Juniors Riestra, Smith lift North
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
The West Windsor-Plainsboro North girls’ swim team has every reason to expect to top last year’s fourth-place finish when it opens the Mercer County Championships at Lawrence High on Thursday.
The Knights improved to 8-2 with a 113-57 win over Steinert last Thursday. They hope to continue on the strong regular season at the county meet.
”It’s what you build up for all season,” said Natalie Smith, who was second in the 100 backstroke to teammate Christine McCarthy on Thursday.
”It’s something you shoot for. It’s a huge culmination of everything you could hope for in a season.”
Smith is in her third year with the Knights and will be shooting for a top six finish in the 100 back, her specialty. With a thin senior class, it is the juniors that have helped to take the lead for WW-P North.
”We try to show a really positive attitude, especially to the freshmen,” said fellow junior Rocio Riestra. “We tell them we definitely have a chance and what to expect, and to be ready and pumped and do anything to get those places because it’s important to us. And when they’re sophomores, they’ll know what to do and pass it down to the freshmen.”
Riestra has been able to contribute at counties before. She was part of the third-place 200 free relay as a freshman, then last year finished fifth in both the 50 and 100 free races, behind her sister Raquel who has since graduated and now competes for Rider University. A bout with mononucleosis earlier this season left some doubt as to how Rocio would do, but she is feeling stronger by the week.
”I didn’t go back in really fast,” Riestra said. “I gradually started to make it back. This week, I started making the intervals and main sets at practices. I haven’t been going my times yet. Hopefully at counties, I’ll be able to make finals like last year.
”I’m really hoping I do well. I want to show myself nothing will stop me from doing well. Just because I got sick, doesn’t mean I won’t do well. At states, we’ll see how it goes. I’m going to see at counties how I’m doing.”
Even without Riestra swimming the 400 free relay, the Knights are one of the contenders for the county crown. Their seed time is just hundredths of a second off the top time in the Colonial Valley Conference.
”We know where we stand,” said North head coach Theresa Bonanno. “It’s difficult not to get too excited about that. Our girls, it’s about what they do in the pool. They have a great shot at second or third place. They have a lot of competition. It’s going to come down to who wants it more. It’s what I’ve been trying to coach the kids about this year. It’s not enough to say, I want it.
”We’ve got good competition. Teams we’ve beaten at the beginning of the year have gotten better. It’s hard to tell where we’ll be.”
Bonanno likes the balance she can use. She points to a host of strong sprinters as the reason she will swim Smith in the 200 individual medley along with the 100 back. The Knights are trying to squeeze out every point possible.
”Natalie, she can be a pretty versatile,” Bonanno said. “She’s got the strength in the fly, backstroke and freestyle. Although breaststroke isn’t her best stroke, she can make up time in the other ones. She has our third-best IM time.
”You’re figuring out where you can earn the most amount of points. She’s also doing the backstroke. Any time we’re building a meet, and need someone to fill a spot, she does it. She’s been great about it.”
A self-admitted goofball, Smith gets serious when it comes time for counties. She can keep things lighthearted on deck when there’s palpable pressure, but also can produce when she steps on the blocks.
”There are times to goof around,” she said, “and time to get pumped up and say this is our time to get down to business.”
Smith has been to counties before and expects the experience will pay off in her junior year. She is hoping it helps her reach the finals.
”I think it comes in handy when the meets and placing high comes down to it,” Smith said. “When you know what points you’ll score and what will work out for the team, it helps. It helps to know the ropes. And when you’re a leader, you want everyone else to know the ropes.”
Smith is happy that the Knights will have one of their most experienced points winners, Riestra, back in the pool for the MCC. She knows North has a better chance at a top three finish with the junior sprinter.
”We were hurting when she was down,” Smith said. “Everyone was missing her. She’s not just a great swimmer. We’re all friends. We were all down when she was out. It’s great to have us all back and healthy so we can work together and do well.”
Added Bonanno: “It builds our confidence in our relays. I don’t know how she’s going to place, but it definitely increases our place. She swims to the competition. She’ll fight for whatever place she’s fighting for. It’s more mental. I want her to do well and get back in the game.”
Riestra combines both talent and experience. She is hoping to rely on both as she swims in her third county meet.
”My freshman year, it was like, I don’t know what this is,” Riestra said. “My sophomore year, I thought, I have to get these places, and I placed really well last year. I was really happy. This year, because I’ve had more experience with it, I’m hoping to have even better results. Last year was my best year so far. I’m hoping to get back in that shape for counties.”
If the Knights can put together some of their best swims, they feel good about their chances to improve on last season’s fourth-place MCC finish. For juniors like Smith and Riestra, it would be easy to look at the low senior numbers and get excited about next season’s potential, but the Knights’ only focus remains on climbing in this year’s county standings.
”I definitely think we’ll place really well,” Riestra said. “Last year, we were saying, we’re losing so many seniors. We’re actually the same or even better now. It’s a downfall we lost to Notre Dame, but they improved a lot. I’m hoping we can beat them at counties and get first place or second.”