MHS girls third in Skyland swimming
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Gwen Comollo is still getting used to being able to swim this fast.
The Montgomery High School junior has no specific explanation for how she has set personal records in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events this year. In fact, after last year, she was a little scared to see what would happen this season.
”Last year, I wasn’t that great,” Comollo said. “I don’t know what happened last year. I wasn’t as good as I was the year before.
”I was worried because of last year. I have to work hard this year so I can keep up.”
It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with Comollo. In the first meet of the season, she broke Erica Hyrdusko’s 50 free school record, then lowered it again later in the season to its current mark of 25.55. Breaking it in the season opener served notice that this season would be much better than last.
”That was a shock to everyone,” Comollo said. “It was a shock to me.”
If her early season 50 free times were a shock, her 100 free times in the last week have been even more spectacular. At the Somerset County Championships last week, she broke 56 seconds to finish fifth in the 100 free in 55.54 seconds.
”Gwen was awesome,” said MHS head coach Claire Scarpa. “Her best prior time was 56.38. She almost cut off an entire second. At that level, it’s very difficult to do.
”Her times just keep dropping,” she added. “She’s been working very hard in practice. She’s always been a major contributor. Now she’s consistently winning the 50 freestyle. And she’s consistently coming in right after Courtney (Raw). I told her she would break the 56 mark. She finally did it last week and that’s exciting.”
One week later, Comollo showed it was no fluke. While she placed sixth in the 50 free, she climbed to fourth in the 100 free at the Skyland Conference Championships in 55.23 Wednesday. The boys were scheduled to swim in the conference meet Thursday.
”I was happy,” Comollo said. “I wasn’t that ready to swim as fast as I did. I don’t even know how (to explain it). It’s just maybe more of the competition than anything.”
In the 100 free, she has plenty of competition from Raw, who is one of her teammates. Raw, who missed all of last season while coming back from heart surgery, won the 100 back at both counties and conferences. This season, she already has broken the school record held by Meghan Leddy.
”It’s almost a guaranteed win no matter where I put her,” Scarpa said. “We had a lot of struggles with the medley relay last year without her. Trying to fill the spot. I didn’t have a backstroker. Meghan is more of a 200 backstroker.
”Having that year off, and the desire to come back, may have been what drove her to work harder in practice and get back to where she was. I tease her it was a year-long taper.”
Kara Dubiel placed second in the 200 free at the conferences after missing the counties. Montgomery’s medley relay of Raw, Laura Noisten, Sam Margulies and Comollo was second at the conference meet.
”Everybody swam really well today,” Scarpa said of the conferences. “The times got even a little faster than last week. Some of the girls didn’t get much faster, but they were still pretty much on. We finished third as a team, which is where I expected.”
The Cougars, who were fifth at the county meet, have just under one week until they find out about a state tournament berth. Beyond that, Comollo is looking forward to the Meet of Champions.
”This year is the first time I’ve been in the individuals,” Comollo said. “Especially since I made it in the 100 and never done that before, it’s exciting for me to make an individual event. It’ll be tough. Those girls will be extremely fast.”
Comollo is still adjusting to being one of those fast swimmers. She is not a year-round club swimmer, but she has been able to develop into a reliable front-line sprinter for the Cougars. She is helped in being a sprinter, so that she doesn’t have to adjust to building endurance for the longer events. She has gotten good at her sprint specialties.
”She’s really come through every meet in the 50 and 100,” Scarpa said. “There are a lot of times we’ve gone 1-2 in the 100 with her and Courtney.
”I think she can go faster. She’s got a month to essentially train. Then we’ll be able to taper her. I think she’ll go real fast at the Meet of Champions. I’m hoping she’ll break 55. She was so close today. She’s a good big-meet swimmer.”
There aren’t any meets bigger than the final state meet. Comollo can’t put her finger on exactly what makes her deliver so frequently in the bigger meets.
”Obviously, the day before we’re not swimming such a hard practice, not that we do for dual meets,” Comollo explained. “I’m a lot more well-rested. I go to bed earlier. Just getting more rest and knowing that I’m going to have a really tough competition the next day, I’m prepared mentally.
”I don’t know what makes me go. I just get in the water, and do what I do.”
Lately, Comollo has been getting in and out of the water faster than usual, whether it’s been in her individual events or the Cougar relays.
”It’s exciting,” she said. “I don’t want to say I’m going to get used to doing well.”
At this point, it’s come to be expected of Gwen Comollo. She already has a school record and the confidence of her teammates and coaches every time she is on the starting blocks.