Raider swimmers seek to continue dominant run

Kuehne, VanBiervliet back to lead champs

By: John E. Powers
   
   How do you repeat a season in which you’ve won State Public A, Somerset County and Skyland Conference championships? The Hillsborough High School boys’ swimming team is eager to do it.
   The Raiders, who were also 13-2 in dual meets last year, are scheduled to open the season with a meet at home vs. Hightstown Thursday. They graduated standout breaststroker and IMer Frank Ippolito, butterflyer and backstroker Devon Gunsakera and sprinter James Lyon. But much returns for head coach Todd Sudol.
   "I think the kids are excited to continue it – to mirror what we did last year," said Sudol, entering his sixth season as head coach. "They realize that there is hard work to put in and there is still the question of coming together as a team. We have great leadership and a lot of the people we have back are returning with post-season experience, something you can’t beat."
   The experience is spread all over the place. Junior Pat Kuehne, the 200-meter IM county champ, who also won the 200-meter IM and 100 breaststroke at the conference meet, can dominate a meet. Senior James VanBiervliet, a cancer survivor, was the conference champ in the 100 butterfly despite being seeded third. VanBiervliet was huge throughout the post-season run which included routs of Delran and West Windsor-Plainsboro South in the Central Public A bracket, then the sectional title win over Lawrence.
   The team went on to blast Vernon in the state semifinal before thumping Bridgewater-Raritan for the state title at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. That win was led by victories by Kuehne in the 200 IM and 100 breast and VanBiervliet, who won the 100-yard butterfly in a personal-best time. They also pitched in with relay wins.
   Junior Tim Rauch, the Raiders’ top distance swimmer a year ago, returns. Senior Sean Downey, who scored valuable points in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle returns along with senior Scott Prow (50, 100). Junior Rob Webb will be used in several places, according to the coach. Senior Peter Cole returns in the breast and sprints, while senior Eric Horowitz is back in the freestyle and backstroke.
   Sophomore Kyle Smith will be counted on to score points in the 200 and 500 freestyles. Sudol, who will see eight seniors graduate next June, will have a youthful edge as well. The Raiders have several freshmen that will be key performers, he said.
   "The kids know that they have to re-establish themselves as a power – we can’t relax," said Sudol, whose 2003-2004 team was 14-2 and won its first sectional title over West Windsor-Plainsboro South. The 2002-2003 squad went 13-1, losing to Bridgewater-Raritan in the CJ Public A final that season. The Raiders were 10-3 the year before.
   The Raiders lost to perennial power St. Joseph of Metuchen and Bridgewater-Raritan – schools they will swim against next week on Thursday and Tuesday, respectively. They will host St. Joseph and swim at Bridgewater-Raritan.
   Last year, the HHS boys came back to unseat nine-time county champion Bridgewater-Raritan at the Somerset Valley YMCA in Bridgewater and did it again in the same pool six days later to win the conference. The Raiders also knocked off Bridgewater-Raritan to win the state title.
   Saturday, the Raiders will take part in the Pingry Invitational with Vernon and Hunterdon Central.
   "The Pingry meet will help us put together our lineup," Sudol said.
   Hillsborough won’t be competing in as many dual meets this year. The Raiders will compete in 10 dual meets and two invitationals — the Pingry meet Saturday afternoon and the Pirate Invitational at West Windsor Plainsboro South Jan. 15. This year’s county meet is scheduled for Jan. 28 with the Skyland meet set for Feb. 2.
   "We have to lessen the load the kids face, and let the kids’ bodies recover," Sudol said. "It’s about the post-season and how we race at the end of the year. I’ll have them prepared."