Sholl helps PHS reach CJB final

By: Justin Feil
   Caroline Sholl was focused on running when she came into Princeton High School, but she’s found just as much team success in the pool for the Little Tiger girls’ swim team.
   "Swimming turned out to be a lot of fun," said Sholl, a senior from Cranbury. "The team has been a lot of fun. Over the past couple years, it’s bonded together a lot."
   Sholl is part of a close-knit senior class, all nine of which have swum for the Little Tigers for four years and who won their second straight sectional championship in the Central Jersey B division against Rumson on Tuesday (see related story).
   "There’s a different sense just because last year we went into it not having any expectations of going that far," Sholl said. "It was nothing we had experienced. Last year, I don’t think I knew as much.
   "They look pretty strong. We lost to them freshman and sophomore years. We just tried to put us as many points as we could. Last year we beat them. Hopefully we can do it again. We have a lot more depth this year."
   Sholl, a tri-captain along with Cranbury’s Maddy Carroll and Hannah Gursky, is one of the PHS swimmers who provides that depth. She swam a personal best 27.50 in the 50 freestyle, and was a part of two relays and made a rare appearance in a fourth event, the open 100 free.
   "It’s a combination of her continually improving and there were slots to be filled," said PHS head coach Greg Hand. "For the most part, she’s done the occasional 500 and 100. She’s perhaps one of the best all-around athletes at Princeton High School. She’s done so many things that swimming has not been a year-round concentration for her. She’s gotten continually faster, she’s just not been a constant entry in the individual events.
   "She gave us a nice split in the 200 free relay and the 400 free relay. She’s an important part of the two B relays. They can make a difference. Even a fifth-place (individual finish) can make a difference. It’s great if your A and B get first and second, but even if the B gets third that’s two points. And it denies the other team two points, so really it’s a four-point swing if it goes the other way. You’re trying to get the majority of 170 points. Those swings are huge."
   All the swings went top-seeded Princeton’s way in the CJ B semifinals, a 115-55 win over fifth-seeded Metuchen last Friday. PHS won the opening 200 medley relay and took third as well, then Kathleen Morrison, Elizabeth Cava and Gabi Cifuentes swept the 200 free. Nina Rossi won the 200 individual medley and the 100 free while Carroll won the 100 fly. Morrison captured the 500 free.
   Princeton produced a startling gap between itself and Metuchen, which had upset the fourth-seeded Shore Regional to meet the Little Tigers. They had little chance against a team that was heading skyward in a hurry.
   "We power-pointed 150 points higher than our season’s best," Hand said of Friday’s win. "It was surprisingly good."
   Heading into the Rumson meet, Sholl felt well prepared to help the Little Tigers win the meet. This season, she’s shown enough improvement to break six minutes in the 500 free and one minute in the 100 free. And she’s been one of three tri-captains that has brought the Little Tigers together.
   "She and Maddy and Hannah, it’s the best leadership tandem I’ve had the good fortune of coaching," Hand said. "They’ve been great."
   Sholl says the job isn’t that difficult, especially on the Little Tigers team.
   "I think it’s a lot easier to be on a team where everyone’s in it to work hard and have fun," she said. "We have our special things. Thursday night, we got together and made shirts. It’s nice to be able to do that instead of worrying about building the team and building spirit. It’s already there."
   It’s made for quite an enjoyable career with the PHS girls’ swim team. Sholl has also experienced plenty of success with the Little Tigers’ cross country and track teams.
   "I guess I can say I had a good year last year winning sectionals in cross country and sectionals for swimming," Sholl said. "I’ve been lucky to be on teams that have gone as far as they have. I never have experienced a team as special as the swim team. We all get together, like we’re going to the movies. We listen to music. We all cheer along. There’s so much energy there. There’s a lot of fun. I don’t think we’d be as successful if we didn’t have energy and spirit that we do have."
   And the Little Tigers girls’ swim team wouldn’t be as successful without Caroline Sholl, who’s found her four years to be more enjoyable than she ever anticipated.
   CRANBURY SAUCE: Other top-three finishers from Cranbury in the Metuchen meet included Carroll, who won the 100 fly (1:03.73) and took second in the 100 back, Melissa Carduner (third, 100 back) and Ali Mercuro (third, 50 free). . Carroll was a member of the first-place 400 free relay (3:56.12) and 200 medley relay (1:55.86) teams and Carduner was part of the 200 medley relay. Mercuro was part of the winning 200 free relay (1:47.12).