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Stange has clear future in swimming

Additions of goggles creates future champ

Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
  When Will Stange first started swimming, he was no different than any other 6-year-old who was just getting used to the water.
   In four years, the Princeton resident has not only gotten used to being in the water, but he’s progressed to the point where he is now one of the top 10-and-under swimmers in the area.
   Stange can pinpoint the exact event that helped him go from someone just getting used to the water to a swimmer who was able top set a meet record at this week’s PASDA Championship Meet.
   "I started when I was 6 years old on the (Community Park) Bluefish," recalled Stange. "When I started, I couldn’t even do a 25 (yards) and I remember the water being real cold. But at the time I didn’t have any goggles, so my dad gave me his and said to just follow the line on the bottom of the pool. I said, ‘There’s a line on the bottom of the pool?’ After that I did much better."
   Stange had been doing better and better every year since. And this summer has been the most impressive one yet. Earlier in the season he won all five of his races at the PASDA Mini-Meet. And on Monday he won three individual events and a relay at the PASDA champs, setting a meet record in the 25 free when his 12.97 eclipsed the mark set by Brian Grossman of Hopewell Valley Tennis Club in 1997.
   "This is my first year of swimming all year round," said Stange, who was named the Most Valuable Swimmer in the boys’ 10-and-under division. "I’ve been swimming with the Princeton Piranhas and then in the summer I also swim with the Bluefish.
   "I consider myself a distance freestyler and a distance flyer. But recently I went to a meet in North Baltimore and I had a meet record time for the 50 back."
   Stange helped Community Park to a fourth-place finish in Division I of the PASDA championships. Flemington-Raritan won the championship, with the West Windsor Whalers finishing in fifth place.
   In addition to Stange earning an MVS award, other local swimmers also earned the same designation. Carolyn Maslanka of Lenape was the MVS for the 6-and-under girls; Becca Maslanka of Lenape was the MVS for the 8-and-under girls; West Windsor resident Emily Schroeder of the Hamilton Hurricanes was the MVS for the 10-and-under girls; Hannah Matheson of CP was the MCS for the 12-and-under girls; and Megan Lydzinski of CP was the MVS for the 14-and-under girls.
   For Stange, the strong performance at the PASDA meet was just another highlight in a very productive summer. He won six events and set two meet records at the recent Summer Solstice meet at Princeton University, and this weekend will swim in the New Jersey Junior Olympics at Rutgers.
   "Last year I did pretty much the same at the meet, but I didn’t get a record," Stange said. "I did really well at Junior Olympics last year and I went to Zones. That’s when I really knew I wanted to do it all year round."
   In addition to his swimming, Stange has been involved with Cub Scouts and other after school activities. Has also played Little League baseball the last two years. The summer swim team at CP is one that he really enjoys being on.
   "The Community Park team is a lot of fun," Stange said. "It’s different than Piranhas. For one thing, we don’t have Fun Fridays all the time with Piranhas. I like the coaches we have here. They really get the people into swimming."
   CP coach Greg Hand has noticed that Stange is the type of swimmer who just loves being in the water. And his development over the years has been a product of hard work and just loving the sport.
   "He seems to love to swim, and that is the important thing," Hand said. "You could have a ton of talent as a young swimmer and it could be a short career because you didn’t enjoy it. But it could be the start of a long career if you love training and competing and have that great balance.
   "The thing I like to see with him is it being all about enjoying himself and having fun and not just setting records. He likes to swim and he really enjoys all the aspects of being part of the team."
   Hand, who also coaches the varsity team at Princeton High, knows that summer swimming is meant to be a fun time, while also giving swimmers at outlet to compete. Days like Fun Fridays are a big part of that.
   "As long as my kids have been associated with it, and my oldest started as a 6-and-under, Fridays have always been half the time a workout and half the time sharks and minnows or some other game," Hand said. "That speaks to what CP offers. Some of the kids are novices and just want to be a part of the team in the summer and see what the can improve on their swimming. And others are more committed to swimming, but want to be a part of the fun in the summer."
   Stange is a swimmer who has developed into a record-setter. But there are others on the team that have made similar strides as swimmers, even if the end result is not victories and records.
   "That happens for all of the kids in their own way," Hand said. "Will decided to swim with a club team and got results from putting in that extra time. Other kids get their rewards with other aspects like developing endurance or learning a flip turn. It’s nice to see the variation in talent and experience."
   And if Hand makes sure to have a couple of extra pairs of goggles on hand, he might have some future champions waiting in the wings.