Vikings’ success story a best seller

By: Sean Richards
ÿ8SWIMMINGÿSean RichardsSports Writer
   The South Brunswick High School swimming program accomplished so many great and wondrous things this year you’d need an epic the size of "War and Peace" to document them all.
   It was a year in which it almost seemed like any time a Viking swimmer jumped in the pool another school record was shattered. It was also a year in which the South Brunswick team collectively went to places it had never been before.
   Consider just some of the accomplishments for coach John Harding’s emerging South Brunswick powerhouse:
   —Both the boys and girls posted their best records in school history. The boys ended up 9-1, while the girls were 8-2-1.
   — At the Greater Middlesex Conference championships, the boys had their best showing in history by taking a second. The girls had their second best finish with a fourth.
   — The girls qualified for the team states for the first time. The boys made it for just the second time.
   With this kind of success it should come as no surprise there were all kinds of All-GMC honors.
   Representing the boys on the All-Conference team were sophomore Tyler Wardlow and junior Henry Ma. Making if for the girls were Abby Weingarten and sophomores Amie McMahon and Liz Samtur.
   In addition, Harding was named the GMC’s boys "Coach of the Year."
   A freshman phenom, Weingarten became just the second girl in the program’s history to make the NJSIAA Individual State Championships. At that meet on Saturday, Weingarten finished an impressive eighth in the 100 breast with a time of 1:09.17.
   The boys set seven new school records this season. The girls set five. Without getting into all the details, Wardlow, Ma, Dan DeOliveira, Mike Socienski and James Kugel were the boys setting either individual or relay records. The new records for the girls were produced by Lauren Dai, Weingarten, Samtur and McMahon.
   "We had a great year," concurred Harding. "It was a very hard-working group that really came together."
   While many of the South Brunswick standouts will return next year, the team did have some invaluable seniors. Heading up that list among the girls were senior co-captains Krista Reinfeldt and Stephanie Bartolotta.
   "They’re going to be very tough to replace," said Harding. There were both in our program for three to four years. They were very valuable swimmers and also team leaders."
   Other girl seniors included Anchal Gugliani, Laura Freneaux, Hillary Berk and Kylie Pinheiro.
   "Freneaux scored a lot of points for us in the breast stroke," said Harding.
   "All of them did a great job filling in at a lot of places and gave us the best depth we’ve ever had."
   South Brunswick will not be hit nearly as hard by graduation when it comes to the boys, although a notable exception will be senior co-captain Travis Wardlow.
   "Travis was a four-year varsity member," said Harding. "He scored a lot of points and swam a lot of fast time. We’ll miss him."
   Also graduating among the boys will be Ed Lee and Rob Goodwin.
   "Lee was kind of a role player," said Harding. "Wherever we needed him, he would go and he never raised a question. Goodwin improved a lot of in just his second year of swimming. He took 45 seconds off his time in the 500.
   "All three of the senior boys posted personal bests this year. We’ll miss those guys as well."
   No matter how you cut it, the future looks very bright for the South Brunswick program.
   "The boys will be especially strong next year," agreed Harding. "We had lot of quality freshmen who didn’t get to swim because the team was so strong."
   So stay tuned.
   With all five of South Brunswick’s All-GMC swimmers set to return, there’s no telling how high the upside can be next year.