Raider swimmers not fazed by loss to rivals

Teams recover with rout

By: John E. Powers
   
   Tantalizingly close.
   Maybe a touch or two quicker and the Hillsborough High School boys’ swimming team could have done something it hasn’t done since 2002 – beat Bridgewater-Raritan in a regular-season dual meet.
   But maybe there’s a silver lining to consider.
   The Raiders lost to Bridgewater-Raritan 87-83 at the Hillsborough YMCA. In December of 2004, the boys lost to the Panthers 86-84, but went on to win Somerset County, Skyland Conference and State Public A titles, routing the Panthers by a 101-69 margin in the state final.
   Last Tuesday, HHS senior Pat Kuehne was a winner in the 200 IM in 2:02.34 and 100 breaststroke in 1:01.60 and senior Tim Rauch won the 100 free in 49.97. The boys 200 and 400 relay teams also won with 1:32.13 and 3:23.96 efforts, respectively. Kuehne, sophomore Rob Parker, Rob Webb and Rauch won the 200 free and Rauch, sophomore David Wilson, Webb and Kuehne combined for the victory in the 400 free relay.
   "There were a lot of close races," Hillsborough coach Todd Sudol said. "We got touched out in the 200 free and 100 butterfly. When you have a meet like that it comes down to the close races. They just touched us out in two more. The meet could have gone either way. I think we’re just as good as they are."
   A big crowd packed the pool area to see the two Skyland Conference powers go at it.
   "It is always a close meet, every year," Sudol said. "When we see them again we’ll be a different team. You can never get disappointed by your kids in a close meet when they try their hardest. You move on to the next one."
   The margin of victory was dramatically smaller this year for Bridgewater-Raritan. Last year, the Panthers scored a 101-69 victory.
   Hillsborough’s boys and girls were scheduled to play host to powerful opponents Tuesday. The boys were slated to swim perennial state power St. Joseph of Metuchen, while the girls were set to face first-year Skyland Conference member Mount St. Mary of Watchung. The boys and girls were scheduled to meet Vernon Thursday at 3 p.m.
   Sudol looked at the losses to Bridgewater-Raritan as just another brick in building a foundation.
   "It was good," Sudol said of his team’s effort. "I learned a lot about my team’s strengths and weaknesses and as a coach I can go back and re-evaluate how we did."
   The HHS girls, who lost to Bridgewater-Raritan 93-77 last year, fell 94-76 last week. Junior Kelsey Hurley won the 200 IM (2:15.44) and 100 butterfly (1:01.67) and led off the first-place 200 medley relay team, which won in 1:59.56. Sophomore Kerri Hamersky won the 500 freestyle in 5:38.64 and senior Ariel Newman won the 100 breaststroke in 1:13.14.
   "I was very pleased with the girls," Sudol said. "The 50 freestyle was close (Bridgewater-Raritan’s Casey Stahl won) and Jessica Parker got touched out. It was another good meet."
   Both Raider teams pounded Warren Hills Thursday. The boys won 10 of 11 events in a 110-60 rout. Senior Robert Gendimenico won the 100 butterfly in 1:02.11, sophomore Brian Giacopelli captured the 100 freestyle in 54.80 and sophomore Eric VanBiervliet took the 500 freestyle in 6:04.59 with Webb taking the 100-yard back in 59.09 and junior Greg Johnson taking the 100 breast in 1:11.00. Parker took the 200 freestyle in 2:02.89, Rauch won the 200 IM in 2:04.76 and Kuehne won the 50 freestyle in 23.60.
   The team of Webb, Johnson, Kuehne and Giacopelli won the 200 medley in 1:48.80 and the team of sophomore Tanner Horst, Giacopelli, Johnson and Rauch went 1:39.73 to take the 200 freestyle.
   "We had a chance to see some of our younger swimmers," Sudol said.
   The girls scored a 106-63 win, also taking 10 of 11 events. Junior Lauren Marchese won the 200 freestyle (2:26.97) and 500 freestyle (5:51.31) junior Carolyn Mehrtens won the 200 IM (2:26.97), Newman won the 50 freestyle (28.05) and freshman Meredith Trabilsy won the 100 backstroke in 1:14.80. Freshman Ashley Smolinka won the 100 freestyle in 1:00.10.
   The team of Hurley, Parker, Trabilsy and Mehrtens won the 200 medley relay in 2:02.97 and the team of senior Sarah Miller, freshman Jessica Walton, Smolinka and Trabilsy won the 400 free relay in 4:20.67.