Valley YMCA, where he swims with several MHS teammates. It was Brian Stirling, a SVY training teammate, who defeated him in the 200 free Friday.
   "It’s not exactly my best event," said Plas, who usually swims the 200 individual medley for the Cougars. "But I did swim a personal best time in the 200."
   Besides having Stirling to push him to faster times in the 200 free, Plas has teammate and classmate Ryan Warner to push him in the backstroke. It is Warner who set the school backstroke record last season and eclipsed the mark again this season, but he wasn’t there Friday when Plas won it.
   "It helps me go a little faster," Plas said. "It helps if he’s in the event swimming with me. I did a lot better against his record when he ended up breaking his own record."
   Warner is nursing an injury and only swimming freestyle races at the moment. But with the two of them, the Cougars have a dominant backstroke pairing. In fact, Plas, Warner and Drew Talarick give MHS quite a sophomore core to build on for this season and the next two to come.
   "This is a much stronger team than last year," said MHS coach Claire Scarpa. "We went up against Hillsborough and Lawrence. We have Bridgewater coming up this week. That will be a tough one, but we need the power points for states. They’re all in the A division.
   "They’re not down at all. They’re all stepping up and swimming personal bests. That’s what matters."
   Plas’s 200 free personal best was just the latest indication that the Cougars continue to move forward whether they’re winning or losing. Plas is looking forward to taking a shot at his best when MHS takes on Watchung Hills today and Bridgewater on Friday.
   "It’s kind of like we know they’re good and know it’ll be a tough meet," Plas said. "We kind of look forward to the future when we might be able to beat them."
   Plas is hoping that the day comes when he can put his name in the MHS record books. It’s a healthy competition with Warner that helps keep both swimming their best.
   "His times have really improved," Scarpa said of Plas. "He wants the backstroke record. He’s been working and training really hard. Warner has it and he reset it this year. Plas is really trying his hardest. Mike’s fastest is 1:03, so he still has a second and a half to cut off, but it’s reasonable he could pop a 1:02. It’s not like he set a goal that’s ridiculous."
   MHS’ own season goals also don’t seem so ridiculous. It should be evenly matched with Watchung Hills, one of the six teams to defeat it last season. Today’s meet provides another measuring stick for how much improved a Cougars team that lost just one regular points winner from last season’s sectional finalist is. Though Plas and the younger Cougars can point to next season and their senior years with even greater optimism, their immediate focus hasn’t wavered from what they can accomplish now.
   "I think we actually want to get farther this year," Plas said. "We hope to win state sectionals. Our team is swimming a lot faster than last year. It’ll be a tough thing to reach, but it’s what we’re going for."
   Plas and the younger Cougars swimmers also know that if not this season, there’s almost the next two when MHS figures to have just as good a chance. Having been to the sectional finals last year, there’s a better understanding of how close they came and what it takes to go to the next level.
   "We’re still very much focused on this year," Plas said. "It’s just that you have to have more drive, a better drive to do it. We’re more focused on it."
   Mike Plas and the Cougars already established the best season in program history last season. They’re out to do even better this season, and they’ll take as many records with them as possible.