HHS swimmers set for team playoffs

Kuehne dominates at Skyland meet

By:John E. Powers
   
   For the second time in just five days, the Hillsborough High School boys’ swimming team finished second to Bridgewater-Raritan – this time at the Skyland Conference Championships at Montgomery High School. But this time, the Raiders had company.
   Defending champion Bridgewater-Raritan finished with 281 points last Wednesday and Hillsborough and Montgomery finished tied for second with 211 points. The Raiders could see the Cougars again in the Central Public A Tournament, which Hillsborough has won the past three years.
   The Raiders have been seeded third in the sectional behind No. 2 West Windsor-Plainsboro South and top seed Montgomery. Hillsborough is scheduled to play host to sixth-seeded Rancocas Valley next Wednesday. The sectional semifinals are scheduled for Feb. 16 with finals slated for Feb. 20 at North Brunswick High School. The Raiders, the No. 1 seed in the section last year, beat Rancocas in the sectional semifinals last season.
   Hillsborough’s boys will be once again led by seniors Pat Kuehne and junior Tim Rauch. Kuehne won his third straight conference 100-yard breaststroke title last week in 1:01.12 and took the 50-yard freestyle in 22.42, something he just missed at the county championships where he finished second to Bridgewater-Raritan’s Mike Randall.
   "I thought the time was good," said Kuehne, referring to both races. "In the 50, there were 22s across the board. My time in the 50 is pretty much what I’ve been going on. In the 50, the slightest thing can really throw you off. The start, the turn and the finish are big factors. But I felt a bit better at Montgomery and felt more prepared (than he was the counties."
   Kuehne said that he felt "decent" during the breaststroke. His personal best in the event is 58.8, which he swam in an open meet at Rutgers in December.
   "I knew he’d be right there with me," said Kuehne, referring to runner-up Randall. "I just gave it my all. He put up a good fight."
   Rauch lost touchouts to Montgomery’s Brian Stirling 49.04-49.45 in the 100 freestyle and was third in the 200 freestyle with a 1:47.14 – behind first-place Drew Talarick of Motngomery (1:45.33) and Immaculata’s Mike Vernoia (1:46.92).
   "I basically use all the times I’ve been touched out as motivation," said Rauch, who was second at the conference last year in the 200 and 500 freestyles. "You don’t want that feeling again. I was happy with my times, they weren’t too far away from my best, but getting touched out wasn’t great."
   Rauch anchored the 200 and 400 freestyle teams as well. The 400 freestyle went 3:19.46 – just off Montgomery’s 3:19.27. Kuehne, Rob Parker and Rob Webb swam the first three legs.
   "We were disappointed, but we looked at the time as a good time," Kuehne said. "Tim really put it all out. He really did a great job."
   The same foursome was also second in the 200 freestyle relay. The Raiders were timed at 1:30.39 to Bridgewater-Raritan’s 1:30.30.
   "I think I went my fastest splits in both relays," Rauch said. "Those were my fastest high school sprints."
   The 200 medley team of Brian Giacopelli, Tanner Horst, Greg Johnson and David Wilson finished fourth in 1:46.78.
   Webb was third in the 200 IM and seventh in the 100 freestyle. Parker was fifth in the 200 freestyle.
   "As a team, I think we did alright," Kuehne said. "There were a few things here and there we can work on, but overall it wasn’t bad."
   The HHS girls, third last year behind Bridgewater-Raritan and champion Montgomery, were fourth this year. But powerful Mount St. Mary Academy was a reason the Raiders dropped back a spot. The Mount Lions, who rolled to a Somerset County title, blasted the field once again at their first Skyland meet, scoring 329 points. Montgomery was second with 216 followed by Bridgewater-Raritan’s 204 and Hillsborough’s 136.
   Junior Kelsey Hurley, who won the 100 butterfly last year, was third this year behind Mount St. Mary’s Becky Clapp and Alison Christie with a 1:00.59. She was also second in the 200 IM behind Montgomery’s Meghan Leddy. Hurley swam 2:12.60 to Leddy’s 2:07.66. Hurley did finish ahead of Christie in the 200 IM.
   "My times were pretty good; I had my best time for the IM, so I’m happy with that and I made the national cut for the butterfly for the third time," Hurley said. "I guess I can always say that if Mount St. Mary wasn’t there I would have won."
   The 200 medley team of Ariel Newman (breaststroke), Stephanie Silleck (butterfly), Jessica Parker (freestyle) and Hurley (backstroke) was second to Mount St. Mary. The Raiders went 1:57.06. Hurley also anchored the 200 freestyle relay, which was fourth in 1:44.54. Parker, Silleck and Carolyn Mehrtens swam the first three legs.
   Ariel Newman, the Somerset County champion in the breaststroke, was second to Warren Hills’ Victoria Drach 1:11.49-1:11.57 in the conference race. Mehrtens was eighth in the 200 freestyle and butterfly. Kerri Hamersky placed seventh in the 500 freestyle and Parker was eighth in the 50 freestyle.
   "I think we did well," Hurley said. "I think we were a little tired because of the county meet being so close, but now we’re looking forward to the playoffs and we’re getting excited about it."
   The Raider girls have received the third seed for the upcoming Central Public A sectional tournament. They are scheduled to host No. 6 East Brunswick Tuesday. West Windsor-Plainsboro South earned the top seed ahead of No. 2 Montgomery. The semifinals are scheduled for next Thursday and the sectional final Feb. 20 at North Brunswick High School’s pool.
   The girls beat North Brunswick in the opening round last year, but were eliminated by eventual section champ Lawrence in the next round.